Look Wild: Tittesworth Water discoveries
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Date posted: 31/08/2023
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Time to read: 6 minutes
We’ve been loving getting involved with the NPUK Look Wild project in the Peak District National Park, and learning how to use iNaturalist. But even better than going out and identifying stuff ourselves is introducing the project to other people. Over the last two years we’ve been running some free guided walks where we’ve done just that and the reaction from participants has been fantastic. Let’s find out a bit more about what everyone discovered and enjoyed.
The plan for the walks was to adventure around Tittesworth Water and see what we could find, yet without fail we never got past the first wildflower meadow. It’s amazing what can be found hiding in the grass when you stop and have a look! Participants were amazed to find grasshoppers and crickets, as well as some lovely delicate flowers that you’d miss if walking past. All of this was less than 50m from the visitor centre and car park. Check out this photo of an amazing Common Green Grasshopper that was so well camouflaged we nearly missed it.
Using the app also lead us to some interesting discoveries. When identifying creatures and plants iNaturalist also provides you with a bit of background info, including things like common names, when and where to see them, etc. I love being able to find out a bit more and often it is these quirkier names that I remember rather than the official ones. It didn’t take long for us to utilise this feature on the walks. Like David Attenborough lurking in the bushes, we caught a lot of Common Red Soldier Beetles in some compromising situations and then learnt that they’re commonly called the Hogweed Bonking Beetle – that explains it! And these beetles happened to be at their most active during July, when we were on site.
The best thing about the guided walks was getting people engaged and having a go – Look Wild is just a great way to learn more about nature and making walks a bit more fun. We had a broad range of people involved, from young to old, and from lots of different backgrounds. Even those who were sceptical at first were so keen by the end, and being involved with the walk made a real positive impact on individual’s connection to nature. One of the biggest converts from the day was an older woman with her tablet, who had a great time taking photos and finding out all this new and wonderful information about the wildlife around us.
What I like most about the Look Wild project is that it encourages you to stop, pause, and really have a look. The world is so busy that we so often walk past all this amazing nature without knowing anything about it; it’s great to have an excuse to go slow, take things in, and discover something new.
If you’ve been inspired to get out into nature, you can share any photos or observations with us and get featured on our social or newsletter! Send your observations to connect@nationalparks.uk.
Join i-Naturalist and start identifying nature near you today! Look Wild is a brilliant citizen science project that helps contribute to our data and knowledge of wildlife and habitat health across the UK.
This Blog was written by Jessica Coatesworth, Engagement Ranger Team Leader at Peak District National Park.
A week on from National Parks UK’s Big Volunteer Weekend, we’re still celebrating the people who make a difference across our National Parks.
Last weekend, hundreds of people came together across all 15 National Parks to give their time, share their skills and support our landscapes.
But volunteering in our National Parks doesn’t happen just one weekend a year. All year round, volunteers play an incredible variety of roles – from leading guided walks and supporting education, to conservation, planting and caring for our landscapes.
Every volunteer makes a valuable contribution to protecting our natural and cultural heritage. We simply couldn’t do what we do without you. 💚
So, to all our volunteers: thank you for your time, energy, enthusiasm and everything you bring to our National Parks.
If you know someone who volunteers in a National Park, help us spread the thanks by sharing this post. 🌿
#Volunteers #NationalParks #NationalParksUK
Mae’r Bele yn un o famaliaid prinnaf Cymru, ond mae eu niferoedd yn tyfu yn raddol. Mae hynny’n newyddion da i’n coetiroedd ac i’r Parciau Cenedlaethol, sy’n darparu rhai o’r cynefinoedd pwysicaf ar gyfer bywyd gwyllt ledled Cymru a Phrydain.
Ym Mannau Brycheiniog, mae’r prosiect adfer wedi gosod blychau nythu yn y coed, ac mae gwaith monitro wedi nodi presenoldeb y Bele, gan gynnwys grwpiau teuluol. Mae’r ffilm arbennig hon yn dangos un ohonynt ar waith. 🐾
Mae’n atgof hyfryd o’r hyn sy’n bosibl pan ddaw coetiroedd iach a gwaith cadwraeth arbenigol at ei gilydd i roi’r gofod sydd ei angen ar rywogaethau prin i wella.
Pine Martens are one of Wales’ rarest mammals, but they’re slowly making a comeback. That’s good news for our woodlands, and for National Parks, which provide some of the most important habitats for wildlife across Wales and Britain.
In Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), the recovery project has installed treetop den boxes, with monitoring identifying pine martens, including family groups. This special footage shows one in action. 🐾
It’s a lovely reminder of what can happen when healthy woodlands and specialist conservation work come together to give rare species the space they need to recover.
#BreconBeacons #BannauBrycheiniog #PineMartins #Wales
It’s the Autumn Equinox 🍂
Our National Parks are always changing in time with the rhythm of nature, but this becomes particularly noticeable when autumn arrives.
Deer begin to rut, spiders’ cobwebs glisten in the fresh light, fungi become more prominent, and leaves begin to change colour.
What changes have you noticed so far? 🧡
#Autumn #AutumnEquinox #NationalParks
“You look after the National Park not for yourself, but for people who are coming, the ones who are following you.”
These are the words of Ron Wood, who has been volunteering for the Lake District National Park for over 60 years. His story reflects the vital role volunteering plays across our National Parks: keeping them thriving, communities invested, and people connected to and caring for our landscapes.
Over the decades, Ron’s incredible journey has seen him remain steadfast in his commitment through droughts, hand, foot and mouth disease, and the ever-changing rhythms of nature. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: his dedication to looking after the environment for those who come after him.
You can read Ron`s full story by clicking the link in our bio or learn more about volunteering at nationalparks.uk/volunteering 🔗
📸Photos by @lakedistrictnpa
#LakeDistrict #Volunteering #NationalParks
A quiet autumn transformation is beginning to take place. 🍁
Bracken gradually fades to burnt oranges. Mist sweeps across the horizon. Grasses brown and trees begin their annual shaking of leaves.
Our National Parks are never still. They are constantly changing and transforming with the seasons - a living rhythm of growth, decay, colour and renewal.
These four photographs perfectly capture our Parks on the cusp of autumn 📸
1. Dartmoor @ryanbrowningphotography
2. Lake District @jonny.gios
3. New Forest @acornsandscapes
4. Northumberland @calbrownphoto
#Autumn #NationalParksUK
🍄 They’re not just wonderfully weird – they’re vital for our National Parks, too. Fungi can be more prominent as we enter autumn, and across our landscapes they’re helping to protect the fragile environments our Parks depend on.
Our National Parks are home to over 80% of the UK’s priority conservation habitats, and every single bracket or tiny woodland fungus is part of a vital wider workforce that supports our ecosystems.
They can look small, but they’re certainly mighty.
#Fungus #UKFungi #Mycological #NationalParks
Autumn brings some unusual visitors to the @newforestnpa 🐷🍂
As the leaves turn and acorns begin to carpet the Forest floor, you might spot a few more snouts among the trees.
Each autumn, New Forest Commoners exercise an ancient right known as pannage – turning their pigs out to forage for fallen acorns, beech mast and other natural foods that might be harmful to other grazing animals.
It’s a tradition that has been part of life in the New Forest for many years. Just like many of our Parks, it shows how these landscapes are shaped by history and the unique ways of working that protect the environment.
📸This beautiful photograph was captured by @hang_ross76.
#NewForestPigs #Autumn #NewForest
🍂 Autumn is creeping in, and the nights are slowly drawing in around us. But darkness isn’t just something we notice. For countless bugs, it’s essential.
Two-thirds of invertebrates are partially or wholly nocturnal, relying on the natural rhythm of night and day to feed, move, reproduce and survive. Yet increasing light pollution is disrupting this vital nighttime world. 🐜
September is an active time for bugs - spiders seek shelter, wasp colonies reach their peak size, and many are migrating or laying overwintering eggs.
Our National Parks are home to some of the UK’s darkest skies and important habitats where we can protect the darkness that bugs depend on.
Together, we can help even the smallest of species to thrive.
Clips via @buglife_ict
1 & 2: Moth © Patrick Chadwick
3: Running Crab Spider © Patrick Chadwick
4: Millipede © Patrick Chadwick
5: Common glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) © Kristian Pikner
6 & 7: Ringlet butterfly roosting © Patrick Chadwick
8: Wasp © Patrick Chadwick
#BugLife #DarkSkies #NationalParks
