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…
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
Sea-buckthorn
Sea-buckthorn is a spiny, thicket-forming shrub of sand dunes. It's native to the east coast of England but considered an invasive species elsewhere. It is most obvious in autumn when it is…
Water spider
There are several species of spider that live in our wetlands, but the water spider is the only one that spends its life under the water. In its pond habitats, it looks silvery because of the air…
Care-Peat: Restoring the carbon storage capacity of peatlands
Peatlands are not only habitats with a highly specialised flora and fauna, they also play an important role in global climate regulation. At Cors y Sarnau Nature Reserve new project officer Richard Cutts is working with international partners to improve our understanding of the processes involved, restore peatland and how our work can contribute to the Widlife Trusts' 30 by 30 campaign.
Kelp beds and forests
Forests of kelp sway in shallow sunlit waters, offering shelter to a host of sea life from tiny worms to juvenile fish.
Red-breasted merganser
The streamlined red-breasted merganser is a handsome bird and a great fisher - its long, serrated bill helps it to catch and hold its slippery fish prey. It is most commonly spotted around the…
My daytime drama
Carol loves watching the rituals of the birds at Rutland Water, especially at the feeding station that she helps to maintain as a volunteer. She loves to lose herself in her own personal episode…
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…
A razor wreck mystery solved
We’re so grateful for all the help we get from our volunteers. Some have particular skills and like to root out and solve certain natural world puzzles. Ivor and Jane Rees have been providing…
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…
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…
My regeneration
30 years ago, if Jeremy had fallen in the river then he’d have been more worried about being poisoned than drowned! A 1980s trawl survey found just one fish in the Billingham reach of the Tees,…