Pintail
When spotting the pintail in winter, look out for the fabulous, long tail feathers that characterise it. This dabbling duck feeds at the water's surface, rather than diving for food.
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
My social network
For our regular volunteers, weekly work parties on our nature reserves are not just about helping to protect local wildlife. They are also a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new ones and…
Lowland dry oak and birch wood
Gnarled veteran oaks are interspersed with groves of pale, elegant birches, while swathes of bracken and soft tussocks of wavy hair-grass cover ground from which autumn fungi sprout.…
My adventure
Kayak adventurer Erin Bastian has been all over the world but sees Cornwall as the holy grail of coastal adventure. From the sea she enjoys a unique perspective of our precious wildlife and knows…
Barrel jellyfish
Giants of the jellyfish world, these incredible creatures are the UK’s largest jellyfish! They can grow to the size of dustbin lids – giving them their other common name: dustbin-lid jellyfish.…
Bell heather
Bell heather is our most familiar heather. In summer, it carpets our heaths, woods and coasts with purple-pink flowers that attract all kinds of nectar-loving insects.
Common laburnum
Common laburnum is an introduced species, planted in parks and gardens. It is most recognisable in flower - its hanging bunches of yellow blooms giving it the name 'Golden rain'. It is…
Cross-leaved heath
Cross-leaved heath is a type of heather that likes bogs, heathland and moorland. It has distinctive pink, bell-shaped flowers that attract all kinds of nectar-loving insects.
My insurance
When he’s not studying at Cumbria University, Ian enjoys volunteering at Thacka Beck. As well as being great for wildlife, this wetland nature reserve helps protects Penrith from flooding when the…
Black oil beetle
This impressive beetle digs burrows, lays thousands of eggs and has bee-riding larvae.
Cellar spider
You've probably spotted this long-legged spider hiding in the corner of a house or building.
My motivation
Holly spends as much time as she can outdoors. She finds after a busy day, nature works as a reset button – it helps her to focus, always teaches her something new, and inspires her to work as…