The wild rock dove is the ancestor to what is probably our most familiar bird - the feral pigeon, which is often found in large numbers in our towns and cities.

Sphagnum mosses carpet the ground with colour on our marshes, heaths and moors. They play a vital role in the creation of peat bogs: by storing water in their spongy forms, they prevent the decay…

As the bluebells fade, yellow archangel takes its turn to impress, with golden-yellow flowers carpeting our ancient woodlands.

The Early purple orchid is one of the first orchids to pop up in spring. Look for its pinkish-purple flowers from April, when bluebells still carpet our woodland floors. Its leaves are dark green…

Native oysters are a staple of our seas and our plates - but our love of their taste has lead to a sharp decline all around the UK.

This purply-brown seaweed is a common feature on our rocky shores and on our dinner plates.

The herring gull is the typical 'seagull' of our seaside resorts, though our coastal populations have declined in recent decades.