Ystradfawr
This reserve, once the site of extensive coal mining, is a great example of how nature has reclaimed the landscape. It is a rich mix of wildlflower meadow, rhos pasture and young woodland. It is…
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Chwilio
Harbour Porpoise
sometimes referred to as a “puffing pig” due to the noise they make when they breathe, porpoises differ from dolphins mainly by their shape and the smaller size of their body and dorsal fin.
How to grow a wild patch or mini meadow
Whether it's a flowerpot, flowerbed, wild patch in your lawn, or entire meadow, planting wildflowers provides vital resources to support a wide range of insects that couldn't survive in…
Mint moth
A small, day-flying moth that can often be seen visiting garden herbs.
Swollen-thighed beetle
This metallic green beetle can be seen visiting flowers on sunny days in spring and summer.
Types of development and planning applications
Planning permission is generally needed for any development. This means building, engineering, mining or other activity that makes changes to the use of land, or changes to existing buildings. There are exceptions that do not count as development, such as maintenance, changes to the interior of a building, agriculture, forestry and changes to gardens.
Landmark COP15 agreement gives nature hope for the future, if implementation follows
After twelve days of talks and two years of delay, negotiators at COP15 in Montreal have agreed a historic global deal to protect nature.
How to build a swift box
Swifts like to leave their nests by dropping into the air from the entrance. This is why they often choose to set up camp in the eaves of buildings. If you have a wall that's at least five…
The footballer
This common hoverfly is often seen visiting flowers. It's named for its stripy thorax, which looks a bit like a football shirt.
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…
Ragged-robin
The pink, frayed flowers of Ragged-robin are an increasingly rare sight as our wild wetland habitats disappear. You can help: grow native plants in your garden and enjoy the hum of visiting…
My family time
Siti and Amin love visiting Stocker’s Lake for a walk at the weekend. It’s just 15 minutes from where they live in Rickmansworth. The great outdoors is right on your doorstep.