connecting communities and nature
If you’re looking for something to do on your spare Sunday afternoon, why not go and explore the fantastic landscapes and wildlife in your local area?
Keeping active, exploring landscapes, watching wildlife and promoting mental well-being are just some reasons to immerse yourself in nature. Not to mention just having time to enjoy being outdoors.
Continue reading “Staffordshire’s industrial past and wilder future!”Categorised as green or organic waste, our food scraps and garden cuttings are anything but rubbish! When allowed to recycle naturally, these become a great source of nutrients which will fertilize your garden and provide food and habitat for visiting wildlife.
Read on to find out why composting is not only good for the environment, but for our own mental and physical well-being too!
We have also enclosed a quick easy guide on how to get started with your composting bin.
As bats’ echolocation calls are above a human’s normal range of hearing (20Hz to 20kHz), we use a bat detector to listen to them. These devices convert the ultrasonic sounds to a frequency which we can hear.
Different species use specific frequency ranges in their echolocation, which can help us to identify the species around us.
Here, Debs demonstrates the use of a Batscanner which displays the frequency of the call as well as playing an audible rendition of the bat’s hunting sounds. Using this, we were able to determine that there were both common Common and Soprano pipistrelles and the amazing Greater horseshoe bat foraging over this field in Buckfastleigh.
| Species | Frequency |
| Soprano Pipistrelle | The peak frequency is above 50 kHz (typically 52-55) |
| Common Pipistrelle | The peak frequency is below 50 kHz (typically 43-46) |
| Greater Horseshoe Bat | Peak frequency is just above 80 kHz |
Most people have seen a frog or a toad. But how much do you know about them? Find out more about these amazing amphibians with this series of short activities!
We have learnt a lot this week about the local habitat types you might find near where you live so let’s explore some more! Our water ways have countless different habiats for us to look at, from small streams and rivers to huge lakes or oceans! What are you waiting for? Dive right in!
Lord Barnby’s Foundation offers grants to charitable organisations in England and Wales for general charitable purposes, the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability, the prevention or relief of poverty, environment, conservation and heritage.
Grants are between £1,000 – £5,000, but no maximum amount is specified. Applications should be made in writing and include a brief description of the organisation and project plus a copy of the organisation’s most recent accounts.
Deadline: Continuous rolling programme. The Trustees meet in February, June and November.
The Lord Barnby Foundation
Po Box 442
Market Drayton
TF9 9EQ
Little Lives UK’s Children’s Community Support Programme awards grants of up to £1,500 to local charities, services, schools, projects and councils to put on events, classes or workshops that will directly benefit the lives of children. Activities could include play groups or sports classes however applications from other projects are welcome, as long as their primary objective focuses on providing services to children.
Continue reading “Little Lives UK”Nature has long been known to lift our mood and during the last year the power of nature to improve our spirits has never been more important. However, Coronavirus has delivered new mental challenges and at the same time lockdowns have meant the opportunities to immerse ourselves in the natural world have become scarce.
The need to provide adequate green space for nature and ourselves is something Wild Ideas continues to actively promote, but we can sit back on our sofas and let the wonders of modern technology bring nature direct to us.
Continue reading “Connecting with nature from home”