connecting communities and nature
Check in for ways to be wild in your home, garden, patio, balcony or on your window ledge or wall.
Find out more about some of the species you might see and how to help.
We’re here to share ideas and to inspire communities to improve spaces for nature and for people.
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In the UK we have 18 different species of bat, but in total there are approximately 1,400 spread worldwide. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica, making them runners up only to rodents when it comes to habitat diversity and number of species.
But what is a bat and why are they so special?
The whole snake family has a rather strange evolutionary history. Snakes’ ancient ancestors (who were also the ancestors of lizards) progressed from above-ground life, to living and moving about underground, burrowing through the earth. This subterranean lifestyle meant they’ve evolved to have relatively poor eyesight. To compensate, snakes picture their surroundings using their tongues, which collect chemicals in the air. On retracting the tongue, this transfers the chemicals to their ‘smell’ organ (called Jacobson’s organ). The adder (Vipera berus) is, of course, also unique in being Britain’s only venomous snake. They use venom to help kill their prey, small mammals and chicks. But adders should not be feared – they will only bite you to defend themselves from a serious threat, like being handled or stepped on.
Continue reading “Species Guide: The Adder”
Unless you live in Scotland or the north of England, you could well have grown up never having seen a native Red squirrel in the wild. We explore the reasons behind this and how you can help.
Continue reading “British Wildlife on the Edge: The Red Squirrel”Do you want to make your garden, allotment or balcony the ideal destination for butterflies?
Our new guide: How to make a butterfly-friendly garden gives you lots of tips and ideas to make your outdoor space a pollinator paradise.
If I were to ask you to think about conservation, you probably think of lots of fieldwork and adventure and you would be right. But how do we do our job when we can’t get out to the field? Well, that is where we need your help…
Like many people in the world, lots of us at Wild Ideas have had our adventures postponed this year! But is that going to stop us exploring our natural world? Absolutely not!
Terrifying? To some.
Dangerous? Rarely to humans.
Crazy lovers? Males beware!
But when it comes to looking after the babies, spiders have it down.
Continue reading “Spidermums & Yummy Mummies”
Our natural environment has been a fertile area of inspiration for writers, artists and all manner of creative folk, ever since ancient humans began to paint on cave walls. Engaging with nature can help us forget our egos, worries and daily frustrations – and encourages our imaginations to inhabit a different world. That said, creativity doesn’t always flow spontaneously. We often need a bit of direction to get started – and this is what prompts are for. Read on for a selection of activity prompts inspired by nature and wildlife…
Continue reading “Creative Encounters with the Natural World: Some Prompts for Writing and Visual Art”