Common spike-rush
Forming mats of straight, bright green stems, Common spike-rush does, indeed, look like lots of tightly clustered 'spikes' near the water's edge of our wetland habitats.
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Chwilio
Cormorant
The cormorant is an excellent fisher. It is most easily spotted when it is perched, stretching its wings out in the sun to dry after a dive. The UK holds internationally important wintering…
British rainforests – a new approach for climate action, communities and nature
We’re facing a climate and ecological emergency. We need to move much faster in rolling out joined-up solutions at scale, while also avoiding greenwashing traps that will only slow us down - write…
Portuguese Man O'War
Despite appearances, this weird and wonderful creature is not a jellyfish! They're sometimes found washed up on our shores after westerly winds. Look but don't touch - they give a very…
Great reedmace
Great reedmace is familiar to many of us as the archetypal 'bulrush'. Look for its tall stems, sausage-like, brown flower heads and green, flat leaves at the water's edge in our…
Thérèse Coffey’s round-table – a turning point for the River Wye, or going round in circles?
Last week, English sections of the river Wye were downgraded to 'unfavourable-declining' as a result of phosphate pollution impacting on important species such as the Atlantic salmon and…
Great crested grebe
The graceful great crested grebe is a familiar sight on our lakes and reservoirs, and is well-known for its elaborate courtship dance, during which it rises vertically out of the water and shakes…
The essential nature of nature-friendly farming
It’s Nature Friendly Farming week and a moment to register the huge importance of a nature transition in farming. It’s critical for our climate, water and food. Vicki Hird looks at the facts, as…
Upland spring, flush and fen
These tiny habitats, the source of our streams and rivers, are fundamental to the well-being of whole water catchments.
Common duckweed
The vast, green mats that sometimes cover the surface of still water, such as ponds, flooded gravel pits and old canals, are actually Common duckweed. A tiny, single plant, it groups together to…
Large red damselfly
If you have a garden pond, look out for the large red damselfly resting at the water's edge. As the name suggests, males are bright red with a black thorax, but females may be almost entirely…
Devil's coach horse
A ferocious and fast predator, the devil's coach horse beetle hunts invertebrates after dark in gardens and on grasslands. It is well-known for curling up its abdomen like the tail of a…