Useful Links

June 8th ‘Bring a Trowel’ Task Day We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers that regularly turn out with Andy, Charlie and Peter to perform conservation work on our reserves. On June 8th, at 10am, they will be gathering at Ivy House for maintenance tasks

Snail and slug teeth marks can be differentiated by their shape and appearance. Snail teeth marks are typically a series of small, distinct, and often triangular-shaped scrapes or rasps, while slug teeth marks are generally a more blurred and less distinct pattern of scraping. Both types of teeth marks result

At a time of the year for new growth it's fascinating to see some of the remains from last year. These prickly holly leaves were amongst the detritus - and still very prickly!! Leaf skeletons are essentially the "veins" of a leaf, with the surrounding tissue and green layer removed.

Task Day today! Where to meet: Ivy House, Hollym. Located next to the council apron on South Carr Dales Road. Time: 10 am unless otherwise stated. What to bring: A packed lunch and drink, stout boots/footwear, waterproofs, warm clothing and work gloves. Tasks usually last 3-4 hours. Contact details: Task

Task Day tomorrow! Where to meet: Ivy House, Hollym. Located next to the council apron on South Carr Dales Road. Time: 10 am unless otherwise stated. What to bring: A packed lunch and drink, stout boots/footwear, waterproofs, warm clothing and work gloves. Tasks usually last 3-4 hours. Contact details: Task

Marchantia polymorpha “Common Liverwort” Marchantiaceae, also known as Cudweed Liverwort or Umbrella Liverwort. Common Liverwort is a primitive, moss-like plant that forms leaf-like mats on the soil surface. It is a member of the thalloid liverwort family, a group of nonvascular, strap-like, green plants that often forms large colonies on

Shepherd's purse ( Capsella bursa-pastoris), a common weed in the mustard family, is known for its distinctive heart-shaped seed pods and small white flowers, and is also edible with a peppery taste

Common names include Shepherd's purse, lady's purse, mother's heart, toothwort, St. James' weed and witch's pouch.

Task Day next Sunday! Where to meet: Ivy House, Hollym. Located next to the council apron on South Carr Dales Road. Time: 10 am unless otherwise stated. What to bring: A packed lunch and drink, stout boots/footwear, waterproofs, warm clothing and work gloves. Tasks usually last 3-4 hours. Contact details:

At the start of last month our road verges were covered in the bright yellow lesser celandine. As one of the first spring flowers to bloom, it provides a valuable nectar source for early insects. Despite its name, it is not actually a close relative of greater celandine and is

Marsh thistle.

Each plant of Cirsium palustre flowers once and then dies; until then, it appears only as a ground-hugging rosette of leaves.

Kneeling on one of these certainly leaves a prickly impression!