Focus on ivy
At this time of year when deciduous trees and shrubs are only just beginning to bud, the glossy evergreen leaves of ivy and its tangle of climbing stems really stand out. Common ivy in fact provides a year-round place for … Continued
Feathered friends
January can be a wet and uninviting month to explore the outdoors but fortunately it’s great for birdwatching as the cold weather brings birds into gardens, looking for food and shelter. Most birds will be sporting winter plumage, making each … Continued
Holy Holly!
Holly is well known and loved for its spiky evergreen leaves and bright red berries, and as a symbol of Christmas. In homage to the twelve days of Christmas, here’s twelve fascinating holly facts and activities that you can use … Continued
The Underground Farmers
Earthworms, as their name suggests, live within the earth in a hidden world but where they perform an essential service by not only turning over, aerating and loosening soil, but also by recycling dead things! Autumn is a great time … Continued
The web weavers
Nature has many beautiful designs and amongst these the intricate beauty of a spider web glistening with dew in the early morning sun is a visual masterpiece. Late summer and early autumn is the best time to admire and study … Continued
Ingenious seeds, inquisitive minds
As the summer ends, many plants are preparing for the next generation and launching their offspring into the world. September is a great month to explore and investigate your school grounds and local wild space for different seed dispersal strategies. … Continued
Summer song of the crickets
It is a popular myth that a cricket chirps by rubbing its legs together. In fact, crickets sing with their wings and listen with their legs! During the summer they are an easy insect to find in school grounds in … Continued
Ladybird secrets
Nature is full of fascinating surprises, as I found out recently when investigating the ladybird life cycle with a group of reception school children. We were very intrigued to discover that the ladybird emerged from its pupa completely yellow with … Continued
Encounters with a seven-spotted friend
Different stages of the ladybird life cycle For anyone working with children the word ‘minibeast’ needs no explaining – the world of invertebrate animals such as snails, woodlouse and centipedes holds a limitless fascination for children, and adults too! … Continued