Creeping thistle
Despite being considered a 'weed' of cultivated ground, the seeds of the Creeping thistle provide an important food source for farmland birds, many of which are declining rapidly.
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Chwilio
Sand sedge
Sand sedge is an important feature of our coastal sand dunes, helping to stabilise the dunes, which allows them to grow up and become colonised by other species.
My relaxation
Being outdoors and surrounded by nature is important to Keith. Getting out by the river after a day at the office is the perfect wind down.
Lowland calcareous grassland
Typical of softly rolling pastoral landscapes, the short, aromatic turf of lowland calcareous grassland is flower-rich and humming with insects in the summer. Its long use by humans lends it an…
Sarah's Species Spotlight: Wasps
Do wasps deserve their bad reputation or are they misunderstood ecosystem heroes?
Clouded yellow
The clouded yellow is a migrant that arrives here from May onwards. Usually, only small numbers turn up, but some years see mass migrations. It prefers open habitats, particularly chalk grassland…
Beech and yew wood
Soaring beech trunks and a feeling of spaciousness mean that these woods have often been likened to cathedrals. Dense shade means that little grows on the thick layer of fallen leaves underfoot,…
Brown rat
The brown rat has a bad reputation, but it mostly lives side-by-side with us without any problems. It can be seen in any habitat.
Pink-footed goose
The pink-footed goose is a winter visitor to the UK, feeding on our wetland and farmland habitats. About 360,000 individuals spend the winter here, making it a really important destination for…
Pochard
The once-common pochard is now under threat because its populations are declining rapidly. The UK is an important winter destination for the pochard, with 48,000 birds visiting our wetlands and…
Rosy feather star
Another member of the echinoderm phylum, feather stars share some characteristics with true starfish, but also have their very own intriguing adaptations and behaviours, which make them a…
For peat’s sake – stop selling peat
Peat is a key tool in addressing climate change. How? Peat in the UK stores more carbon than all the woodland in the UK, France, and Germany! The UK and Wales are some of the few countries in the…