Star ascidian
One of the most eye-catching sights on the rocky shore, this mind-boggling species resembling a collection of beautiful pressed flowers is actually a colony of individual animals!
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Chwilio
Turtle dove
The turtle dove is the UK's fastest declining bird species and is on the brink of extinction. A small and pretty pigeon, it breeds in lowland England and winters in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Scientists embark on world-first study to reveal carbon stored in UK seas
UK governments urged to protect blue carbon in marine habitats which is critical for tackling climate change
Marine habitats are at risk of releasing carbon when damaged by bottom trawling…
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…
My secret garden
Rowan loves the fresh smell and sight of the buttercups in the wildflower meadows at Besthorpe. It's a special place because there are precious few spots like this where she can spend time…
Great fen-sedge
A tall and robust species of sedge, the Great fen-sedge has long leaves with sawtooth edges. It forms dense stands in lowland fens and around lakes.
White-clawed crayfish
The white-clawed crayfish is a freshwater, bronze-coloured crustacean with pale undersides to its claws - hence the name. It is under threat from an invasive and introduced species of crayfish.…
Identify birds of prey
The UK is home to a variety of birds of prey - predatory birds equipped with sharp talons and hooked bills. This page will help you identify common birds of prey as well as some rarer species.
Buddleia
Buddleia is a familiar shrub, well-known for its attractiveness to butterflies. It is actually an introduced species, however, that has become naturalised on waste ground, railway cuttings and in…
Common reed
The extensive, golden-brown reedbeds that are formed by stands of Common reed are a familiar sight in our wetlands. They provide an important home for many species, including the rare Bittern.
Sand sedge
Sand sedge is an important feature of our coastal sand dunes, helping to stabilise the dunes, which allows them to grow up and become colonised by other species.
Ringlet
The ringlet gets its name from the small rings on the undersides of its wings. These rings show variation in the different forms of this species, even elongating into a teardrop shape.