Nature & Wildlife
The wildlife, fauna and flora of Britain, from native mammals to birds of prey, and from geoglogical formations to the beaches, forests and mountains.
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Dawn Chorus: A river comes to life, more mews is good mews, and the new 400-mile electric Volvo
Rivers now have the legal right to flow, and to not be full of pollution. It's about time.
By James Fisher Published
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Dawn Chorus: The perfect job for incurable romantics, Britain's rudest roads, woodland workshops and spring in Cornwall
Living on a near-deserted island, and getting paid for the privilege? No wonder tens of thousands of people were keen.
By Toby Keel Published
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That hammering you hear? It's actually the sound of Spring
Woodpeckers are guardians of ancient broad-leaved woodlands, busy ecosystem engineers and keen consumers of ant porridge.
By Vicky Liddell Published
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Curious Questions: Will the real Welsh daffodil please stand up
For generations, patriotic Welshmen and women have pinned a daffodil to their lapels to celebrate St David’s Day, says David Jones, but most are unaware that there is a separate species unique to the country.
By Country Life Published
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Simon Jenkins: 1,000 miles of giant pylons 'would be the most intrusive invasion of the nation’s rural landscape since the Second World War'
The Government’s plan to cover the countryside in ugly pylons with seemingly no regard for aesthetics must be vigorously challenged
By Simon Jenkins Published
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Nobody has ever been able to figure out just how long Britain's coastline is. Here's why.
Welcome to the Coastline Paradox, where trying to find an accurate answer is more of a hindrance than a help.
By Martin Fone Published
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Why are humpback whales flocking to the UK?
Humpback whales are typically infrequent visitors to the Cornish coast, but this year they've been spotted in increasing numbers in the South-West, the Isles of Scilly and as far up the Channel as Sussex.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Dawn Chorus: The beavers who built a £1 million project for free, and Alexa Chung's new Barbour collection
By Toby Keel Published
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'The whiff of a McDonald’s Happy Meal has them pouring in': London, where the foxes are streets ahead
The urban fox is as much a part of the city as the red bus or St Paul's. Will this elusive animal outlast us all?
By Patrick Galbraith Published
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Dawn Chorus: Gangster badgers, at home with Sienna Miller, and a fresh slap in the face for first-time buyers
Friday's Dawn Chorus looks at a badger gan
By Toby Keel Published
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Dawn Chorus: The mysterious miracle of the Cotswolds garden where 5 million snowdrops sprang up spontaneously, plus a Royal baby and our quiz of the day
Painswick's carpet of snodrops, plus a Royal baby, our quiz of the day and more make it in to today's Dawn Chorus.
By Toby Keel Published
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The farmers who embrace the right to roam: 'Farming can be isolating... it’s really nice when we get people through the yard'
Jane Wheatley speaks to a farming couple who actively encourage walkers to come across their land.
By Jane Wheatley Published
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Salmon fishing and other stories, with Marina Gibson
The angler extraordinaire joins the Country Life Podcast to talk fishing, conservation and bagpipes on the River Tay.
By James Fisher Published
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Be more squirrel: What you can learn from Britain's favourite woodland animal, plus Valentines for cheapskates and our Quiz of the Day
Take a leaf out of the book of the red squirrel, and try our quiz of the day.
By Toby Keel Published
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There's no place like home: How animals find their way back to their owners is a mystery we are still trying to solve
Lassie’s epic walk is the stuff of literary legend, but the real-life stories of animals making extraordinary journeys back to where they came from are even stranger than fiction. Richard Sugg investigates.
By Country Life Published
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A dozen walks to do before you die
Lifelong walker, and former director general of the National Trust, Fiona Reynolds selects 12 exhilarating experiences that have personal meaning for her, from mountains to cities and coasts to river valleys.
By Fiona Reynolds Published
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Curious questions: how an underground pond from the last Ice Age almost stopped the Blackwall Tunnel from being built
You might think a pond is just a pond. You would be incorrect. Martin Fone tells us the fascinating story of pingo and dew ponds.
By Martin Fone Published
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'I’ve come here this evening to experience darkness. I’ve been craving it, the richness and peace of it, the way you crave silence when you’ve had too much noise'
Connected to a vastness that’s beyond comprehension, the night sky has inspired both artistic and scientific visionaries since the dawn of time, says Anna Levin.
By Country Life Published
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John Lewis-Stempel: The English village, that beguiling habitat closest to the heart
Green, pub, church, duck pond and rose-garlanded cottages: did the perfect English village ever exist?
By John Lewis-Stempel Published
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John Lewis-Stempel: Why silence is golden
Quiet yourself and the distant hum of Nature’s parts connecting and working will soon come into focus.
By John Lewis-Stempel Published
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'A robin redbreast in a cage puts all Heaven in a rage': Why this charming little bird is the nation's favourite
We’re more emotionally connected to the robin than any other bird, says Mark Cocker, as he considers why we feel so much affection for this sweet-songed, yet feisty Christmas-card favourite.
By Mark Cocker Published


