Rocky reefs
The nooks and crannies of rocky reefs are swimming with wildlife, from tiny fish to colourful anemones. When shoreline rocks are exposed by the low tide, the rockpools that form are a refuge for…
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Chwilio
Melancholy thistle
As its name suggests, the Melancholy thistle was once used to treat 'melancholia' (depression). Today, it can be found in upland hay meadows showing off its single, purple, thistle-like…
Common sexton beetle
The Common sexton beetle is one of several burying beetle species in the UK. An undertaker of the animal world, it buries dead animals like mice and birds, and feeds and breeds on the corpses.
Woodland
Woodlands are magical places, full of wildlife and full of history. Great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches and jays flit between trees as butterflies dance in sunny glades. Badgers forage through…
Conservation Grazing Frequently Asked Questions
As part of the management of the grasslands at Lavernock reserve, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) will be introducing grazing animals onto the reserve to carry out conservation…
Orchard
A visit to a traditional orchard reveals gnarled old trunks of fruit and nut trees bursting with blossoms and young leaves in springtime, with wildflowers and insects populating summer’s long…
My gateway
John has been attending the Recovery Project at Idle Valley Nature Reserve for three years. After being diagnosed with dyslexia and getting bullied for several years at school, he was left with…
Common mouse-ear
Common mouse-ear is a persistent 'weed' of fields and gardens, verges and hedgerows - all kinds of habitats. But, like many of our weed species, it is still a good food source for…
Black grouse
The male black grouse, or 'blackcock', is famed for its display behaviour, known as 'lekking'. A sight to behold, it fans out its tail and struts its stuff to show its…
Getting Wild About Gardens
The buzz of a bee, the sweet scent of honeysuckle, these precious moments are not only a delight to experience in our gardens, they’re absolutely vital if we’re going to protect, restore and…
Hibernation
The Wildlife Trusts’ youth activism manager, Arran Wilson, draws on his background as a lecturer in zoology to explore what exactly hibernation is, and which animals rely on it to get through…
Nature Reserve Etiquette
Our nature reserves are a refuge for wildlife, one which must be preserved for the prosperity of the species which call it home. Diverse flora and fauna provide essential ecosystem resources, such…