Purple laver
This purply-brown seaweed is a common feature on our rocky shores and on our dinner plates.
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Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Chwilio
Identify UK woodpeckers
Identify UK woodpeckers. There are three species of British woodpecker and our guide will show you how to tell them apart!
My retirement
Malcolm loves volunteering every week at Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve where he indulges in his passion for wildlife, keeps active and meets with friends.
Fennel
Fennel has feathery leaves and open, umbels of yellow flowers. It was probably introduced by the Romans for culinary use, and is now a naturalised species of verges, waste ground and sand dunes.…
Dark-edged bee-fly
Our largest and most common bee-fly, the dark-edged bee-fly looks just like a bumblebee, and buzzes like one too! It feeds on flowers like primroses and violets in gardens, parks and woodlands.…
Bittersweet
Bittersweet is a nightshade, so is toxic; its bright red berries may be tempting, but can cause serious illness. Found in hedgerows and gardens, it has purple flowers with yellow stamens.
Grass snake
The grass snake is our longest snake, but don't worry if you find one in the compost heap - it's harmless! Look out for this green and yellow beauty in grasslands and wetlands, too.
My new roots
Mary moved to Birmingham for her job and has found volunteering with The Wildlife Trust the perfect way to meet new people and put down roots in a new place.
Giant hogweed
As its name suggests, giant hogweed it a large umbellifer with distinctively ridged, hollow stems. An introduced species, it is an invasive weed of riverbanks, where it prevents native species…
Scorpion fly
The scorpion fly, as its name suggests, has a curved 'tail' that looks like a sting. It is, in fact, the males' claspers for mating. It is yellow and black, with a long 'beak…
My passion
Graham has been mad about butterflies all his life. He volunteers for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and records them on a local nature reserve as well as nationally.
My routine
Martin volunteers with Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s Orchard Origins every Friday come rain or shine. His commitment has contributed to conserving many of Herefordshire’s traditional orchards.…