Nature

How Nature made a comeback in London's parks during the year of Covid-19

For art critic John McEwen, the enforced constraints of the pandemic have engendered a greater appreciation of London's great parks and abundant wildlife.

A simple guide to the wildflowers of Britain

From deciduous woods yet to fill out with leaf, to windswept hilltop shingle beach and riverbank, our flora can give so much pleasure.

Jason Goodwin: 'This is what it might be like if we weren’t so persistently restless and noisy and greedy and exploitative'

Nature's recovery over the last year, as lockdown changed life as we know it, has been startling. Jason Goodwin wonders if we can keep it going.

The 10 things you can do to help save hedgehogs

The decline in hedgehog numbers in Britain in recent decades has been shocking — but it seems that things might be stabilising, and these charming little creatures need our help. Hedgehog Street have shared ten things we can all do to help out.

The Blue Tit: The cheerful harbinger of Spring

Victoria Marston takes a look at the cheerful, colourful bird whose busy activity is such a feature of the season.

10 majestic pictures of the beautiful nature of Britain, in honour of World Wildlife Day

March 3 is World Wildlife Day, so to mark the occasion we're celebrating the stunning flora and fauna of Britain.

Jason Goodwin: 'I kept heading south, choosing turnings at random, with a deepening sense of time suspended'

Following his nose sees Jason Goodwin end up in the quirkily-named village of Pendomer, a place with a distinctly English tale to tell.

Curious questions: Who first classified the clouds?

Martin Fone investigates the scientists so intrigued by cloud formations that they decided to sort them out into different types.

Bealach na Bà, on the Applecross peninsula: Travelling the steepest road in Britain

Bealach na Bà is as unforgettable and beautiful as it is nerve wracking.

The 8 best birdsongs you'll hear in Britain

Which eight birdsongs would you choose as the soundtrack if you were stranded on a desert island? David Tomlinson picks his top eight.

Birds of Cors Dyfi, Montgomeryshire: The remote sanctuary for over 100 types of birds

Annunciata Elwes looks at this remote spot beloved of some of Britain's rarest species of birds.

Fiona Reynolds: 'The day wears to a close, satisfied by a long walk and new discoveries close to home'

Fiona Reynolds recounts a pre-lockdown tale of a walk along the banks of the River Frome to where it meets the Severn.

Curious Questions: How fast do snowflakes travel?

Martin Fone examines the science behind snow and explores the history of snowfalls in the UK.

Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons: The Cotswolds countryside where butterflies roam and stones cure smallpox

Some of the prettiest open spaces in the Cotswolds make the grade in Annunciata Elwes' series on Secret Britain.

Should the lynx be reintroduced to the Scottish Highlands? Scottish public to have their say

The question of whether to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx is to be put to the public of Scotland via a consultation being run by a group of charities.

Bothies: The hidden shacks across Britain offering shelter, comfort and warmth to weary travellers

Once frequented by farm labourers and shepherds, lone bothies — often located amid some of Scotland’s most remote countryside — offer a welcome (and sometimes secret) refuge for wanderers, says Freda Lewis-Stempel.

Thorney Island, West Sussex: The beauty spot accessed via a secret button through a barbed wire fence

The beaches of Thorney Island, next to Chichester Harbour, are our Secret Britain selection today.

Binevenagh, Northern Ireland: Lava-hewn crags and cliffs at the end of one of the planet's great railway journeys

Our Secret Britain piece today takes a look at the view from the top of Binevenagh in Co Londonderry.

Osea Island, Essex: A secret so well-kept that even the locals have barely heard of it

Annunciata Elwes looks at a little-known spot accessible for just a few hours a day.

How do starlings form murmurations?

Murmurations of starlings — the vast clouds of thousands of birds, flocking and swooping through the sky — are one of nature's great displays. But how do the birds do it? Martin Fone investigates.