Crack willow
So-named because its gnarled trunk can split as it grows, the crack willow can be seen along riverbanks, around lakes and in wet woodlands. Like other willows, it produces catkins in spring.
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
Goosander
The streamlined goosander is a handsome bird and a great fisher - its long, serrated bill helps it to catch and hold its slippery fish prey. It nests in riverbank trees, but can be seen on lakes…
Save our rivers – give invasive non-native species the brush off!
As the second biggest threat to biodiversity and extinction rates globally, invasive non-native species are a challenging problem. But together we can all make simple changes that can help stop…
Southern hawker
A common dragonfly of ponds, lakes and canals near woodland, the southern hawker can be seen patrolling the water or 'hawking' through woodland rides. A fast-flying species, it will…
Spiked water-milfoil
Look out for the feathery leaves of Spiked water-milfoil just below the surface of streams, ditches, lakes and ponds; its red flowers emerge from the water in summer. It provides shelter for a…
Water stick insect
The water stick insect looks just like a mantis. An underwater predator, it uses its front legs to catch its prey. Its tail acts as a kind of 'snorkel', so it can breathe in the water.…
An end and a beginning!
Hello! It’s Dylan and Rhys again and we are no longer Interns! In our last blog we talked about the ending of our six-month internship, ran by The Crown Estate, hosted by the North Wales Wildlife…
Coot
A familiar black bird of our lakes, ponds and rivers, the coot is widespread; look out for its large and untidy-looking nest on the water in spring. The coot can be distinguished from the similar…
Moorhen
A familiar black bird of our lakes, ponds and rivers, the moorhen is widespread; look out for its large and untidy-looking nest on the water in spring. It can be distinguished from the similar…
Autumn gentian
A late-flowering plant, Autumn gentian displays pretty, mauve, tube-like flowers atop its reddish stems. It favours dry, chalk grassland and sand dune habitats.
Marsh gentian
The bright blue, trumpet-shaped flowers of the marsh gentian contrast deeply with the pinks and purples of the wet heaths it inhabits. The New Forest holds a large population of this late-…
Seagrass Ocean Rescue
The UK has lost up to 90% of its seagrass meadows in the past century, which has had negative consequences for the health and resilience of our coastal systems. In 2019, Swansea University, the charity Project Seagrass and WWF-UK formed a collaboration to begin to restore some of what we have lost. Concurrently, over the last six years Swansea University has been leading trials across Wales to develop appropriate methods for seagrass restoration. Here in North Wales, we've now teamed up with the partnership to start exploring how we can bring this exciting project to North Wales. Funding secured from the National Lottery Heritage Fund allows us to deliver a socially agreeable and ecologically sound programme of restoration and we want you to get involved.