In early June 2026, volunteers from the Friends of Bilbrook carried out a Riverfly survey of the Moat Brook. Along with water testing, Riverfly surveys are the best way to gauge the health of a watercourse. The Friends of Bilbrook carry out two Riverfly surveys every year and have done so for the past ten … Read more
In December 2025, our Treasurer, Annette, was asked to write an article about our work for the Trent Valley Newsletter, published by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. She was only too pleased to do so! You can read her article, and the rest of the newsletter HERE
Summer brings balsam bashing season again, and in late June 2025, we were joined by 6 volunteers from Moog Aircraft Group based at i54 as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. The team worked really hard and we managed to clear a huge area from most of the Moat Brook alongside Jubilee Wood. … Read more
At the end of April 2025, we took part in a nationwide citizen science project – The Great UK Water Blitz – to test the water quality of Moat Brook. 4 sites were selected along the brook: Three in Jubilee Wood and one just below the Severn Trent Water (STW) sewage outfall. The water was … Read more
On a hot and sticky Tuesday in June we were joined by volunteers from Autoneum, based in Halesowen. These volunteers were spending a day with as as part of Autoneum’s CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program. They worked really hard, helping us to control the Himalayan Balsam that grows alongside Moat Brook. Himalayan Balsam is incredibly … Read more
We are often asked about blockages in Moat Brook. The series of pictures below explain why blockages are a good thing for the brook and should be left alone. In the 1800s the Moat Brook brook was straightened out by the land owner and this created many problems. When water courses are straightened, flow velocity … Read more
Some bad news for Moat Brook. An Asian Clam (pictured) was found on the bank of the brook in early January 2022, near to the footbridge. The Asian Clam is an invasive species which is slowly colonising watercourses in Staffordshire. You can find out more about the Asian Clam at this link. This is the first … Read more
Despite the efforts of a determined group of volunteers and our local school children, we are still plagued with litter in the Jubilee Wood. It feels like one step forward and two steps back. Often. The picture below is one of the unintended consequences of littering. A small mammal, probably a wood mouse, was found … Read more
After over a year’s planning and preparation, in the summer of 2017, we were finally given permission to proceed with a project to improve the habitat of the Moat Brook within Jubilee Wood. In a partnership between the Friends of Bilbrook, Groundwork West Midlands, South Staffordshire Council and the Wild Trout Trust, volunteers from Bilbrook … Read more
