Blanket bog
Bleak, treeless and often shrouded in low cloud, blanket bog can seem a desolate habitat. However, the wildness of the huge, empty landscapes and wide skies are compelling, as is the chance of…
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Chwilio
Puffin
A funny little fellow in his glossy black dinner jacket and crisp white bib, the puffin is instantly recognisable thanks to its brightly coloured, parrot-like bill. Puffins use their colourful…
Hairy-footed flower bee
The hairy-footed flower bee can be seen in gardens and parks in spring and summer, visiting tubular flowers like red dead-nettle and comfrey. As its name suggests, it has long, orange hairs on its…
Acorn barnacle
Barnacles are so common on our rocky shores that you've probably never really noticed them. They're the little grey bumps covering the rocks that hurt your feet when you're…
Remembering Steve Sutcliffe
The staff and volunteers of The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales were deeply saddened to hear of the recent death of Stephen Sutcliffe (1946-2025). Steve was a very long-term supporter of…
Calaminarian grassland
This is a strange, sparse habitat of grassland growing on old mining tracks and slag heaps, on river gravels and naturally exposed metal-rich soils in the mountains. Only the toughest metal-loving…
My wellbeing
My wild life started before I was old enough to walk, being regularly taken by my mother across the Epsom Downs to enjoy fresh air. Moving to rural Staffordshire aged 3, I was incredibly lucky to…
Spiked shieldbug
The spiked shieldbug has fearsome shoulder projections or 'spikes' and a predatory nature. This brown bug feeds on caterpillars and other insects in woodlands and on heathlands.
How to make a log shelter
Log piles are perfect hiding places for insects, providing a convenient buffet for frog, birds, and hedgehogs too!
My local takeaway
At dusk, when Dan’s done sharing his love for nature with others, he follows the terns and goes fishing and foraging for dinner. And often cooks it on the beach.
How to create a mini pond
Even a small pond can be home to an interesting range of wildlife, including damsel and dragonflies, frogs and newts. Any pond can become a feeding ground for birds, hedgehogs and bats – the best…
Quail
This tiny gamebird is rarely seen, but its distinctive "wet my lips" call can be heard ringing out over areas of farmland on summer evenings.