The Birmingham University Conservation Volunteers (BUCV) is a student volunteering group dedicated to conserving environments for the joint benefit of wildlife and people. For over 50 years the group has helped local and national conservation organisations: these have included local parks and woodlands, nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Whatever existing skills and knowledge students possess, or indeed what courses students are studying, we encourage everyone to get involved with the experience of volunteering for the preservation of our local and national green spaces.
Conservation events take place on most Sundays during term time; these are usually off campus in or around the Birmingham area. Sites we most often visit include: Cotteridge Park, Highbury Park, Selly Oak Park and the Fruit and Nut Village.
Grow With Joe gardening sessions take place most Wednesday afternoons during term time (see more info about the garden below).
We also organise residential trips, usually around the end of Spring term to coincide with the Easter Holidays, but also sometimes in the Autumn term too. Past trips have included: tree planting in North Wales, invasive tree removal and wool bund making in the Elan Valley, hiking in the Peak District, and camping at Dodford Children’s Farm.
Although these volunteering sessions may feel like ‘small wins’ in the grand scheme of things, the knowledge of your supporting these green spaces for the joint benefit of wildlife and people is a rewarding experience; it is why we do it.
All of our event details are posted on our Instagram page. Please sign up to become a member for free on the guild website and to join our mailing list to get updates emailed directly to you.
If any historical members find this page and have any stories/photographs of past groups then we'd love to hear about them! See our contact details below.
The Grow with Joe garden is a student-led growing project, giving students, staff and members of the public experience in growing their own food. Everything we grow is organic, without the use of pesticides or artificial fertilisers; our aim is to co-exist with the ecosystem around us.
The idea behind the garden began in 2017 as the winner of ‘The Birmingham Project’, before it was adopted by the Birmingham University Conservation Volunteers in 2018 for the design and planning stage. The garden came into production in 2019 and we have been enjoying bountiful harvests ever since!
We would love to get more members of the university community involved in the project, whether you are a first time grower or seasoned horticulturalist. The garden offers a chance for students and staff to collaborate in a social environment, and we’re always looking for fresh ideas and help with projects.