Sea the connection: National Marine Week 2024 will map people’s love of UK seas
The annual celebration of the sea runs Saturday 27th July – Sunday 11th August
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Chwilio
Whimbrel
The whimbrel is very similar to the curlew, but a little smaller and with a striking face pattern. Its eerie call is a series of seven whistles; listen out for it around the coast as its passes…
Bee orchid
The bee orchid is a sneaky mimic - the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t…
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund support has helped to reconnect thousands of people with nature and protect an amazing range of rare species in the UK and the remarkable landscapes they live in, including the pine marten; red squirrel; kingfisher and barn owl. Funding is also helping to re-wet peat bogs, restore mountain paths and create meadow habitats.
Fen violet
A pale member of the violet family sometimes known as ‘milk violet’, the fen violet has a delicate and unassuming appearance. A real specialist of the wetland habitat, this species has seen a…
Horsehair worm
Horsehair worms are parasitic worms of the clade Nematoida alongside their sister taxa Nematoda, the roundworms. The most famous trait of certain species of horsehair worms is the ability to alter…
Ponds
Whether found in a garden or part of an agricultural landscape, ponds are oases of wildlife worth investigating. Even small ponds can support a wealth of species and collectively, ponds play a key…
Brownfield
The uncontainable nature of wildlife is perhaps clearest in brownfield sites – previously developed land that is not currently in use. The crumbling concrete of abandoned factories, disused power…
Tales of whales and Wally, orca and oyster, and world’s largest flapper skate appear in The Wildlife Trusts’ 2021 marine review
Conservation successes undermined by increasing disruption to UK seas
Protecting our seas
For over a decade, The Wildlife Trusts have campaigned with other environmental organisations in the UK for new laws to provide better protection for marine habitats and wildlife. As a result, the ground-breaking Marine and Coastal Access Act (Marine Act) was introduced in November 2009, providing UK Government with the tools needed to revolutionise the management of our marine environment. Wildlife Trusts Wales are calling for the Marine Act to be effectively implemented in Wales, and the opportunities provided by the Act seized to ensure real benefits for biodiversity around the Welsh coast.
Coniferous plantation
Dark and brooding from a distance, the strong geometric lines and monotonous rows of uniformly sized trees can jar the eye and seem devoid of wildlife. But venture within and open ride edges,…
My world
I'm Gemma, the Marine Conservation Apprentice at Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Originally from the Channel Islands, I've grown up stumbling over the rocky shore and snorkelling over hazy…