Bee orchid
The bee orchid is a sneaky mimic - the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t…
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
The brilliance and benefits of trees and hedges
Anna Williams, Education and Community Officer, writes about the beauty of trees and hedges and encourages us to plant and grow our own in order to support the wildlife and natural world we love…
Yellow meadow ant
The yellow meadow ant is known for creating anthills in grassland habitats. It has a close relationship with the chalkhill blue butterfly - protecting the larvae in return for a sugary substance…
My family history
Whilst researching his family history, Vic found that many of his ancestors were connected to wild places as gamekeepers, shepherds, millers, gardeners or agricultural labourers. His lifelong love…
My flood defence
Bev is grateful to live down the road from Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, a 210ha wetland site which stores excess water from the River Torne during times of high
rainfall. This saved her…
Fulmar
Related to the massive albatross, the fulmar is a gull-like bird that nests on rocky cliff edges. Don't get too close, though - it spits a foul-smelling oil at intruders.
Osprey
A great way to get up close and personal with the magnificent osprey is via one of the many nestcams set-up in the places that it breeds: Scotland, Cumbria, Wales and the East Midlands.
Summer on North Wales' coast
Encountering wildlife in its natural environment is a privilege and, while spending time scanning the open sea can be therapeutic in itself, coupled with chance encounters these experiences can…
My significant other
Cathy, shepherdess, and her border collie Lady have a strong bond with each other – and with nature. From the moment she owned her first lamb Cathy knew that shepherding was the life for her;…
My laboratory
Nora’s study of bird behaviour explores how small bird communities flock together to ward off larger predators. Nature has many things to teach us and is now widely acknowledged as a key…
Common ragwort
The yellow flower heads of common ragwort are highly attractive to bees and other insects, including the cinnabar moth.
Ragged-robin
The pink, frayed flowers of Ragged-robin are an increasingly rare sight as our wild wetland habitats disappear. You can help: grow native plants in your garden and enjoy the hum of visiting…