My connection
Norman has a strong connection to the land, having farmed in the local area for sixty years, and has watched the natural habitats evolve. Most of all he likes being outside in the fresh air, as it…
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
Nursery web spider
A common spider of heathland and grassland, the Nursery web spider has brown and black stripes running the length of its body. It is an active hunter, only using its silk to create a protective…
Dog whelk
This sea snail is abundant on rocky shores around the UK. It is an active predator, feasting on mussels and barnacles before retreating to crevices to rest.
Twin fan worm
Worms in the sea are anything but dull and this fan worm, resembling a Catherine wheel, is a perfect example of the intricate beauty these animals possess.
Lesser water-parsnip
Look out for the white, umbrella-like flower heads of lesser water-parsnip along the shallow margins of ditches, ponds, lakes and rivers. When crushed, it does, indeed, smell like parsnip!
Minera Quarry Nature Reserve
Witness the incredible power of nature as it slowly reclaims this former industrial site. What will Minera Quarry’s next chapter hold?
Little cuttlefish
This little cuttlefish really lives up to its name - it only reaches about 6cm long!
Painted topshell
The beautiful pink and white bands of a Painted topshell make it easy to see where this little sea snail got its name!
Scarlet Lady
This brilliant red and white sea slug would make the perfect nudibranch for a Christmas card image or perhaps a football team mascot!
My city break
The hustle and bustle of city life melts away when Kathryn visits Camley Street Natural Park. Without leaving central London, she can go from man-made soaring skyscrapers to an oasis-like…
Yellow iris
The large, sunshine-yellow flowers of the yellow iris brighten up the margins of our waterways, ponds, wet woods, fens and marshes. Also called the 'flag iris', its outer petals have a…
Serrated wrack
This brown seaweed lives in the lower shore and gets its name from the serrated edges to its fronds.