Long-tailed duck
This dainty seaduck is a winter visitor to our coasts, particularly in northern and eastern Scotland.
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Chwilio
My gym
Running out in the fresh air is more than a hobby for Andy, it is a way of life. Our nature reserves provide the perfect outdoor venue for him to exercise and get away from it all.
Sea mat
These mat like growths found on kelp and seaweed are actually colonies of tiny individuals animals.
Marsh fritillary
This beautiful butterfly is one of our rarest, now mostly restricted to the western parts of the UK.
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!
Spiny starfish
Our largest starfish, the spiny starfish can reach an impressive diameter of 70cm!
Scientists embark on world-first study to reveal carbon stored in UK seas
The UK will become the first nation to produce a complete map of its blue carbon stores, thanks to a new, pioneering project.
Skomer Island
With nearly 350,000 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwaters, over 40,000 Puffins, thousands of Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes and hundreds of Fulmars, Skomer is an internationally important seabird island.
It is located less than a mile off the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast making it a great place to visit for the day or stay overnight.
Please note, Puffins start arriving in mid-April. They are present from May-July. The first ones start leaving in mid-July and all Puffins are gone by the end of July. Please see our seasonal timeline below for what to see each month.
It is located less than a mile off the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast making it a great place to visit for the day or stay overnight.
Please note, Puffins start arriving in mid-April. They are present from May-July. The first ones start leaving in mid-July and all Puffins are gone by the end of July. Please see our seasonal timeline below for what to see each month.
Gutweed
This grass-green seaweed is sometimes known as Grass Kelp and grows on pretty much every shore in the UK.
Goose barnacle
Goose barnacles often wash up on our shores attached to flotsam after big storms.
Upland spring, flush and fen
These tiny habitats, the source of our streams and rivers, are fundamental to the well-being of whole water catchments.
How to go peat free at home
Our homes and gardens have an important role in the fight against climate change. Help preserve vital peatland by going peat free.