Two-day event at Birmingham Botanical Gardens brings together communities and businesses to tackle the UK’s nature crisis
Birmingham is the first city in the UK to launch a city-wide biosphere network.
Its new “Brum Biosphere” programme is designed to build community pride and strengthen the relationship between residents, businesses and the natural world.
Brum Biosphere launches tomorrow, Friday April 24, at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, with a two-day schedule of high-profile speakers and an exhibition showcasing 40 landscape and community projects from across the city.
A response to the nature crisis
The initiative comes in the wake of a UK Government report published in January, entitled “National Security Assessment on Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security,” which set out how the loss of nature threatens food and water supplies, public health and national supply chains.
Chris Millward, co-founder of urban biodiversity group Team4Nature and creator of the Brum Biosphere programme, said: “The Government’s report called for innovation, green finance and collaborative working, particularly in large conurbations like Birmingham, to safeguard the life systems upon which we all depend.
“The nature crisis is not just about the breakdown of ecosystems in far-off lands,” he said.
“The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth. The 2023 State of Nature report found that almost one in six species were at risk of extinction.”
Bringing Brummies together
The purpose of the launch event is to unite Birmingham residents and organisations, including a number of major business brands, around the shared goal of valuing and protecting urban green spaces. The Brum Biosphere mechanism, Millward explained, is intended to go beyond environmental advocacy. “It is designed to bring people and organisations together for a common cause and enhance their lives by receiving the health and wellbeing benefits derived from community work and connection to nature,” he said.
Speakers and programme
Among those appearing at the two-day event is Brummie social historian and writer Professor Carl Chinn MBE, who will open proceedings with a talk about the working-class fight for parks in Birmingham.
Closing the event on Saturday afternoon is Professor Paul Cadman, chief executive of the One Thousand Trades Group, who will speak in his capacity as a trustee of the Birmingham City FC Foundation charity about how the Blues represent something larger than the game itself.
Prof Cadman said: “The Brum Biosphere brings us together to formally declare our shared love of Birmingham’s green spaces, which are the lungs that keep our city breathing.”
How to attend
The exhibition will bring together cross-sector partners alongside the display of 40 Brum Biosphere community projects from across the city.
Attendance is free for delegates from Birmingham-based businesses and community organisations, as well as members of Birmingham Botanical Gardens and valid day-ticket holders. Bookings can be made via the launch event website at brumbiosphere.co.uk.
