My basecamp
Den-building in the woods with his granddad makes Will feel like he is part of a survival game: nature is one big adventure, and he even uses a penknife to cut twigs to build with.
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Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Chwilio
Emperor moth
An unmistakeable insect of heaths, sand dunes and grasslands, the Emperor moth is fluffy, grey-brown, with big peacock-like eyespots on all four wings. Males can be seen during the day, but…
Stag beetle
Famous for its fearsome jaws, the stag beetle does not have the bite to match. Look for it in woods, parks and gardens in South East England in summer. Males display their massive jaws to attract…
Swallow
Look out for the swallow performing great aerial feats as it catches its insect-prey on the wing. You may also see it perching on a wire, or roosting in a reedbed, as it makes its way back to…
My dinner party
Niamh loves to feed the birds, so makes natural feeders out of pinecones and berries, to help them through the winter. She’ll tie this to a branch so that the birds can feast from it safely.
My guitar
Ruaridh loves playing in the woods – here everything can be anything and he can let his imagination run wild.
My chapel
Elaine visits Thurrock Thameside Nature Park every day if she can on her lunch break from work, to watch wildlife and unwind. As a Christian, nature makes Elaine feel connected to God and creation…
Grasshopper warbler
This small summer migrant travels from Africa to breed in the reedbeds of the UK. Rarely seen but given away by its insect like trilling call; the movement of the head during calling makes it…
My adventure playground
Holly loves playing in the Glen, where she can clamber on boulders, splash in muddy puddles and let her imagination run free.
My superpower
Nature is Edward's superpower - in the woods, Edward can do anything, be anyone. Time spent in nature is where Edward's imagination can run wild.
Recycling - what difference does it make?
Whether you drop a can of pop into a waste or recycling bin, it’s easy to think that this small act has no real consequence. After all, once it’s in, you rarely have to think about it again. And in a way, this is great, because it makes recycling easy and hassle-free, but on the other hand, it is also makes it a practice that is very easy to neglect. But if you did chose to recycle an aluminium can, what difference would it make?
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…