Cleavers
Familiar as the bristly plant that easily hooks on to our clothing as we walk through the countryside or do the gardening, cleavers uses its hooks to help it climb and to disperse its seeds.
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Chwilio
Common toadflax
Look for common toadflax on waste ground and grassland, and along roadside verges and hedgerows. Its yellow-and-orange flowers are tightly packed on a tall spike and have distinctive 'spurs…
Common knapweed
The tightly packed, thistle-like purple flower heads of common knapweed bloom on all kinds of grasslands. Also regularly called black knapweed, this plant attracts clouds of butterflies.
Common carp
The common carp is a very large fish that is popular with anglers due to its size and fighting spirit. It frequents ponds, gravel pits and lakes, but is not native to the UK, being introduced in…
Marsh Fritillary Update
The Brecknock nature reserves, Ystradfawr and Cae Lynden near Ystradgynlais, are reknown sites for Marsh Fritillary butterflies. The management of these sites focuses on supporting the habitat…
Green tortoise beetle
When threatened, the green tortoise beetle acts just like a tortoise, pulling its feet and antennae in and hunkering down, gripping the leaf it is on as tightly as possible. Look for it on white…
Great white egret
As the name suggests, this tall, white heron is considerably larger than the similar little egret. Once a rare visitor to the UK, sightings have become more common over the last few decades, with…
Jewel anemone
It's easy to see where the jewel anemone got its name - the tiny colourful blobs that tip its tentacles look like jewels! Forming dense, colourful carpets on rocky overhangs, jewel anemones…
My history book
Tim has volunteered at Astley Moss for five years, helping to increase the water levels on the bogs back to their historic healthy levels. He especially loves watching the birds return to this…
My sofa
Alfie has bucket loads of energy and needs the freedom and space to burn it off. A visit to his local nature reserve, Siccaridge Wood, with his two younger brothers is the perfect place for this…
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…
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…