Wildlife on your doorstep - The Rea Valley is blessed, and so are those walking it.
You don't have to travel great distances to appreciate wildlife, and if you're lucky enough to be in a striking line of a river or other water body then you are truly blessed. Birmingham might not be known for its great water courses but it can boast a fine network of canals and dynamic, vibrant rivers, brooks, streams, rills and runnels, together with reservoirs, lakes, ponds and pools, not to mention wet grasslands and woodlands alongside. John Morris Jones' map of mills Andy Slater pays regular tribute throughout the year to the green spaces and wildlife of the Rea Valley and beyond; from the tiniest beasts to the changes in time and space he catalogues, journals and photographs with a naturalists eye. - check out his Twitter page for splendid images- https://twitter.com/Andy_Underscore A first lesson for aspiring naturalists is to get to know the species in nearby gardens and parks before stepping into the wilds, and if the imagination is given free reign