My discovery
Look – a boatman! Keira’s delight in learning about unusual creatures is even more special when she can find them herself.
Search
Chwilio
How development can help wildlife
Building with wildlife in mind can have big benefits for people as well – research has shown that contact with nature is good for our health and wellbeing. Green spaces can also improve air quality, lower flood risk and provide places for the local community to come together.
Common milkwort
The dark-blue flowers of Common milkwort pepper our grasslands from May to September. It can also appear in pink and white forms.
Black-headed gull
The black-headed gull is actually a chocolate-brown headed gull! And for much of the year, it's head even turns white. Look out for it in large, noisy flocks on a variety of habitats.
Hare's ear
The hare's ear is a cup-like fungus that grows in clusters in broadleaved and mixed woodland, often near to the path. Its orange colour makes it quite conspicuous in the leaf litter.
Peatland solutions
The UK’s peatland soils store around 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon, but are heavily degraded and release the equivalent of 23 million tonnes of CO2 every year. Restored peatlands can capture more carbon, reduce flooding, clean our water, and allow wildlife to thrive.
Emperor dragonfly
The emperor dragonfly is an impressively large and colourful dragonfly of ponds, lakes, canals and flooded gravel pits. It flies between June and August and even eats its prey on the wing.
Swift
Swifts spend most of their lives flying – even sleeping, eating and drinking – only ever landing to nest. They like to nest in older buildings in small holes in roof spaces.
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…
My other world
Philip has been helping to restore Manchester Mosslands for twenty years, helping these rare wetlands to recover. He works in front of a computer most of the time, so he has always enjoyed the…
Glesyn cyffredin
Mae glöyn byw y glesyn cyffredin yn driw i’w enw - mae'n las llachar ac i'w ganfod mewn pob math o gynefinoedd heulog, glaswelltog ledled y DU! Cadwch lygad amdano yn eich gardd hefyd.…
My oasis
Growing up and living in the countryside for much of her life, Helen is used to big wide open spaces and loves being outside. She enjoys coming to the Centre for Wildlife Gardening, as it’s like…