So, let your festive creativity flow and submit a wonderful image of your Black Country fossil inspired artwork for the chance of winning a prize and becoming an international artistic representative of the Black Country in 2026.

So, what do you need to do to enter? It couldn’t be simpler, just create an artwork based on Black Country fossils and then submit a digital image of your fossil-themed artwork to blackcountrygeopark@dudley.gov.uk before 5pm on the 31st December 2025.

From all the submissions across the European Geoparks, a winner will again be chosen in March 2026. The winning picture will then be named the Fossil of the Year 2026 of the European Geopark Network.

It’s part of a larger international (European) Geoparks art competition called ‘Fossil of the Year 2026’ and so the overall winner of our Black Country geopark competition will go on to the international competition as the representative work from the Black Country

They'll announce the winner and award prizes The Black Country winners will be announced on 12th February 2026 – on the birthday of Charles Darwin.

The Black Country Unesco Global Geopark @BCgeoparkteam are delighted to announce that they are launching a public Art competition today themed on the Fossils of the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark. It free to enter and open for anyone. (closing date is 31/12/2025).

As the days get colder, our resident birds are joined by migrants fleeing the harsher weather of northern and eastern Europe. Redwings and fieldfares arrive in their masses, joining blackbirds to strip berries from bushes. This Fieldfare was spotted by jsmithy1943 on iNaturalist

Nice walk around the City Centre Gardens area of Brum city centre this morning. Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and a male Blackcap the highlights. No Black Redstart though (has a Robin pushed it off its territory?). Some images. @WestMidBirdClub @EcoRecording

Birmingham City run; 2 Black Redstart 2 Peregrine 4 Raven Kingfisher Yday brown Bourn Brook surprise 3 Kingfisher Great!

21/11/25 Birmingham City centre run Black Redstart Kingfisher from roost Great!

Looking to grow your species ID skills? Take part in the upcoming iNaturalist ID-a-thon event - a global initiative from mid-December to mid-January to help identify iNat observations from around the world! For more info, join the mailing list at https://t.co/TN8WqL69yH

Black Redstart in Birmingham city centre. @WestMidBirdClub @EcoRecording

1st Nov 2025 Birmingham City run Kingfisher from roost Black Redstart from roost Great!

A drake Shoveler (first since Jan 2024) was the highlight of an early morning walk at Hill Hook LNR, also 50+ Black-headed Gulls, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Blue & Long-tailed Tits. Fewer Tufted Duck than recently. @EcoRecording @pmandrews1973

Recent nights have brought December Moth and Satellite as NFY, together with Feathered Thorn and Acleris notana/ferrugana. B74 SK10 VC38 @ruth_newby @BCWarwickshire @EcoRecording

Mild, wet weather means fungal fruiting bodies are popping up everywhere! Here's a few we found in Walsall. We think these are Hare'sfoot Inkcap, Alder Bracket and Spectacular Rustgill fungi.

The moth trap continues to produce - Beaded Chestnut and Feathered Thorn were NFY this morning with my 2nd and 3rd Green-brindled Crescent. But all usurped by this Gem, new for me and the SK10 square. VC38 B74 @ruth_newby @BCWarwickshire @EcoRecording

17/10/25 Birmingham City centre run Another singing Black Redstart 😀 Thanks @midswildlife Kingfisher 2 Peregrine flyover Also this wk; 2 Raven Great!

The leaves are brown and the sky is grey, but there’s still plenty of wildlife to discover! Here are a few autumn sightings from our area, shared on iNaturalist: 1. Collared Earthstar (alexexploring on iNat) 2. Knot Grass Moth (delrington) 3. Orange Peel Fungus (avoidasher)

Well done to Birmingham which saw the biggest increase in the number of new observations, recorders and species this month, and well done also to Newcastle-under-Lyme who had the biggest increase in the percentage of new observations, recorders and species.