Nottinghamshire Wild Life
THE SECRET LIVES OF ORCHIDS
A walk through nature’s hidden treasures
MY WILDLIFE COMMUNITY PROJECT
How one group of allotment holders are creating a plot for wildlife and people
Notes from the Chief Executive
Growth vs Nature – not a binary choice
I’m sure many of our members were concerned by comments from both the Prime Minister and Chancellor earlier in the year suggesting that nature was a brake on growth. Given the Labour Party’s statements in opposition, manifesto commitments to put nature into recovery and the positive work taking place behind the scenes; these comments came as something of a surprise and needed to be challenged.
Locally we challenged this false premise in our media work and nationally, The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB and others were robust in highlighting that rather than holding growth back, nature and a clean, healthy, functioning environment underpins all aspects of our economy and wellbeing.
In addition to the Government’s focus on economic growth, the current push for a dramatic uplift in house building also threatens to pitch nature as a problem rather than a solution. Back in December my colleague Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it would be “a colossal, historic missed opportunity" if new homes were built in a way that “destroys nature, rather than at the same time, restores and rebuilds our natural infrastructure".
As you might expect, we share Craig’s view that investment in housing and growth must be viewed as an opportunity to restore nature. Our vision for a ‘nature first’ approach to redeveloping the Broadmarsh area of the City continues to gain traction and the new Nature & Biodiversity Taskforce, established by East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward following our lobbying with local community activists, is now looking at how nature recovery can be baked into a range of policy decisions across Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire.
Whilst the rhetoric pitching nature and growth as opponents is concerning, we will continue to champion green growth - working with partners to secure more protection for and investment in natural greenspace and seeking to maximise the opportunities presented by legislation such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and the emerging Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
We also continue to drive investment in nature in our county. In just a few short weeks in January and February we invested more than £1 million in a range of habitat schemes the length and breadth of the county (see page 6). Back in February I saw firsthand what was possible when you collaborate with ambitious partners and have access to resources. It was so exciting to see the latest phase of the Three Rivers Project - the opening up of a section of Vicar Water which had been hidden deep in a culvert for some seventy years. The re-engineered section now flows in a new channel which will soon be home to a range of species.
In the months ahead, more investment will flow through our project delivery - investment which Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has worked with partners to secure and which we are delighted to put to work to create a wilder Nottinghamshire for all.
We will also continue to invest in our nature reserves (see page 8) and our subsidiary EMEC Ecology, which now specialises in BNG and continues to expand, is delivering expertise to support nature’s recovery across the region and beyond.
Paul Wilkinson Chief Executive @originalwilko
How you can get involved
Volunteer
See what role could suit you on our website. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/ volunteering-opportunities
Donate
We can’t do it without your support! Donate via our website donation form. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/donate
Include a gift in your will
This will help future generations to enjoy nature in Nottinghamshire as you have done. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/leave-legacy
Visit a reserve
Explore a new site or revisit a favourite one! nottinghamshirewildlife.org/nature-reserves
Online shopping
Get your bird food delivered straight to your door, as well as other wildlife products and homeware. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/shop
Dedication leaves
Commemorate a celebration with a dedication leaf. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/dedications
Campaign
Play your part in raising awareness for a Wilder Future, Wilder Nottinghamshire. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/campaigns
Join in our events
Keep an eye on our website for updates about our events. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/events
Social media
Keep informed and join in with the regular wildlife updates online via Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram and LinkedIn
E-newsletter
For more regular updates about Nottinghamshire wildlife make sure the Membership team has your email consent. Email membership@nottswt.co.uk
Contents
3 Your wild spring
Step into a magical carpet of Bluebells –A stunning sign of ancient woodlands!
5 Wild thoughts
Liz Bonnin, The Wildlife Trusts President talks about all of us and our connection to nature.
6 Nottinghamshire News
We celebrate what others have been achieving for wildlife in Notinghamshire with the Wilder Awards. Together creating a wilder Nottinghamshire.
7 UK news
The Wildlife Trusts will be at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year!
8 Wild reserves
Keep updated with the work being carried out around our nature reserves.
10 The secret lives of orchids
A walk through nature’s hidden treasures.
12 My wildlife community project
We popped in a frosty February visit to see Pat and Martin who have created a wildlife garden in Whitemoor Allotments, Nottingham.
14 Pond life
Boosting the wildlife in your garden couldn’t be simpler or more exciting. What you need is a garden pond. Believe me you won’t regret it, says the BBC’s Justin Rowlatt.
15 6 places to see...
With so many beautiful butterflies and pink, purple and yellow wildflowers on show, prepare to be blown away this spring.
Contributions
Editorial enquiries and contributions to: Rachel Rutherford
Copy deadline: Monday 14th April 2025
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, The Old Ragged School, Brook Street, Nottingham NG1 1EA Tel: 0115 958 8242
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Your wild spring
Bluebells
An indicator of an ancient woodland, a carpet of woodland bluebells is a favourite for so many people during late March to early May. Making the most of the open woodland canopy at this time of year, the bluebell is one of the last spring flowers to bloom before the sun is blocked out by the trees' new leaves. Not to be mistaken for the Spanish bluebell, which is a paler blue in colour with a tall upright stalk, and larger flowers all around the stem found in our gardens, our British native bluebells have a dropping head and has flowers just on the one side of the stalk.
Bluebells are a protected species, and it is illegal to pick them. They can take years to recover from trampling as a damaged leaf is weakened and finds it hard to photosynthesise. A good reason to enjoy the woodland spectacle from the path. The bumble bee, hoverfly, butterflies and moths get a rich nectar food from them, enjoying the glades sunlight in the process.
While the bluebell is still common throughout Britain, it is under threat locally from habitat destruction, hybridisation with non-native bluebells and the illegal trade of wild-collected
bulbs. Bluebells can reproduce sexually by seed or asexually by natural vegetative propagation.
To see these wonderful flowers at their best we recommend joining the Bunny Old Wood Nature Reserve Open Day in April. Or further north in the county visit Gamston and Eaton Woods.
In sickness and in health
Nature could save NHS £millions
Dom Higgins, head of health and education at The Wildlife Trusts, explores the sickness of nature disconnect, how the NHS bears the brunt and how The Wildlife Trusts can help with preventable illnesses.
Over 20 million people in the UK have a muscular-skeletal condition such as arthritis or back pain, over 5 million have diabetes. In May 2023 the number of people waiting for an operation was at a record high of 7.3 million – and some are predicting a rise towards 10 million, with one in five people on a hospital waiting list. Long-term sickness is resulting in 2.8 million people of working age being economically inactive. How will the NHS survive?
John from Sheffield had a quadruple heart bypass. He said “I was in a bad way and would have spiralled into being a recluse. I hate to think really. I had PTSD and sleepless nights.” Liz has early stage dementia and couldn’t go anywhere by herself. Just two examples of the longer term recovery from illness and plethora of mental health issues effecting our population today.
But there’s a quiet revolution going on in the world of health and social care, which involves taking part in activities from gardening and woodwork, to wildlife conservation and walks in the park. That’s because many illnesses and ailments are preventable. For example, physical inactivity can cause heart and breathing conditions, while social isolation and loneliness often lead to depression.
A recent highlight in my career was the opportunity to present the findings of The Wildlife Trusts’ report A Natural Health Service at
about creating a stronger and more resiliant healthcare system that keeps natural connections at its
The Lancet UK Public Health Science Conference. The Lancet is a prestigious international medical journal that advances medical science and practice worldwide. The Lancet Conference highlights public health research from the UK and Ireland. I presented evidence showing that ‘green prescribing’ programmes, where GPs and healthcare professionals prescribe time in nature as treatment and therapy, could have significant benefits. If rolled out to 1.2 million people, these programmes could save the NHS £100 million annually. The public health professionals’ view was that these cost savings were underestimated.
The Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s Wild at Heart programme reduced costs for the NHS associated with the mental health conditions of their 82 participants over a year by £38,646. The project has literally been a lifeline for John and Liz connecting them both to the simple pleasures of nature. Now they have a reason to go out and look forward to walks in the local park, learning about birds and photography.
Over 8,000 people took part in seven Wildlife Trusts’ social prescribing pilots over two years. The pilots were spread across the country with Gwent Wildlife Trust to The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside leading them; and 57% of participants coming from the most economically under-served places and 21% from ethnic minority communities. There were big reductions in anxiety and depression, and big increases in happiness and life satisfaction, alongside an increase in feeling that ‘life is worthwhile.’
Nature prescribing needs to become part of a wider Natural Health Service, one that works hand in hand with the National Health Service. This is how the NHS will survive.
Keeping a nature journal is a great way to increase your connection with the natural world - recording what you've seen, heard and learnt. If you're new to journalling or would like to start a journal with your family, why not pick up a copy of our Guide to Nature Journalling next time you're at Attenborough or Idle Valley Nature Reserves or from our online shop? nottinghamshire wildlife.org/shop #!/Guide-to-NatureJournaling-NWT/ p/689836400
Dom Higgins is head of health and education at The Wildlife Trusts where he leads their policy and campaigning work in these areas. He is passionate
heart.
WILD THOUGHTS
We are nature
I’ve been incredibly lucky to have had wildlife encounters that left me feeling deeply connected to nature. Some of the most memorable were in Galápagos. This remote, volcanic archipelago and its nutrientrich waters have produced a magnificent abundance of life. Marine iguanas, fur seals and blue-footed boobies are entirely unphased by your presence here, so you feel like part of nature, not just an observer. In the water, I’ve spent hours playing with enigmatic sea lions as they invite you to chase them.
In the UK, one of my favourite wild places is Loch of the Lowes in Scotland – a truly magical place. For me it’s just as thrilling to see signs of beavers around the Loch, from coppiced vegetation to beaver chips, as it is to see them with my own eyes. It’s wonderful to witness these crucial ecosystem engineers recovering here and across the UK, after being hunted to extinction in the 16th Century.
But in my work, I’ve also seen how nature is bowing under the pressures of the modern world. I’ve reported on mile-long rafts of waste flowing down the Citarum River in Indonesia, made up of plastic sent ‘away’ by the West, and of thousands of sachets sold by global corporations – despite developing countries having no recycling infrastructure to deal with it. This was one of the most eye-opening moments of my career. Our unrestrained cycles of production and consumption in the global north, and our throwaway culture, are all destroying nature, that we need to survive.
Every species on earth has evolved over millions of years to carry out a function that maintains the health of ecosystems. And ecosystems, in turn, keep the planet healthy, as part of the interconnected web of life. We humans have a role to play too, but many of us have become so disconnected from nature that we’ve forgotten this simple truth.
To turn things around, we must place nature at the heart of every decision, across all sectors of society. It’s encouraging that ecological economists are working to transform our economic model, so that nature and societal well-being are prioritised above profits. I’m also bolstered by the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous communities, who live in harmony with nature. This crucial knowledge system, combined with western conservation practices, can deliver better, collaborative outcomes for people and nature.
Collaboration is our superpower, and this is equally true of The Wildlife Trusts. Our collective strength as a federation of 46 Wildlife Trusts knows no bounds! The more we collaborate and combine our knowledge and experience, the faster the ripple effect of change can flow. As part of our community, you can play a very real part in the change our planet needs, by sharing our stories, supporting our campaigns and volunteering with us. Lastly, perhaps most importantly, in these challenging times, my advice is to take a break from the news and get outside. Notice the sunlight through the trees, the sound of birds, and breathe. Connect with nature and everything else follows.
Liz Bonnin is an explorer, naturalist and The Wildlife Trusts’ president. She is best known for documentaries including Galapagos, Wild Alaska and Blue Planet Live. Liz’s career has taken her around the world, studying animal behaviours and shining a spotlight on important environmental issues.
In late 2024, Liz Bonnin interviewed Nemonte Nenquimo, a climate leader who has dedicated her life to defending Indigenous ancestral territory and cultural survival in the Amazon. Watch on our YouTube channel.
wtru.st/Liz-Bonnin-interview
BEAVERS IN THE UK
Whilst beavers have been recognised as a native species by the UK and Welsh governments, we are still waiting for the steps to be put in place to allow them to properly return to England and Wales, where at the moment they live in enclosures. Read The Wildlife Trusts’ vision for their return: wildlifetrusts.org/savingspecies/beaversyour-adventure
Liz Bonnin
@lizbonnin
@lizbonnin
LOCAL NEWS
Creating wilder places for people
and wildlife
Whilst known for caring for our nature reserves, the scale of the Trust’s work with partners and landowners to create more space for nature can sometimes go under the radar. However, thanks to the backing of our supporters, our unfailing ambition and willingness to collaborate, we are making great strides in our efforts to create a wilder Nottinghamshire for all.
The Trust has a long history of supporting partners, including farmers and other landowners, to restore nature on their land, and this winter our teams delivered a range of exiting projects which saw well over £1 million invested to create or enhance wetlands, woodlands, grasslands and heathlands - helping species from water voles to waders and woodland birds. We’ve worked with partners to create ponds and ditches to help water voles in Bassetlaw and Broxtowe, restored river habitat and heathland across sites in Sherwood Forest and improved woodland habitats on public parks including Berry Hill Park in Mansfield.
Partners hosting or supporting the delivery of recent or current projects include Nottinghamshire County Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Harworth Estates, Mansfield District Council, Broxtowe Borough Council. This work has been made possible thanks to grant making trusts and key partners including Severn Trent, National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Welbeck Estates Company Ltd, Natural England and the Environment Agency – but we would not be able to deliver such projects without the backing of our members.
With seemingly endless bad news across the globe, we’re delighted to be able to update members on the exciting and important work staff and volunteers are delivering. In these challenging times, it is important to take time to celebrate the positive action being taken to put nature into recovery.
Thanks to our growing and generous supporter base and decades of experience restoring wildlife habitat, we are better placed than ever before to create a wilder Nottinghamshire for all.
Wilder Nottinghamshire Awards
Over the past few months, we’ve been finding out more about the wonderful work that winners of the 2024 Wilder Nottinghamshire Awards have been doing in their communities the length and breadth of the county. We recently met up with the team at Boots & Brambles which offer a range of Forest school inspired sessions to enable families in the south of the county to connect with nature. On a visit to Farmeco at Screveton we found out more about efforts to improve habitats for wildlife through the creation of new ponds and tree planting; whilst our Head of People & Nature Liz Fleuty caught up with Kayleigh Woodhouse and Maiya Evans of the Nottinghamshire Amphibian & Reptile Group to present their certificates and thank them for their inspirational efforts.
We were delighted with the response to the Awards in 2024 and excited at the prospect of hearing about and celebrating even more wildlife heroes this year.
Get Involved!
Watch out for details of the 2025 Awards on our website, social media channels and e-newsletter. Make sure you’re getting the latest news about our work across the county and ways to get involved by signing up for our monthly Members’ email updates by emailing supportercare@nottswt.co.uk and providing your email consent.
trentbarton
We are delighted to welcome trentbarton as a Business Partner investing in a Wilder Nottinghamshire. We look forward to building a valuable collaboration supporting communities across Nottinghamshire to access and build connections with nature. There are many trentbarton bus routes which people travel on to access nature reserves like Attenborough, Skylarks and Woodthorpe Meadow.
McCann
Located a short walk from Attenborough Nature Reserve we look forward to building a collaborative partnership for nature with this local company. Since their support to replace the stolen tools after the break in at the Attenborough Nature Centre, McCann’s have committed to supporting the Trusts broader work across the county including any opportunities to collaborate even more for wildlife!
Not forgetting a BIG thank you to our renewed businesses over the last 6 months…
Nottingham Trent University Explore Manufacturing
Sartorius Centrum Pile
Kayleigh Woodhouse and Maiya Evans of Nottinghamshire Amphibian & Reptile Group with their certificates
Water Vole Project Gamston Jan 2025
Redshank
Water Vole Project Meadow Pond Brinsley Jan 2025
The team at Boots & Brambles with their award
UK NEWS
Securing The Rothbury Estate for nature
The Wildlife Trusts have purchased part of the Rothbury Estate in partnership with Northumberland Wildlife Trust and have launched a £30 million appeal to secure the entire estate – for nature and the nation. The charities have agreed a two-phase purchase agreement over two years.
The charities will consult the local community on plans to buy and care for the largest piece of contiguous land to be on the market anywhere in England for the last 30 years and create a showcase for nature recovery on a vast scale.
The 3,800-hectare estate has an important place in the hearts of Northumbrians.
By acquiring The Rothbury Estate, Northumberland Wildlife Trust aims to enhance the rich natural heritage of the estate for future generations. A successful purchase of the entire site will avoid the land being broken up into multiple ownerships, helping to ensure public access and create a sustainable future for farmers.
The current purchase includes the Simonside Hills and a mixture of lowland, woods, riverside and farmland – the western side of the Estate – an area that is especially valued by
the urban communities of Newcastle Upon Tyne and Tyneside. Notable wildlife includes curlews, red grouse, merlins, cuckoos, mountain bumblebees, emperor moths and red squirrels.
Mike Pratt, Chief Executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, says:
“We’re very excited to be part of a once in a generation opportunity for securing a stunning area of countryside where people and nature can thrive side by side. It signals the start of something unique in Northumberland and it will also have impact on a national scale. We’re looking forward to working with local people to create an exemplar of how nature, farming and community are integrated – something local people can feel immensely proud of.
“We’ll be talking and listening to people who live and work in the area over the coming months to evolve a long-term plan for the Estate that respects its traditions and the livelihoods that depend on it. We will preserve and enhance public access and recreational opportunities to allow people to enjoy this wonderful place.”
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says:
“This is a thrilling moment for The Wildlife Trusts who are working collectively – coming together from across the UK – to create a national flagship for nature recovery for the very first time. It’s a historic moment for our federation.
“The Rothbury Estate will come to play a key role in revitalising local economies, delivering multiple societal and environmental benefits – and it’ll provide the most amazing example for the rest of the country on a scale not seen before. We’re all absolutely delighted to be part of securing this precious piece of natural heritage for the nation and we want to hear from everyone who is keen to support our appeal.”
Find out more about how you can support The Wildlife Trusts to secure the entire estate by visiting wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/ rothbury-estate-nature-and-nation
UK HIGHLIGHTS
Discover how
The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK
Celebrating seal pups
Cumbria Wildlife Trust is celebrating seal pups born at its coastal nature reserve at South Walney near Barrow for the 10th year running. The growth of the grey seal colony from single figures in the 1980s and 90s to over 500 since breeding began in 2015 is a great conservation success story.
wtru.st/Cumbria-seal-pups
Mini beasts
The smallest beetle in Europe has been discovered by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The tiny beetle, Baranowskiella ehnstromi, found at Rutland Water Nature Reserve, measures just 0.4mm in length and feeds on spores of a bracket fungus. This is the third British record for the species and first outside East Anglia.
wtru.st/GardenEscapers
Innovation, new research and a whalesized volunteering effort has helped The Wildlife Trusts’ learn more about changes in UK seas in the 2024 marine review.
Seaside volunteers clocked over 12,000 hours backing wildlife initiatives around UK shores. This included recording sightings of humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins and climate-indicator species including colourful sea slugs and mauve jellyfish. The data helps experts understand more about how species are faring in busy seas and the impact of climate change on marine wildlife.
Volunteers tallied thousands of hours identifying and recording wildlife through the national citizen science survey, Shoresearch and volunteering days organised by Wildlife Trusts. Data collected helps experts monitor how pollution, climate change and invasive species are impacting UK wildlife. 2024 surveys highlight the spread and occurrence of non-native species and climate change indicators, such as, the first record of the kelp seaweed, Wakame, at Wembury in Devon, also found at Torquay and Brixham.
Bringing the rainforest to RHS Chelsea Flower Show
The Wildlife Trusts are bringing rainforests to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show! The British Rainforest Garden, designed by award-winning Zoe Claymore and sponsored by Project Giving Back, will evoke the lush, wet woodlands that once swathed vast areas of the west coast of the British Isles. By bringing the enchantment of temperate rainforests
to Chelsea, we hope to inspire people to support the restoration of this threatened habitat and show how nature-friendly gardening can help British wildlife thrive. Inspired by the ambitious 100-year mission of The Wildlife Trusts and Aviva to bring rainforests back to the British Isles, the garden will share the story of
Volunteers also gathered almost 3,000 kilograms of rubbish by hand from UK beaches on clean-ups organised by Wildlife Trusts. With under 10 per cent of UK seas protected from the most damaging fishing activities, The Wildlife Trusts urge policymakers to do more to save our seas.
Find out how you can join the volunteer effort: wildlifetrusts.org/ closer-to-nature/volunteer
this precious habitat that once blanketed a fifth of our country and is now so rare that it only covers about 1% of the land. Restoring them will create beautiful places for people to enjoy, help wildlife recover and tackle climate change.
Pine martens return
15 pine martens were released at secret locations on Dartmoor after a 100-year absence. After two years of meticulous planning and consultation with local communities, the reintroduction, led by Devon Wildlife Trust and seven partners, is an historic step in the restoration of the region’s woodlands and wildlife.
wtru.st/pine-martens-return
Simonside, on The Rothbury Estate, is set to become a flagship site for nature conservation in the UK
Temperate rainforests will feature in The Wildlife Trusts’ garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Around the reserves
A busy time for our Nature Recovery Teams
Recent work at our nature reserves includes large-scale scrub management at 1 Idle Valley Nature Reserve to benefit wading birds including lapwing, little ringed plover and redshank; willow pollarding at 2 Farndon Willow Holt and an extensive programme of woodland management to reduce the risk to people and property from falling trees and branches affected by Ash Dieback Disease at sites including 3 Attenborough 4 Duke’s Wood (Eakring) 5 Skylarks (Holme Pierrepont) and 6 Ploughman Wood (Lowdham)
The work at 1 Idle Valley is the latest phase of ongoing efforts to tackle the issue of scrub as the site matures. Most habitats in the UK would naturally succeed to woodland and clearing, knocking back or grazing scrub regeneration forms a major part of the teams work at Idle Valley. The long-term effort has been boosted by the growing number of beavers in the enclosure off Chainbridge Lane and increased numbers of Long-horn cattle – but to create more habitat for waders we’ve also utilised diggers and other machinery and our hardy volunteers have also been lending a hand. The clearance around the edges of areas such as Neatholme Scrape and the Island at Tiln North was completed ahead of the vital nesting season – so hopefully plenty of birds will benefit this spring. Additional habitat for water voles has also been created at Neatholme scrape as part of our Water Vole Project – a great example of how our project delivery can also deliver improvements on our nature reserves. Visitors to the Idle Valley café may also have spotted work to improve the ponds and wetlands close to the car park.
The willow work at Farndon Willow Holt is part of the delivery funded and coordinated through our Thriving in a Wilder Trent which will also see investment in habitat management at 3 Attenborough 5 Skylarks and 7 Besthorpe
Several sites are now benefitting from our investment in ‘no fence’ collars which enable us to track and target our cattle grazing to get the best habitat conditions whilst saving time and resources on travelling around the county to check our livestock.
The significant tree felling to combat Ash Dieback is just the latest phase of an ongoing programme to balance the health and safety of visitors with the need to retain as much ash as possible- especially in the form of standing deadwood – a vital habitat for a range of species, from beetles and other invertebrates, to fungi, bats and birds including woodpeckers. If you’re thinking of visiting any reserves this spring, as well as checking out the reserves listed above to see the impact of the work your support helps make possible, why not pop along to either 8 Kirton Wood or 9 Bunny Old Wood to check out the bluebells and other woodland wildflowers 40 years on from the sites becoming Trust reserves.
Scrub management for ground nesting waders
WILD RESERVES
No fence collar location maps showing the areas where cattle have been most active grazing and controlling.
A special year at Attenborough
Whilst there is always a lot happening at this special reserve, the past 18 months have been particularly busy.
We’ve recently completed our largest ever listening exercise – Attenborough for All – with over 1000, voices contributing their views and ideas and our team are currently collating and reviewing the key findings from the surveys and the detailed access audit to help shape future decisions.
Preparations for the installation of the replacement for ‘Works Bridge’ have also begun and we would like to express our thanks to all members who helped us meet our public fundraising target of £30,000. We’ve still got some way to go to cover all the costs, but after delays due to flooding and extra surveys to ensure we avoided underground services, the project is now in full swing and we’re working to get the Bridge open as soon as possible.
2025 marks the 20th Anniversary of Sir David Attenborough's visit to open Attenborough Nature Centre, so do check out our website and make sure you’re registered for Members' email updates to ensure you don’t miss any announcements relating to special events and activities to mark this Anniversary.
Stay Connected!
Please ensure you have provided a current email address with email consent to our membership team via email supportercare@nottswt.co.uk
Bunker Wood
Neatholme Pit
Tiln North
Sir David Attenborough visiting Attenborough Nature Centre back in 2005
THE SECRET LIVES OF
A walk through nature’s hidden treasures
Mark Dinning is head of conservation with Durham Wildlife Trust. Working in nature conservation for over 20 years, Mark is passionate about plants and securing a future thriving with nature.
Early purple orchid Orchis mascula
Greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha
orchid Ophrys insectifera
When I started my career in conservation, the ‘Vacancy – warden required to guard rare orchid’ advertisement grabbed my attention. Yes, the job was to guard the only known population of the UK’s rarest orchids in Yorkshire: the lady’s slipper orchid. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is now raising money to grow it and secure its survival.
Years later I found myself researching the lady’s slipper orchid at Durham Wildlife Trust, when I stumbled across an article describing this orchid in the Trust’s Hawthorn Dene nature reserve. With sadness I read that in 1926 the last of this stunning plant had been picked and given as a gift to a woman by her admirer. UK law now protects wild plants from being picked in this way, but this story is a stark reminder of the fragility of our natural heritage. Orchids are one of the most diverse groups of plants on the planet. Over 1,000 genera. More than 25,000 species. They are the largest and most highly evolved family of flowering plants.
There are around 57 native orchid species found in Britain (the number varying depending on your source). The number of species is fairly consistent depending on where you live in the country. Hampshire has 30 plus species, Kent and Sussex about 27-28 species each, the same number as the whole of Scotland! Wales has 32. My native Durham and Northumberland have 27 species. Some are common and others really quite rare. My children say, ‘You’re not allowed favourites!’ This rule applies to orchids and orchid sites as much as anything else in my life. I can’t place one above another, all are special. Allowances are made, with an annual pilgrimage to ‘check in on old friends’. Of orchids, some are work friends and we check how they are doing. A reward for past hard endeavours. Like the early purple orchids that greeted me on a walk through an ancient semi-natural woodland on the Durham coast. In past years, Wildlife Trust volunteers removed non-native trees to allow light to reach the woodland floor to restore the ancient woodland native plant community. Imagine my pleasure on a hot May day as the cool shaded woodland trail led me to the exact spot. A small flush of early purple orchids bathed in sunlight, accompanied by a chorus of bird song and the trickle of the nearby stream.
This walk, I and many Wildlife Trust supporters and colleagues enjoy through spring and summer. Ten orchid species to spot, if you get your timing right. Frog orchid (their flowers look like frogs, their hind legs jigging a dance!) rounds off the walk. Every year the same fear fills my head, ‘Where have they all gone?’, sense prevails, I remember I just need to look a little harder. Down on my hands and knees, I focus on a spot and like a magic-eye picture the hidden forest of frog orchids is revealed.
The Plant Atlas 2020 described this species as potentially the UK’s fastest declining orchid. The decline linked to agricultural improvement, undergrazing and more recently drought.
Climate and weather are important. For the pyramidal orchid, the plant’s basal leaves appear in late autumn and die down the following summer. This growth strategy can leave this orchid vulnerable to climatic differences with hard cold winters leading to frost damage that jeopardises a plant’s success in the coming spring.
The county flower of the Isle of Wight, the pyramidal orchid prefers soils rich in calcium. Like those of the island, the majority of UK orchids prefer calcium rich soils. Orchids can produce thousands of very tiny seeds, the greater butterfly orchid producing up to 25,000 seeds per capsule. The fact this sheer number of ultra light seed can be carried by the wind, ensures orchids are able to spread their progeny far and wide. Their success is determined by the environmental conditions
they find. If we are to truly restore nature, orchids have many lessons they can teach us. Protecting 30 per cent of land for nature – a commitment made by our government – will mean, in time, some orchid species will find new areas suitable for their growth.
Watching nature reclaim its place in the landscape will be a privilege I thought we may not get to see. But there are examples where people have been doing just that for a number of years.
The dark-red helleborine orchid has been monitored for over 30 years at Bishop Middleham Quarry in County Durham. 2024 was a record year with 3,380 flowering spikes. Surveying at Bishop Middleham is a pleasant late summers evening event with longstanding friends and new enthusiasts. Spare a thought for the orchid surveyors of The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire. This intrepid group spend three days counting three orchid species, the man (the flower, a human body with an oddly oversized cycle helmet), musk (not smelling of musk, nationally scarce, declined by 70 per cent) and frog orchid… in late winter!
People travel far and wide to see orchids. So it’s nice to finish on a story about orchids that travelled to see people. Recently Essex Wildlife Trust got the opportunity to show off some of their orchids to the King and Queen at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. ‘Orchids in the Wild – The Beauty of Nature’ showcased the county’s native orchids and the Trust’s important conservation work. The orchids making the journey were common spotted, green-winged, pyramidal and man orchids. I wish I could have seen the effect the VIP’s (very important plants) had on the Royal visitors. Orchids highlight just what is at risk if we don’t address the causes of the nature emergency. Orchids have declined like other plants and species. Restoring habitats that support orchids will have benefits for a vast array of other species. Of my much loved orchid
If you were to do just one thing in the coming spring and summer, make your own orchid story. If you were to do another, ensure the places we should find these special plants are restored and conserved. The more orchids the merrier.
To find an orchid haven near you and see these masters of mimicry for yourself, visit wildlifetrusts.org/ where_to_see_orchids
In Nottinghamshire, annual orchid surveys are carried out by staff and volunteers across the county, including at Wilford Clay Pit in the south and Ashton’s Meadow in the north. Worth visiting to spot the delicate delights in bloom.
Bee orchids at Wilford Claypit
PAUL
LANE
Bee orchid Ophrys apifera
Common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii
My wildlife community project
We popped in a frosty February visit to see Pat and Martin who have created a wildlife garden at Whitemoor Allotments, Nottingham.
Why did you decide to turn this overgrown allotment plot into a wildlife haven?
The plots here are surrounded by hedges. Not open like most allotments where you can see your fellow plot holders. We hope it will become a welcome social hub for people to meet up and share ideas and encourage them to garden alongside wildlife. It was also a good location near the River Leen as a wildlife corridor.
How did you keep the project as eco-friendly as possible?
We reused what we found! That way you do not have to lug it off the site and pay for skips! We have bricks we plan to use as a shed base. And the sand and gravel we found digging the pond when we hit the water table was sieved and the stones went to create a shallow entrance as a slope so wildlife can easily get in to drink and most importantly get out again! The sand created a base layer under the pond liner. Most of the thicker vegetation we cut down has been used as a dead hedge and the larger logs as edging and also in the hibernaculum.
What surprised you the most about the project?
The amount of smooth newts that we came across whilst clearing the site. They have a nice home here still and an added feature of the hibernaculum they can use.
What’s your top tip that you learnt to pass on?
Use rainwater to fill your pond. It may take a long time to naturally fill up, but weigh your pond liner down well, using a bit of water and stones edging the sides. Then use old plastic sheets angled into the pond around the edges to capture more rain to allow it to flow into the pond. The autumn 2024 storms helped us out a lot too!
What advice would you give to others who maybe considering creating a space for wildlife?
Do what you can even if cultivating crops. Make a log pile, or a little pond or bowl of water. Don’t burn it. Stack it for wildlife. Little things, not loads.
You can read more about this project in the blog online, including how you can support them via a gofundme webpage. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/ blog/rachel-rutherford/diggingbritain-or-wildlife-pond
Individuals and community groups across the county are playing their part through simple actions such as planting trees, creating ponds or caring for local greenspaces.
You can play your part too.
Add your wild action to the map!
www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/ wilder-nottinghamshire
The pond was frozen on our visit in February.
The sea of brambles on entering the abandoned plot
Plastic sheets capturing rain water to fill the pond
Pond life
The best way to boost wildlife in your garden
Boosting the wildlife in your garden couldn’t be simpler or more exciting. What you need is a garden pond. Believe me you won’t regret it, says the BBC’s Justin Rowlatt.
There’ll be a little digging. You need to go a bit deeper than you’d expect. Just over a metre is good. All the wonderful pond creatures that are going to make their home in your garden need somewhere to shelter away from the ice that will form in winter.
Then you’ll need a pond liner, gravel, some native UK pond plants and aquatic compost bags. Then you just fill it with tap water and wait. This is when the magic happens.
During the first week or so your pond will go a sickly shade of green as algae makes itself at home. If you’re lucky, you’ll get your first creature in the second or third week. Mine was a hoglouse, a watery cousin of the woodlouse.
Next came mosquito larvae. I had loads, wriggling and squirming beneath the surface. I was transfixed – my wife was not so
impressed. But don’t worry, they are the lure that is going to tempt in other creatures for whom mosquito larvae are the tastiest of treats.
The nymphs of dragonflies and damselflies can’t get enough of them. Frogs and newts love them too. And if any do manage to hatch into actual mozzies, they’ll be dinner for swallows, swifts and bats.
What you’ve created is an entire ecosystem, an intricate food web. The algae is food for the insects who are food for the frogs who are food for hedgehogs. You get the picture.
When you find yourself wondering why you are spending so long just staring at your new pond here’s the answer: what is unfolding before you is nothing less than the story of life on earth.
Rowlatt is the BBC’s first ever climate editor. He describes his job as reporting from the front line of climate change. Justin is also a huge fan of ponds. He put his in three years ago and hasn’t looked back.
Pond algae
Learn to love your algae. It is the bottom of the food chain and without it your pond would be a lot less enticing.
Hoglouse
Hoglice are an aquatic relative of the woodlouse. And before you get sniffy about these little lice, you should know they are one of the most ancient animal species on earth at more than 300 million years old.
Marsh marigolds
Rat-tailed maggot
This is one of my favourite pond creatures. Think of maggots but with snorkels attached to their bums. Except because rat-tailed maggots are aquatic, they are wonderfully clean and mutate into beautiful hoverflies.
There are few sights more cheerful than a clump of bright yellow marsh marigolds. Think buttercups but bigger and framed by dramatic dark foliage. They provide a hiding place for frogs and nectar for insects.
Yellow flag iris
There are lots of water iris species around the world but only one real choice for UK ponds, in my opinion. The yellow flag iris, the only aquatic iris native to the UK.
Hornwort
This is one of the workhorses of a thriving pond. Hornwort is a dark green plant that floats beneath the surface releasing life-giving oxygen. But beware, just like algae, happy hornwort will grow like topsy.
Large red damselfly
On a sunny spring day there is always at least one red damselfly hovering, like a tiny helicopter, over my pond. These creatures live out their entire lives before your eyes and their nymphs hoover up mozzie larvae.
Common frog
We have three. All slightly different colours. My wife insists she recognises each one. You’ll be spellbound as they lay their spawn. The tiny black dots in the centre evolve into surprisingly rapacious tadpoles and then, majestic frogs.
HANNAH BAILEY
Justin
6 places to see butterflies
The first sight of bright lime yellow brimstone butterfly is a signal that spring is on its way. The comma, peacock, red admiral, small tortoiseshell and clouded yellow all make their fragile and fluttering first appearance as winter slips away.
Then each fluttering butterfly will emerge to feed on its favourite wildflowers, while skylarks and pipits fly overhead. The next arrivals are the speckled wood and grizzled skipper, followed by the holly blue, orange tip, painted lady and green veined white. By April on fine sunny days The Wildlife Trusts' nature reserves are coming to life with the beauty of butterflies on the wing. By May a kaleidoscope of butterflies are in flight.
With so many beautiful butterflies and pink, purple and yellow wildflowers on show, prepare to be blown away this spring. Here are six of our best nature reserves for spotting butterflies.
See the spectacle for yourself
1 Maze Park Nature Reserve, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
Maze Park is a green oasis right in the centre of Teesside. There is an abundance of herb species, such as yellow-wort and bird’s-foot trefoil which attract more than 12 species of butterfly, including the scarce grayling and dingy skipper.
Where: Thornaby, TS17 6QA
2 Hoe Grange Quarry, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
The flower-rich short limestone grassland and woodland is a haven for butterflies, with 24 different species recorded. These include comma, peacock, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, speckled wood, orange tip, painted lady, large white and small heath among others.
Where: Brassington, DE4 4HX
3 Llanymynech Rocks Nature Reserve, Montgomeryshire & Shropshire Wildlife Trusts
This former limestone quarry is a butterfly hotspot. Its once industrial landscape becomes a riot of wildflowers from spring. Keep your eyes peeled for the dingy and grizzled skippers from April and dark green and silver-washed fritillaries by June.
Where: Llanymynech, SY22 6HD
4 Hexton Chalk Pit Nature Reserve, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
A small, chalk grassland reserve on the north-east Chilterns, colonised naturally by fine-leaved fescue grasses and chalkloving plants, as well as five species of orchid. The site is a haven for butterflies, including, green hairstreak, dingy skipper, brimstone, peacock, orange-tip and holly blue.
Where: Hexton, SG5 3JP
5
Pamber Forest and Upper Inhams Copse Nature Reserve, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Renowned for its ancient woodland, diverse flora and abundant wildlife, a variety of butterfly species and dragonflies thrive in the reserve's rich habitats. Spot purple emperor, white admiral, speckled wood and brimstone butterfly.
Where: Tadley, RG26 3EQ
6 Queendown Warren, Kent Wildlife Trust
Nestled on the outskirts of the Medway towns, this hidden gem provides the perfect habitat for orchids, Kentish milkwort and the adonis blue butterfly, which was reintroduced to the site by Kent Wildlife Trust in 2002. They can often be seen at the site tumbling in the sky with the chalk hill and common blue butterflies.
Where: Sittingbourne, ME9 7XH
Did you spot any butterflies?
We’d love to know how your search went.
Please share your best photos with us!
@thewildlifetrusts @wildlifetrusts
