Common osier
The common osier is a small willow tree that is found in fens and ditches, and on riverbanks. It has been widely cultivated and coppiced for its twigs, which are used in traditional basket-making…
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Chwilio
Identify UK snakes
Grass snake or adder? The UK has three species of grass snake, adder and smooth snake. Want to know how to identify British snakes? Read our guide to work out what snake you've spotted.
Black-and-yellow longhorn beetle
This brightly-coloured beetle is often found feeding on flowers on warm days in late spring and summer.
King diving beetle
Britain's largest 'diving beetle' is an impressive creature, though it's not easy to find.
Yellow-rattle
Brush through a wildflower meadow at the height of summer and you'll hear the tiny seeds of yellow-rattle rattling in their brown pods, hence its name.
Basking shark
This gentle giant is the largest shark in UK seas, reaching up to 12m in length. There's no need to fear them though, they only eat plankton!
Saving species
The Wildlife Trusts are working to help species pushed close to extinction and to reintroduce missing keystone species.
Tawny mining bee
The tawny mining bee is a furry, gingery bee that can often be seen in parks and gardens during the springtime. Look for a volcano-like mound of earth in the lawn that marks the entrance to its…
Where to see wildlife in the summer
Summer is a time of colour. By day, colours zip and dart along the waterside as kingfishers and dragonflies go about their business of hunting. Butterflies flit between flowers, reptiles bask in the sun, and seabirds clamour on the cliffsides. The activity goes on under cover of darkness - bats sweep swiftly through the air, natterjacks chatter and nightjars churr, while glow-worms adorn the night with pinpricks of light.
Flat periwinkle
These little sea snails are found amongst the seaweed on rocky shores around much of the UK. They come in lots of different colours, from bright yellow to chequered brown!
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
Crosswort
Crosswort gets its name from the position of its leaves - they surround the stem in groups of four, making a cross shape. The tiny, yellow flowers sit atop these crosses and bloom from April to…