​One of my favourite parts of summer, is the addition of butterflies to our thriving wild spaces.The summer of 2019 was the best summer for butterflies in over 20 years, and with everyone staying inside this year, hopefully it’ll be even better. There are 59 species of butterflies in the UK, and each species has their own particular taste in plants and habitat. This makes it a lot easier to spot them, as they can still enjoy urban locations, so you don't have to travel far and wide. But if you're not seeing as many as you'd like, what can we do for butterflies?
If you have a garden, you could grow different plants that flower throughout the year to attract a variety of butterflies into the area. It's also important to keep them watered, because the supply of nectar reduces if the plants struggle for water. 
If you don't have a garden, you could put out a window box or on a drive or patio. Some good plants for these include marigolds, yarrow and lavender. This works best in the area that gets the most sunlight.
It's so easy to make your spaces more butterfly friendly. For example, you can stop doing something or even do nothing, in some cases, to help them thrive.
This could mean leaving fallen fruit on the ground as in August, some species will feed on the sugar inside discarded fruit. A chore such as weeding or mowing, you can cut down or cut out on as butterfly larvae like to feed on nettles, thistles, ragwort, mixed grasses, holly and ivy. If you can't give up your whole garden, you could just let the grass grow tall for the summer in one part of the garden.
Most importantly, pesticides badly damage pollinating insects, so by leaving this in the shed, it will really help butterflies have the best summer yet.

​These magnificent, prehistoric insects thrive during the summer especially around wetland areas. They particularly favour those with good water quality, as their nymphs grow underwater and require clear water in order to hunt. Various species enjoy different habitats, from fast flowing rivers to still ponds and bogs. This means there's a vast area to spot them, from the Jubilee River, the Thames or even in your garden, if you look carefully I'm sure they'll be about.
Now that you've seen one, how do you tell if it's a dragonfly or damselfly?
 One key difference is size, the damselfly will be smaller than a dragonfly - their names are a good reminder as a dragon will be larger than the damsel. 
 When they're resting, the damselfly will rest with its wings together and closed while the dragonfly will keep them stretched open.
Another clue is that I often see dragonflies fighting in the air with each other, damselflies are a lot more docile in that respect and don't engage in combat.
Now you've identified the type, working out which of the 57 species is the part that's even harder! If your memory is like mine, it's a little bit easier if you're able to photograph what you've seen, because then you can look it up and compare your photo. 
I use a range of reference books, but to save time I often use an app, websites - or a common species reference sheet.

  A few of our top wild sightings for June include:

• Bats
• Orchids
• Wildflower meadows

​Our top wild sightings for July include:

• Migrant birds nesting (e.g. swallows, swifts)
• Young water birds (e.g. swans)
• Butterflies

​Our top wild sightings for August include:

• Reptiles
• Dragonflies/Damselflies
•  Willow Warblers

As always, let us know what you find! Feel free to send us pictures via email or social media, we'd love to see. 

 The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey run by Butterfly Conservation, which is on from Friday 17th July to Sunday 9th August. The aim is to assess the health of our environment by counting the number of species of butterflies and moths that you see. It's so easy to do and only takes 15 minutes to pause and count. Not only is this a relaxing activity in the lovely weather we’ve been having, but it has really improved my identification skills! I found the long grass/flower patches near the Jubilee River was a fantastic location for a range of species, especially for Burnet moths! Make sure you log your results on the Big Butterfly Count website and feel free to share with us.

#BlackBotanistWeek took place between the 6th-11th July. This was the founding month for the celebration and their website states it was 'First organized in 2020 to promote, encourage, create a safe space for, and find more Black people (and BIPOC) who love plants!'
Furthermore, it details 'Black Botanists Week is a celebration of Black people who love plants. This plant love manifests in many ways ranging from tropical field ecologist to plant geneticist, from horticulturalist to botanical illustrator. We embrace the multiple ways that Black people engage with and appreciate the global diversity of plant life.'
 
It's a fantastic celebration but also it is desperately needed. From May 2020 National Statistics were released that stated 1 in 8 British households have no gardens. The percentage of homes without a garden is higher among ethnic minorities, with black people in England nearly four times as likely as white people to have no outdoor space at home. 
 
In June 2020, the Telegraph released an article exploring the under representation in horticulture. This included a look at Flo Headlam - Gardeners' World's first ever black presenter who started in 2017. This is nearly 50 years after the show first aired. 
 
In 2016, Juliet Sargeant won gold at the Chelsea Flower Show with her 'Modern Slavery' piece celebrating the day parliament passed The Modern Slavery Act in 2015. Juliet was the first black gardener to design a Chelsea display, since it first started 153 years ago in 1862. In an article for the Evening Standard, Juliet explained the need for diversity in horticulture. 
“I don’t come across any other black garden designers when I’m out and about. But that doesn’t mean black people aren’t interested in gardening and design."
“I think they do not culturally feel part of the horticultural scene. And you need confidence, a network of contacts and a sponsor to pull off something like a Chelsea show garden.”
Mrs Sargeant, a former chairwoman of the Society of Garden Designers, said: “There is a fabulous array of gardening programmes but they do tend to be very traditional white middle-class in their attitude towards gardening."
 
Therefore, the celebration of #BlackBotanistWeek is in fact, very overdue. If you'd like to diversify your social media here are a few botanists, gardeners and plant lovers to follow!
 
Black Botanist Team on Instagram:
 @t_marie_wms
 @nox_makunga
 @localecologist
 @Rk_ct
@morganhalane
@brandiaceae
@jadebleau
@flbigyear2020
@Beronda_M
 
Black Botanist Team on Twitter:
 @Itumeleng_M
 @botanytatyana
 @Glossopetalon

 When out and about exploring in the wild spaces around you, it is always exciting to spot something you've never seen before. For me, it was the blotched-winged honeysuckle sawfly (abia fasciata), pictured below. In the UK there are 27,000 types of insects, and many look very similar. As I have found, it's always good to have a pocket identification guide while out walking, as if you can't get a picture, it's easier to work it out there and then. However, I find with species such as flies and moths, it can take a very long time to identify them by book as many are very similar. Usually, when I am struggling I use Picture Insect App which you can use on Apple and Android phones. For this, you submit a photo of what you've seen and within seconds it identifies the insect and few other similar species. However, for once when I spotted this sawfly, it only appeared with similar species. If you also are struggling with identification, I recommend contacting the Royal Entomological Society as they replied to me with the exact correct species, the very next morning after I sent the email. Otherwise, the classic 'Collins Complete Guide to British Insects' is always a safe go to. 

Here's a few things to keep you busy while you're out sunbathing, travelling somewhere or have a quiet moment, here are a selection of our summer favourites. 
 
 Countryfile - Charlecote Park - BBC iPlayer
One of my favourite episodes of this summer - it includes the celebration of Nation Trust spaces reopening with a look at Charlecote Park, interviewing members in a working mill tackling the baking boom and a photography competition for an online livestock show. However, most importantly, they investigate the challenges members of the BAME community face while living in the countryside. It's an in depth look on something a lot of us will have taken for granted.
 
Out and About - Night Explorer
This is a part of the National Trust's book series 'Out and About'. This is intended for young adults and children, and is a colourful guide to over 100 insects, animals, birds and stars. In the link, you can buy this hardback from an independent book store in Country Durham for £6.99. 
 
 
Spotify Podcasts
 
Ologies - A  science and culture podcast by Alie Ward, is one of my favourites. It has a range of 'ologies' like microbiology, ornithology or felinology - to the very niche like gelotology (laughter) and teuthology (squids). Alie interviews experts on each topic and they're so easy to listen to while still being very informative. There's a lot of episodes, so I'm sure you'll find your interest. 
 
BBC Earth Podcast - These episodes are slightly more bitesize at around 30 minutes and suitable for all ages. The BBC Earth podcast dives deep into surprising stories from all around the world and even beyond with the episode 'The planet where it rains diamonds'. 
 
Black Nature Narratives - This podcast explores black perspectives on issues relating to the natural world and their relationships with nature. It's led by Beth Collier, the director of Wild in the City - a London based chairy supporting well-being through nature. She interviews a range of fascinating people such as Violet Matiru, a Kenyan zoologist and discusses issues such as the exclusivity of access to nature and environmental governance in Kenya.

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust have been in contact with a great article about bumblebees. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust are passionate about saving bumblebees and do this through research and projects. I'm sure many of you will love bumblebees just as much as I do, so this article gives a fantastic insight on what they're up to and how they're enjoying their summer, just like us. This article was written by Adrian Doble (Bumblebee Conservation Trust).
 
In some respects, bumblebees are more visible in the autumn because there are many more males about. They are produced towards the end of the season. They are not allowed back into the nest and so spend the nights outside, protected from the cold by their longer coats. They collect no pollen or nectar except as their own food and so laze about on flower heads, waiting for young females to come past. (It sounds familiar doesn’t it?) Some of them fly along specific scent-marked paths to look for “love”, different species flying at different heights.
 
One exception is the Tree bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum. These males hang around the entrance to a nest competing for the princesses as they emerge. This species arrived in the UK in 2001 and has successfully spread up to Scotland. It is unusual in that it nests above ground, taking advantage of holes in trees, bird boxes, and roof spaces. They have a ginger thorax, a black body, and a white tail. They can be seen from February to October. Their tongues are short and so they feed on shallow flowers such as those of orchard and ornamental fruit trees, Cotoneaster, and roses. Broods of up to 150 workers are produced. Part of the success of this species is that it appears to have no cuckoo bees that might commandeer the nests.

​ 
At this time of year, female bumblebees can be identified easily when the pollen sacs on their legs are loaded but not if they are only gathering nectar as this is carried internally. Even so, they never have time to rest. (Sounds familiar?)
 
The quality of pollen varies greatly from one plant species to the next and workers have to learn which to visit. The best are the clovers and vetches where the pollen is as high in protein as prime steak, and the protein is of high quality. This matters, because pollen from Dandelion, for example, is so poor that colonies fed exclusively on this produced no offspring.
 
The importance of members of the pea family was not recognised in the days when clover leys were part of annual crop rotation on farms but since they were replaced by monocultures of cereals, bumblebee species, particularly the long-tongued ones, have declined significantly. Furthermore, chemical fertilisers made the nitrogen-fixing property of clovers redundant. All members of the pea and bean family are very important in the projects designed to support pollinator species.
 
Currently, bumblebees are enjoying open-flowered Dahlia, Hollyhock, Cornflower, and Cosmos in our gardens, and Bugloss and Wild marjoram in the fields. When buying plants for pollinators, look to see if there are bees on them in the Garden Centres because some of the showier varieties have been bred to look good without producing pollen or nectar.

We are not alone! In case you're interested, have a look at some of our neighbouring wildlife conservation groups:
 
Wild Maidenhead
Wild Cookham
Wildlife in Ascot
Wild Marlow
Wild Eton and Eton Wick
 

​We are always pleased to see what you've all been getting up to and spotting on your daily walks. Thank you to all who posted pictures on our Facebook, even if it was an identification query, it's good to see what we have on our doorstep. Here are a few of our favourites!

​Many of you have had some exciting visitors in your gardens at home. It has been really encouraging to see, as well as a huge mood booster, as it's always fantastic to have nature so close.

Many fledglings will be out and about now, too. They can be difficult to identify sometimes as they will look different from their parents - for example, young robins are brown with speckled breasts. As a hint, if you watch carefully from a distance you may see the parent birds feeding them. Some fledglings may leave the nest before they can fly properly – if you find one, please don’t try to take it home as its parents will be nearby. Some birds spend a day or two on the ground before their feather development is complete. It is really best not to interfere most of the time as the parents will be close by and come to feed the bird as soon as it is safe. However, if the parents don’t return and the youngster has definitely been abandoned then please contact the RSPCA, your local vet or a local animal rescue centre. They have the expertise to help you. Look on a local lake or river for ducklings, goslings and cygnets. These young birds have to find their own food but their parents stay close and will brood them in cold or wet weather. You may even see young cygnets taking a rest by having a ride on their parent’s back. Great crested grebes also frequently carry their young in this way. Another important factor is that as many young birds are vulnerable on the ground right now, it's important to keep your dog on a lead when out walking. We have already had fatalities this year of dogs attacking freshly fledged jackdaws, so be aware and take care. 

Black Birding Week runs from May 31st to June 5th and is a chance to celebrate black scientists, scholars, and naturalists and to increase the visibility of black birders, who face unique challenges and dangers when engaging in outdoor activities. This is a new event that culminated on May 29th 2020 in direct response to a racially charged incident in Central Park. It is even more important in light of recent events of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and many, many others, that we must not remain silent to the prejudice that black people face on a daily basis.

Within the wonderful community we have of biologists, ecologists and wildlife lovers, we all have a right to feel safe and protected when doing what we love. We should have this right no matter what we're doing. It's important to recognise our privilege when it comes to this. I know, as a white woman, before I go out for a survey, to bird watch, to take pictures or to just enjoy the great outdoors, I will never ever have the looming worry of being a part of a racially charged attack. I can put on a hoodie and not think twice. I can, like many of you, enjoy doing what I love without fearing for my freedom or my life.

While, as white people, we will never understand what that feels like, we must be doing whatever we can to ease that fear. It’s important to be learning every day what we can do to make our wildlife groups and spaces safer for all minorities. So how can I help?

What you can read:
Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors - Carolyn Finney
Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Renni Eddo-Lodge 
If you want to support black authors, I recommend: 
 Mississippi Solo: A River Quest - Eddy L Harris - A travel writer
 Anything by Mélina Mangal - Specialising in children's books about nature - my favourite
 The Body of the World - Mary Moore Easter - Poetry rooted in justice and nature
 
 How you can donate:
 UK Black Lives Matter Fund
 Donate binoculars for black birders
 George Floyd Fund
Ahmaud Arbery Fund
 Breonna Taylor Fund
 
 What petitions you can sign:
 Here's a list

What you can watch: 
Netflix - The Hate You Give/ When They See Us/ 13th/ Dear White People
iPlayer - A Black and White Killing
YouTube - Bird Watching While Black/ Birds with Jason Ward
Travel YouTubers I recommend: 
Oneika the Traveller/ Gloria Atanmo
 
Who you can follow: 
Instagram:
@hood_naturalist + Twitter
@juitamartinez + Twitter
@theniceboulder
@afro_herper + Twitter
@jasonwardny + Twitter
@sciencewithtyus + Twitter 
@blackgirlsbird + Twitter
@blackgirlbirding

Twitter:
@Glossopetalon
@BlackOutdoors1
 
As always, please do your own research and do as much as you can to help. Please view this as a starter kit, rather than all you should do. Please send us any accounts/films/books or information, we haven't included as we're all still learning and we are all much stronger as a community.

As life isn't fully back on track yet, here are a section of our May favourites to keep you busy. 
​
Springwatch 2020
This one doesn't need much explanation! The crew have adapted fantastically to current distancing measures, and it's full of brilliant wildlife information as always. You can watch it here.
 
A Year in an English Garden: Flicker and Pulse
This is one for those budding botanists and garden enthusiasts. It is also really relaxing to listen to, even in the background while you're undertaking other tasks, so is suitable for all. This short film explores the relationship between the seasons and the plants and people who work within the walls of the garden. It was released in 2017, but a lot still is important for today - especially in the way gardening can bring us together. Definitely something to look forward to in the future. You can watch it here.

Countryfile Magazine - May Issue 164
This was a fantastic issue, including articles on how to photograph wildflowers, Mike Dilger studies on bats, list of the BBC’s 10 best audio nature shows and an array of information on fascinating species of insects. Obviously with the break of June, a new issue has been released which is full of just as interesting information, and is definitely worth a look to see if there's anything that you're taken by. If you don't have access to a local store, the magazines are available online and on the Kindle. 

Bee Quest by Dave Goulson
Dave Goulson is the type of author where you could pick up any of his books and not be disappointed. I have recently reread ‘Bee Quest’, which was published in 2017 but still relevant today as it enforces the notion of the responsibility we have to secure our future. Goulson has a fantastic love of nature, and within this book he travels all around the earth finding species of bees you may have never even heard of. It has definitely taught me a lot and is a must for any bee lover. You can buy it here from a bookstore that's committed to working with charities to improve literacy among young people. They partner with national literacy charities and a local primary school to engender a love of reading among pupils.

Within these past few months, I have seen a variety of different names for this pandemic. A few include the standard coronavirus, COVID-19, corona or ‘this thing going around’. However, by far my favourite is the commonly misspelled Corvid-19. This has been spotted in several shop window signs and out by parks. Even, when looking at Google trend statistics in England from the beginning of the year to now; the word ‘corvid’ has quadrupled in interest from February 29th to March 18th. This was four days before the UK went into lockdown, and I can imagine the searches were not due to a sudden national interest in birds.

It can be alarming due to the earlier mass confusion surrounding it, but now as shops are set to reopen in the near future, we can reflect on what we’ve learned. If you haven’t accidentally been searching for lockdown information and received pages of bird pictures, here’s what you’ve missed.
 
So first of all, most importantly, what is a corvid? Merriam-Webster defines this as any of a family (Corvidae) of stout-billed passerine birds including the crows, jays, magpies, and the raven. The RSPB elaborates on this by describing “their strong, scaly feet, and stout (or down curved) bills, mostly with a small patch of bristly feathers covering the nostrils”. Eight species breed in the UK, but there are many others around the world. These eight include the carrion crow, hooded crow, chough, jackdaw, jay, magpie, raven and rook.
 
Despite the feral pigeon, corvids are arguably the most overlooked birds, borderline pests to some people. Superstitions surround them also, for example - if you see 5 crows, sickness will follow; see 6 crows and death will follow or seeing one magpie will bring sorrow. However, this is obviously not the case, and I find corvids to be the most fascinating and intelligent group of birds. So, staying in theme, here’s unlucky 13 corvid facts that may persuade you otherwise.
  

1. Surprisingly, there are only four places with no corvids on earth. These include southern South America, the North and South pole and New Zealand.
2. Crows are able to recognise themselves and others. Many scientific tests, such as the one conducted by John Marzluff, display crows fantastic ability for memorising faces. During Marzluff’s study, they wore masks every time they went to catch and mark the crows. Soon, every time they entered wearing the masks, the crows could anticipate their moves and would swarm the researchers and attack them, as they recognised the faces. This was proven further, as when they entered wearing different masks or no masks, they were left alone.
3. This follows to my next point, that corvids are fantastic grudge holders. This was proven a decade after the initial research by Marzluff, the crows still remembered the masks and continued to attack them. It’s definitely best to never get on the wrong side of a crow.
4. One of the best things about corvids is that we don’t have to travel far to see one. Within urban areas they have adapted incredibly well, and solve problems very quickly. Crows have been seen to drop nuts with hard shells into the street and to wait for cars to come crack the shell before eating the contents. Similarly, rooks have used stones to manipulate water levels in tubes to retrieve food as well.
5. Corvids enjoy mimicking noises too, especially jays and magpies. This is shown on this years Springwatch where it shows a clip (21.37-23.34) of a jay mimicking over ten different birds. The function of this is unknown, but a few researchers have suggested that mockingbirds may use other species’ songs to guard territory, which seems like a good explanation. However, this possibility has never been thoroughly investigated.
6. Surprisingly, corvids have been known to act as foster parents. One example shown is from Cornell University, when they observed crow chicks whose parents died from the West Nile virus. The neighbouring crows took them into their nest and cared for them. However, crows are also known to eat fledgling birds, so aren’t the most reliable for fostering.

7. John Marzluff gives a Ted Talk that exhibits how well corvids solve problems, among many other things. Within this it shows the crows ability to mould and use tools to get what they want. This wasn’t just a fluke, as the crow was able to repeat this in 90% of the trials. Additionally, some types of crow use sticks as a means of digging food out of small holes in fallen branches.
8. Another behaviour similar to humans, is the fact they hold funerals. Within Dr. Marc Bekoff’s studies, he noted they have some interesting rituals to honour fallen friends. This proves that corvids are known to mourn their dead. In one study, Bekoff observed magpies gently prodding a dead magpie with their beaks before retrieving grass and laying it next to them. This common practise has been seen taking place in other corvids such as crows and ravens, too. There is some evidence to prove the presence of grief.
9. While it may be a common stereotype that magpies collect shiny objects, corvids have been known to give gifts too. One story of a girl regularly feeding the crows that would visit her garden, was soon rewarded. The crows started leaving small items for the girl in the feeder after they finished their meals. The gifts ranged from shiny objects to dead animals. It may not be scientific evidence, but more motivation to keep feeding them!
10. Corvids also have the ability to be paranoid. A study released in early 2016 found that ravens possess something known as the ‘Theory of Mind’ - the ability to recognise mental states within themselves, and understand that others have mental states, too, and that those mental states in others may differ from their own. An incredible thing for a bird to possess. These studied ravens liked to stash food for later, and were observed doing so more cautiously when other ravens were around.
11. Unlike many creatures, crows aren't driven purely by instinct. They can exercise self-control if the end result is a greater reward. A 2014 study devised a test based on the Stanford marshmallow experiment. The crows were given a snack and the option to trade if they were willing to wait. They could either receive a better quality snack or a higher quantity of the same snack. They preferred to wait until a better snack was on offer, but if it was more of the same, they wouldn’t. In some cases, they waited up to 10 minutes for a better snack. This showed that they were waiting because they wanted to - not because they were actually hungry.
12. Crows are able to gesture. Outside of primates, this means of communication had never been observed in another species - until researchers observed wild ravens doing it. Simone Pika and Thomas Bugnyar, found the ravens using their beaks like hands. They recorded 38 interactions between pairs of ravens, 25 of which involved the raven picking up an object and showing it to their companion, and 10 of which involved ravens offering an object to their companion. "These distinct gestures were mainly aimed at partners of the opposite sex. Subsequently, the ravens interacted with each other, for example, by joint manipulation of the object," the researchers quoted.
13. Ravens use social ostracism to punish others they view as being selfish. In a 2015 study, researchers from the University of Vienna gave ravens a task where they would only receive the reward if they cooperated. This included pulling on ropes to raise a platform which had two pieces of cheese, one for each raven. If one raven stole their companion's cheese, as well as their own, they were on the outs: the other raven would refuse to cooperate with them - but they would cooperate with other ravens who played fair.
 
* Feel free to contact us for any sources not mentioned.

We are not alone! In case you're interested, have a look at some of our neighbouring wildlife conservation groups:
 
Wild Maidenhead
Wild Cookham
Wildlife in Ascot
Wild Marlow
Wild Eton and Eton Wick

Despite it all, you have been keeping us all in high spirits with your fantastic village wildlife pictures this month on our Facebook. Our village is really thriving this spring, and as we can only spend a limited time outside, it's wonderful to see through little snippets on the internet. We always love to see what you discover on your daily exercise, so feel free to share! Here are a few of our favourites. ​

 A few of our top wild sightings for April include:

• The first bats are emerging from hibernation ready for Bat Appreciation Day on the 17th April. Look out for the UK's smallest - the pipistrelle and our largest, the noctule. Did you know - the pipistrelle can eat up to 3,000 midges in one night, which is a third of its body weight!
• As mentioned, millions of migrant birds will be flooding into Britain from south of the Sahara. Cuckoos, swallows, house martins and willow warblers arrive on the south and east coasts. Definitely time to start learning their calls and identifying features!

As always, let us know what you find! Feel free to send us pictures via email or social media, we'd love to see. 

Hedgehog Awareness Week is occurring this month from the 3rd to the 9th of May. Hedgehog Awareness Week is organised by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and takes place every year. It aims to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and how you can help them. For example, the BHPS selected a list of things you can do:
 

• Create a log pile that will offer shelter and food
• Build a Hedgehog Home
• Move piles of rubbish to a new site before burning it
• Check areas carefully before mowing or strimming
• Ensure netting is kept at a safe height
• Check compost heaps before digging the fork in
• Stop or reduce the amount of pesticides and poisons used
• Cover drains or deep holes
• Ensure there is an easy route out of ponds & pools

 
We also recommend keeping a hole in your fence for hedgehogs to pass through, when they're going from garden to garden. Access is critical for hedgehogs as on average, hedgehogs can roam 2km on a single night. Male hedgehogs in the breeding season can cover up to 3km in one night in their search of females! 

As many of you will be looking for things to do, in this new found free time, here are a selection of our April favourites. 
 
 
The British Garden: Life and Death on Your Lawn
You may have seen a Wild About Datchet Facebook post about this, as it’s definitely one of my favourites from this month. As it took a year to make, it's incredibly informative and insightful, in regards to what's going on in our gardens, all through the seasons. It has sections on all types of British flora and fauna, and includes activities suitable for all ages and abilities. It's full of expert advice and really worth the watch. You can watch it here.
 
 
Countryfile - Matt’s Home Patch - Episode 17
Countryfile is usually full of really interesting agricultural information, with segments from all over the UK. If you haven’t already, I would recommend having a watch, there’s loads to catch up on! However, they’re surprisingly still carrying on the series and taking all precautions. This episode I found particularly interesting, as it focuses on Matt Baker’s lock down activities where he creates a wildlife pond for his garden. It also features wildlife film-maker Jack Perks, who reveals the world beneath the surface of his already thriving garden pond. This family activity is a fantastic use of time during lock down, and is really beneficial for your garden’s biodiversity. You can watch it here.
 
 
Something in a Cardboard Box: Tales from the Wildlife Hospital - Les Stocker
One of our nearby wildlife hospitals is St.Tiggywinkles in Aylesbury. Akin to Mrs.Tiggywinkles, the famous Beatrix Potter character, this hospital is an absolute saviour if you find a hedgehog needing emergency care. It was started 40 years ago by the Stocker family in their back garden, and they have treated over 300,000 patients of all different types. This book details exactly how this happened and the origins of the hospital! It’s a heartwarming read and full of wonderful pictures, it’s a fantastic purchase for any animal lover. You can purchase it here for £3.99 - from an eco-friendly company saving books from landfill.
 
 
Wildlife Wednesday: How to identify birds from their songs!
Another video mentioned on our Facebook, is a YouTube video from The Wildlife Trust, helping you identify bird calls. It’s a really useful free tool that you can listen to on your daily walk or in the garden. As mentioned last month, the dawn chorus is happening, so it’s the perfect time to learn and exercise your knowledge. You can watch here.

COVID-19 and Wildlife 
 
Undoubtedly, animals have played a huge part in the pandemic but it feels as though we have never felt more disconnected from them. Conservation experts say the coronavirus pandemic, which may have originated at a market selling wild animals in China, is a turning point for curbing the global wildlife trade. So how has this pinnacle statement magnified to the public what effect we have on the planet?
 
In a vast amount of countries, buying and consuming exotic game is a sign of status and wealth. The desire for wildlife as food or medicine drives a multi-million dollar trade in wild animals, some gained illegally, creating a breeding ground for disease and the chance for viruses to leap to humans. This is due to wild mammals carrying diseases that can cross the species barrier.
 
However, many of us have been on the side of banning wildlife trade and poaching, for decades. As in 2011, we saw the Western Black Rhinoceros driven into extinction and in the next decade, we could see the elephant and the Sumatran tiger follow suit. I’m sure most of you could agree the difficulty in seeing a change in government when it comes to wildlife and conservation.
 
Although now, real changes could be made. Recently, in the wake of the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China introduced a ban on all farming and consumption of live wildlife, which is expected to become law later this year. Thousands of wildlife farms raising animals such as porcupines, civets and turtles have been shut down. This news is positive, but the spotlight cannot be just on China, as we often forget this is a global issue. In the UK, for example, some trade in elephant ivory is still legal.
 
Nevertheless, there is still a silver lining through all of this. Recently, we have seen wildlife being wild again; a really fascinating and heartwarming result.

Even though most animals enjoy the freedom, we mustn't forget that a large number of creatures do rely on humans to survive. When you’re on your daily walk, if you’re able feed the ducks/swans safely, please do. Similarly, your garden can be a hot spot for birds, hedgehogs, foxes and badgers, who will all be needing food due to less waste being left on the streets from food chains. So if you’re able, feeding wildlife can be really useful during this time.
 
It has also been proven that we can make the changes towards a better future. According to The Climate Group, working from home has the potential to reduce over 300 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year. Similarly, it has been reported that air quality has improved immensely in both Italy and China since residents have been staying home. According to China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, "the average number of "good quality air days" increased by 21.5% in February, compared to the same period last year." As China is the largest polluter in the world, this is good news, as it could potentially measure to an estimated 200 million tonnes.
 
But banning the wildlife trade is something we can all agree on, the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, states that "Not only will this help prevent the spread of disease, it will address one of the major drivers of species extinction," something we must push before it’s too late.

​As this month included the Spring Equinox on the 21st March, it signals many beginnings and awakenings. You may have been softly awoken recently, as many birds are launching into song as they defend their territories and sing to attract a mate. This is the perfect time, as they can attract a mate without allowing predators to see them. The very first singers of the season are robins and great tits but the upcoming peak time to enjoy the dawn chorus will be May and June.
 
The very first birds begin to sing about an hour before the sunrise. If you listen closely, you may notice that there's a regular order, with some species starting before others. Among the earliest to rise are skylarks, song thrushes, robins and blackbirds. Later, starts wrens and warblers as these smaller birds, are perhaps more sensitive to the coldness of dawn and feed on insects that themselves appear later in the morning.
 
There is another chorus at dusk, which is considerably quieter. Though some birds, like sparrows and blue tits seem to prefer to sing at this time of day. It may also be a preference to listen to this for us too, as it means spending more time in bed in the morning! 

Many of you may have seen the fantastic Guardian article, celebrating the work, our founder Hannah, has been working on. This explained Heal Rewildings aims, including planning to buy ecologically depleted land across Britain and giving it back to nature. This will be really beneficial in today's climate, as a large amount of land goes to waste that has lots of wildlife potential. 
 
As a main mission, in many of these projects, is spreading knowledge, Heal will also provide education and accommodation. Another natural resource and benefit is that they are reintroducing semi-wild grazers such as pigs, ponies, longhorn cattle and deer to sustain a mosaic of grassland, scrub, wooded areas and possibly wetland zones that will together support a richer mix of species. Which is also a real treat to see in your local area!
 
It will also be right on your doorstep, as Heal Rewilding will seek former farms, green belt or lower-grade land where wildlife can recover. The sites will be within easy reach of large towns and cities to benefit more people. So, not only does it benefit the earth and the biodiversity, it'll be a really good mood booster for us, in a rather grey time, to see spaces thriving so well, full of green and life. 
 
To find out more check out their website and Twitter. Despite most of the country coming to a stop, their passion to re-wild our earth hasn't, and yours shouldn't either! Please research their work and get involved.

Passing Time in Quarantine
  
Since lockdown, most of us have found ourselves with a lot more free time than usual. So what can we spend our time doing?
 
 One of my favourite activities, is to just open the window or sit in the garden, to listen to the birds. This is a great time to get to learn different bird calls, so you'll be able to identify them later in the year. If you're in a position where you can't do this, the RSPB have a fantastic site, linked here, which is the Birdsong Radio. It's fantastic to relax and reduce stress and learn along the way. To help identify them, here's an easy website that shows each song. Good luck!
 
Quarantine can also be a great time to brush up your identifying skills. The BTO, have one for birds, with videos. Here is an extensive and fantastic guide to spotting and identifying mammals. It is of great comfort to know that the earth is slowly repairing itself as we stay indoors, and it will still be there, once this is over. We will, hopefully, also be much more knowledgeable and ready to spot all the rest of the year has to offer!
 
Another thing, is to continue to feed the birds and provide water, if you're able to. This is an important time, as they're setting up nests and mating, and need all the supplies they can. A good activity to do during the day, especially with children, is making your own bird food. For example, making feeders out of oranges and pine cones, can be really fun and easy. There are a variety of recipes you can find online, to match with what you have in your home. As weather has been rising, its better to save fat balls until cooler days, as they can quickly go rancid in the heat. Similarly, butterflies will also benefit from a feeder including some sweet treats! I'm sure there will always be a creature to create a feeder for, being inventive is the key. 
 
If you have a garden or a space of your own, building habitats can be a really fun activity for all ages. From reptile rockeries, nest boxes, hedgehog hideouts and simple log piles - all are crucial and very beneficial. Even if it's too late for hibernation, it's good to have on hand for creatures to take refuge in on colder days. 
 
Another good activity that's cheaper than buying a trail cam and will keep you updated with what's going on in your garden - is building a footprint trap. This shows what mammals have visited your garden during the night, and will also vastly improve your identifying skills too, for when we all can all get outside again! Another fun activity for all the family - if you have any good finds, feel free to send us pictures and details, we'd love to know!
 
Another skill to brush up on is art, a seemingly common hobby with a love for nature. Through this, you could do leaf or flower pressings, and brush up your identifying skills. Bark rubbings can also be fun for younger ones, to appreciate all the different patterns that can soon turn into a work of art. Similarly, for the more experienced, it may be a challenge to draw and identify different feathers or even eggs you come across on your daily exercise or within your garden. Just make sure you leave them be and aren't disturbing any wildlife! Keeping a nature journal of all your findings can be very educational and useful to write in and reflect on. 
 
While staying indoors, keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook page - Wild About Datchet - for activities and updates soon! As always, any questions or things you'd love to share, feel free to contact us on any of our social medias, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or email wildaboutdatchet@gmail.com. 

What a success the Pub Quiz night was! We are so grateful to all of you who attended and those who donated, as we managed to raise over £100 for our future projects and tools. Congratulations to Datchet Cray, our winning team and a huge thank you to Georgie, our quizmaster, for helping it all come together! ​

​As stated in the previous newsletter, last month held the National Nestbox Week 2020. If you took part or had yours up earlier, now is an important waiting game. It is very important to completely leave them alone now until September, as any disturbances can mean a bird won't feel safe enough to nest there. Similarly, if you feel you do have residents in your nest boxes, or anywhere else e.g. inside your shed, please don't try and get too close, if you can help it. Birds are fascinating we can all agree, but if they have hatched and you disturb them, they can practise a technique called 'exploding'. This is where all the chicks will launch themselves out of the nest. This is a predator-avoidance mechanism designed to ensure not all the chicks are found and eaten. Once chicks have scattered in this way it is extremely difficult to replace them in the nest. Installing a camera in the nest box helps avoid this issue as you can admire from a safe distance away. If you do find a chick you suspect to be injured/abandoned, watch carefully - if the parents don’t return and it has definitely been abandoned then please contact the RSPCA, your local vet or a local animal rescue centre. They have the expertise to help and advise you about sick and injured birds and animals.

​As previously mentioned last month, it is a crucial time for foxes right now. The nightly calling and screeching should have died down around now, as hopefully, many vixens will be pregnant. Due to this, many will also be looking for potential den spaces, so please be careful, as they may use spaces near sheds/greenhouses in your garden and it's important not to disturb them. This is because red foxes gestate (are pregnant) for 52 days (around 7 and a half weeks/just under two months), so cubs will be born towards the end of this month.

Similarly, badgers too are breeding and having cubs around this time of year, but it's more difficult to notice as it usually all happens underground. The reason why these creatures give birth at such a difficult time, is so the cubs will emerge in late spring/early summer when food is abundant and they can thrive. However, one unique fact about the badger is that they're superfetatious. This means they can conceive while pregnant, meaning last month was also still the breeding season for them. The resulting embryos are suspended in the womb until the following winter. Badgers can carry embryos fertilised at different times of the year and yet give birth to the cubs at the same time to, hopefully, coincide with times of environmental plenty. ​

​One concerning issue is that this time of year birds are starting to become quite territorial. Due to this, you may witness a blue tit or others tapping on your window or other reflective objects such as car wing mirrors/hub caps. From inside, it may seem as though it's trying to get in, but it is in fact attacking its own reflection! This is a fairly common territorial behaviour as birds claim, and then defend, their breeding territory.
It can be almost reassuring as the bird has probably chosen its nest site nearby, and seeing its reflection in the window it thinks that another bird is intruding and tries to drive it away by pecking at it - but there is no real danger and this is normal behaviour.
 
Unfortunately, on brighter days, glass reflects the sky or surrounding greenery and birds fly straight at them. To avoid this, a simple solution is to use decals. Putting stickers, sun catchers, masking tape, or other objects (even sticky notes) on the outside surface of the window. These are only effective when spaced very closely. Note that hawk silhouettes do little to deter birds. Remember: placing just one or two window stickers on a large window is not going to prevent collisions—they must cover most of the glass with the spaces between too narrow for birds to fly through. Alternatively, Acopian Bird Savers. Also known as “zen curtains,” these closely spaced ropes hang down over windows. They do the work of decals but are easier to install and can be aesthetically pleasing. You can order them to fit your windows or make your own. Also, using screens as installing mosquito screens over your windows is very effective, as long as they are on the outside of the window and cover the entire surface.
 
This doesn't apply to just spring, as deaths happen all year round, even at night. So be aware and take precaution!

Many insects are now appearing and we should be seeing the 7-spot ladybird, the common wasp and the red-tailed bumblebee. This is always weather dependant, and as the Woodland Trust have warned, in early February, that warmer winters and increasingly erratic weather is causing confusion among Britain's wildlife, putting some at risk, we may have a lot of earlier sightings than normal.
 
March is also commonly a good planting month as the soil is starting to warm up and plants are still largely dormant and don’t mind being moved. If you have space, you could consider planting a shrub or group of shrubs to attract birds through the year. Similarly, nectar-rich flowers will attract many flying insects, including butterflies.
 
March signals the start of the birds migration back into the UK for multiple species. Whether you’re in your back garden, out on the rec or elsewhere for a walk, you’ll notice emerging birdsong from species like chiffchaffs, sand martins, wheatears and more. With the warmer weather starting to come through too, March is the perfect time of year for the avid bird watcher. If you're interested, the British Trust for Ornithology have a tracking project for cuckoos - click the link to see more! It follows their journey each year and gives regular updates. 

​Lost vegetation, deforestation and legislation - what's affecting our wildlife the most?
 

One of the most topical and obvious wildlife concerns is deforestation. We are always reminded to be conscious of our paper use and to make small efforts ourselves, but what is the government doing to help?

Within the EU, the EU Timber Regulation was approved by the European Parliament and Council in 2010. It entered into force on March 3, 2013 and prohibits the placing of illegally sourced wood products on the European market. Quite obviously though, this does not focus on a reduction of logging, just a conversion to legal forest products.
 
More recently, according to a 2019 report, the historic global agreement aimed at halting deforestation has failed. An assessment of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) says it has blatantly failed to deliver on key pledges. This declaration was launched at the 2014 UN climate summit. It aimed to half deforestation by 2020, and halt it by 2030.
 
Yet obviously, deforestation continues at an alarming rate. A critique of the declaration, compiled by the NYDF Assessment Partners (a coalition of 25 organisations), painted a bleak picture of how the world's forests continue to be destroyed. Charlotte Streck, the director of Climate Focus, has argued that deforestation has not only continued, but accelerated over the past five years.
 
For a visual perspective, on average, an area of forest, the size of the United Kingdom, was lost every year between 2014 and 2018. Tropical forest loss accounts for more than 90% of global deforestation, with the hot spot being located in Amazon nations of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
 
As distressing as it is, one of the worst parts is how out of our control it feels. So we must apply this same passion to our work at home. When we are stripping away our vegetation, using our garden strimmers and lawn mowers, when we are burning discarded wood piles and debris - are we considering the wildlife?

On the 26th of February, Romsey Hedgehog Rescue was dealing with their fifth strimmer victim of the month. They stated "All of these hedgehogs were butchered whilst nesting under hedges and in undergrowth. 3 of them spent several days suffering the sort of agony that most of us can only imagine; before being found and brought to me. All five suffered fatal wounds." Graphic pictures were also listed, so be warned if you research yourself. However, it really does bring home the importance of being aware of what wildlife is on our doorstep. It may not be as severe as deforestation, but it has very similar consequences to the wildlife within.
 
This brings us back to the point at looking at what the government are doing. As previously mentioned, the legislation present makes little impact and gives little incentive for people to follow. So when at home, it's worth considering - is your local council stripping verges bare? Are they exposing habitat and devastating hedgerows? Take some time to notice what is around you, and consider what we can do to save it.

Upcoming Events
 
 Wild About Datchet Pub Quiz, 3rd February 7:30-9pm - The Stag Pub
 
We're having another quiz! Come down to The Stag for a cosy evening of questions, food, drink and fun! We hope to raise funds to help us with all of our upcoming work in 2020. Entry is £2 and there are fantastic prizes to be won! There will be a range of topics, such as general knowledge and music, so there's something for everyone. We hope to see you all there!

2020 Community Meeting
 
Thank you to everyone who came out to The Bridge on the 27th of January, to discuss future plans for us in 2020. It was exciting to hear such a range of ideas and potential projects. Don't worry if you couldn't make it, please feel free to contact us via social media and email - wildaboutdatchet@gmail.com if you have any ideas! We'd love to hear what environmental changes you would like to see in your local area. 

What's Wild Last Month
 
January held the annual Big Garden Birdwatch 2020, where many of you took part in spending an hour counting the visitors to your garden. It was lovely to hear your results and pictures of what you saw! Don't worry if you missed it, it's still just as important now to fill up your birdfeeders and set out water.  Also remember to log your results on the RSPB website as you have up until 16th Februrary, or 11th Februrary if you're sending them by post. 
 
Also in January, you may have heard some unsettling screeching of the foxes throughout the night. Foxes scream and bark to communicate with each other and this becomes more common during mating season, which is at its peak in January. This only happens once a year though, and the cubs will usually be born around late March - which we will be looking forwards to! 
 
A few of our top wildlife sightings for January include:

• Snowdrops - these have already been spotted appearing in the local area
•  Linnet -  small finches that gather in large flocks in winter. They're on the British Trust for Ornithology’s red list as a bird of conservation concern as the population in the UK has fallen in the last few decades.
•  Footprints in snow and frost - No snow yet, but on cold, frosty days head out early and see if you can spot animal prints on the ground. 

As always, let us know what you find! Feel free to send us pictures via email or social media, we'd love to see. 

What's Wild This Month
 
This month holds National Nest Box Week from the 14th-21st February. So make sure you're prepared! It's time to be cleaning out your nestboxes and making sure they're ready for new visitors. Make sure your nestboxes are away from predators access and high winds. If you are already prepared, feel free to put your nest boxes up as early as possible, as birds are already courting and looking for potential nesting spaces. Don't forget plenty of food and water nearby!
 
As previously mentioned, birds are courting this month. So how can we tell? Grey herons, which are commonly spotted around Datchet, will put on a courting dance. The male will stretch his long neck upwards and then lower it over his back with the bill pointing upwards. Similarly, you can also spot great crested grebes during their courting ritual. The males and females will mirror each other on the water, diving down and rising up in perfect unison. Seemingly common today, great crested grebes were once very endangered in the UK. Historically they were hunted for their soft feathers which were used a substitute for fur and elaborate head feathers which were used to decorate women’s hats.
 
If you are lucky enough to have a pond in your garden, you may have noticed a plethora of early frog spawn. As frogs breed much earlier than toads, this month is the perfect time to see the beginning of a frogs life, right from your pond. If you don't have any, remember to never introduce frog spawn from elsewhere, wait until frogs find your pond and create their own. This spectacle, I'm sure, will motivate many of us to build our own ponds this year!
 
Even though toads breed later in the spring than frogs, this February, you should see them start to return to their breeding areas. Some toads have to cross roads to reach the ponds. Wild Marlow have been helping Henley Toad Patrol with putting up barriers in front of busy roads! To see more of this fantastic work, see the end of the newsletter for Wild Marlows details. 

World Wild News
 
The 25th of January was Chinese New Year. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2020 is the year of the metal rat. The rat is the first in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac. So, what does this mean? And how do rats affect us?
 
For the Chinese Zodiac, in the terms of yin and yang, the Rat is yang and represents the beginning of a new day. Similarly, in Chinese culture, rats were seen as a sign of wealth and multitude. Due to their frequent reproduction rate, married couples also prayed to them for children. 
 
In terms of wildlife, 81 million rats reside in the UK. Those figures would mean that there are 1.3 rats per person in the country. Meaning, they are completely unavoidable, as hard as we may try. Non-domesticated rats are much less favourable, and it is understandable to not want them in our living areas. However, we strongly advise to never use poison to try and rid yourself of rats. This is because, it is never always rats that consume the poison - household pets may find it. Secondly, rats have toughened against poisons used in the 70s, so poisons today are more toxic and stay in creatures' livers for longer. Rats that have eaten bait survive for several days before they die. This means they can get disorientated, stay out in the open, and become a prime target for birds of prey or even polecats. This means, once consumed by the bird of prey, the poison has then entered their system too. 
 
Often spotted around Datchet, it may beg the question of why are they there? You may find that efforts to get rid of rats are stronger but more futile, as we are not looking at preventing beforehand. It is very important to keep clean up spills of foods, rubbish and debris close to buildings so that they don’t have a ready source of food next to shelter. Understandably, this can be difficult with foxes opening bins, but a lot of litter in the local area can be prevented. Hotspots such as Tesco Express or the two fish and chip shops, can bring a lot of rodents due to the frequent litter. Similarly, in our own gardens, don't forget to regularly clean your bird feeders and any food left out for hedgehogs, foxes or badgers as rats will consume all. An ethical and clean approach is much more beneficial to helping our local rodent population. 
 
 
This year, we would love to get the local community involved in a litter pick or 'adopt a street' programme to keep the village clean and tidy. Please feel free to get in contact with us to tell us what you think and what dates work best for you. We can't wait to hear from you! 

​Thanks Churchmead for mentioning us in your newsletter (below). Hopefully we can work together on projects in the future!

​Wild Talks Evening
 
It was so lovely to see everyone come out again on the 7th of November to listen to a few Wild Talks. Here is a small recap of what you heard or what you missed!
 
First, Jamie Neaves spoke about his time in Madagascar and the wildlife that it holds. Similarly, he detailed the well-intentioned conservation efforts of the locals that unfortuately had damaging effects on the turtles. This taught an important lesson about being educated before interfering with nature, this is something we could remember in Datchet too!
 
Next, PhD student Ed Straw talked to us about his work studying the effect of herbicides (e.g. Roundup) on bees. Through extensive research displayed in graphs and tables, Ed explained the detrimental effects that Roundup has in all concentrations and quantities to bees. So far there is no safe alternative that is as effective as Roundup, however Ed is continuing his research into this. We hope to hear more at a future event!
 
Lesley from CESA - Climate Emergency in the Sunnings and Ascot talked to us about the CESA's new clean energy campaign! CESA is now affiliated with The Big Clean Switch, a programme which makes it easy it is for us all to switch to green, clean and affordable energy suppliers. To get involved - click here.
Finally, Rupert and Henry spoke to us about conservation grazing and the work that they do. This sparked an interesting debate about agricultural carbon emissions - this low-intensity form of farming benefits both the climate and our health. It was unanimously decided that the food (particularly meat) that we consume needs to be produced more sustainably. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to this, but eating higher quality local meats or cutting out meat completely are the best options for reducing your agricultural carbon footprint.

Practical Volunteer Day - Creating a Wildflower Meadow 
 
There was a cracking effort from our volunteers on the 23rd of November! 11 of us helped create a mini wildflower patch. There was a lot of digging and hard work so big thanks to all for coming!
Thanks also to the Barker Bridge House Trust & Datchet Parish Council for their support which financed the tools and materials for this task.
Hopefully, in the spring time we will see the fruition of all the hard work done, with a thriving wildflower meadow. The local wildlife will be very grateful and hopefully we can bring in even more biodiversity!

​St Nicholas Fayre 
 
It was great to see so many people getting involved in our Nature Grotto on the 30th of November! If you missed this one, we were getting messy creating pinecone bird feeders and giving out bird seed mix. If you'd like to make these at home, you will need:
 
Pine or fir cones (dried out so they don't open)
Bird seed
Raisins
Peanuts
Grated cheese
Suet or lard
A mixing bowl
Scissors
String
 
To make:
 
1. Make your bird mix. Allow the lard to warm up to room temperature, but don't melt it. Then cut it up into small pieces and put it in the mixing bowl.
 2.Add the other ingredients to the bowl. Mix them together with your fingertips or a spoon until the fat holds the squidgy mess together.
3. Now group your cones together and loop the string around the top of them. Then pack the sticky bird mix around the cones with your hands, creating a ball shape.
4. Put your cones in the fridge to set for an hour or so. After that, they'll be ready to hang up and are bound to bring the birds flocking!

#WADvent
 
As Christmas is approaching, Wild About Datchet are counting down this advent with a daily post to inform or to get you involved with the wildlife around you this winter! If you have any ideas or winter wildlife pictures, please let us know or tag us, on Instagram @wildaboutdatchet /Twitter @WildDatchet or Facebook 'Wild About Datchet'. We look forwards to hearing from you all!

Wildlife Gardening Evening
 
Thank you to all who attended the Wildlife Gardening Evening! The feedback we gained has been lovely. We're so glad to hear that people learned many new things and went home with fresh ideas about how to create a more wildlife-friendly garden!
 
Thank you all so much for coming to support us, including our friends at:
- CESA - Climate Emergency Sunnings & Ascot
- Wild Maidenhead
- Wild Cookham 
- Swan Support
- Windsor and Maidenhead Conservation Volunteers 
- Flowerz 
- Volunteers from Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust
- Datchet Village Society ​

​Halloween Heroes
 
Wild About Datchet are supportive of all creatures big and small, and this Halloween we wanted to shed a light on many injustices! Many of these are seen as traditional Halloween creatures as their appearance and behavior lend themselves perfectly to the eerie atmosphere that Halloween inspires. However, many of these have been permanently demonized, where people are still killing spiders and rats in their homes, due to fear. Here, I hope to shed some light onto why these amazing creatures deserve a second chance.

​Spiders
 
Spiders are something I prefer to admire from a distance. With around 3,500 named species of spiders worldwide and 650 species within the UK, they're difficult to avoid and can sometimes prove deadly. So why give these tiny intruders a break?
 
Spiders deliver many benefits to our ecosystems and inside our homes. For example, spiders like to feast on pesky insects, like cockroaches, aphids, moths, and earwigs, which help keep their population in check. This also helps alleviate the spread of diseases and the destruction of farmland crops. 
 
Norman Platnick, an arachnid scientist at the American Museum of Natural History, shared, "If spiders disappeared, we would face famine." 
 
One spider can eat 2,000 insects in one year. This can help stop spread of diseases to us and our pets, by the decline of fleas and mosquitoes.

Maggots
 
Maggots are truly interesting creatures. Undoubtedly foul and even I could not be convinced to spend any sort of time around them - but they are absolutely nature's unsung heroes. 
 
For one, they can help solve crimes. Establishing the time of death is a core part of a murder investigation. So therefore, the time of colonization (from the flies landing to laying eggs) helps forensic entomologists accurately assess the time. This is because by noting the various species present and age of the maggot offspring, it's possible to determine the minimum amount of time that's passed since death. 
 
They are also very beneficial for helping hospital patients too. Maggots used in debridement therapy is an FDA-approved treatment, where they feed exclusively on rotting flesh. The dead or infected tissue of a wound is cleared out so the healthy wound can close as they leave healthyflesh alone. Maggots can also help lessen inflammation by suppreessing a part of the body's immune system response. 

Toads
 
Often depicted as covered in warts and slimy, the toad has been a popular choice for Halloween demonization. When in fact, they have dry skin and no warts but paratoid glands instead, that produce toxins that protect them from predators. 
 
They are also fantastic (all natural) pest control. They feed on beetles, slugs, crickets, flies, ants and other invertebrates. Larger toad species even eat small rodents and snakes. 
 
 The toad's skin is very absorbant to things like pollutants, so if you have toads in your garden, it's a very good sign! This means that you live in an area with  clean air. 
 
 Also, they are harmless to the human, as long as it isn't ingested - make sure your pets know this too! So why not create a home for them? You can do this by placing your new toad home in a shady spot near a water source. Maybe half-bury a large flowerpot on its side or tip a flowerpot upside down and prop one side up with a few rocks to create an entrance. Even easier, you could gather flat rocks and build a toad-sized house with them.
 
So this Halloween, it doesn't matter if you're not dressed as a witch, befriending a toad is beneficial for everyone.

​Bats
 
Luckily, it seems bats have survived the negative press given by centuries of vampire legends, and are still loved by the general public. But if not, why should we? 
 
Well, some bats in the UK are known as an 'indicator species'. This means that if the bat populations fluxuate then it indicates changes in certain biodiversity aspects and can highlight bigger issues.  
 
Surprisingly, they are also incredible pollinators. Over 500 plant species are known to rely on bats to pollinate their flowers. So, the next time you eat a mango or drink some tequila, you can thank the bats!
 
They also pay a very important part in seed dispersion and regrowth after forest clearance. This is done by spreading the seeds of trees and other plants. Some tropical fruit bats carry seeds inside them as they digest the fruit, then excrete the seeds far away from the original tree - thus promoting regrowth.
 
Whatever would we do without our bats?

​Rats
 
One of the nations most hated pests, I truly believe deserves a second chance. Many people turn to traps or poison, which can cause severe secondary poisoning for owls, kites and kestrels when they consume prey that has ingested the bait. This damage to the ecosystem can be prevented in a few ways, such as, by adequately covering compost bins and by not over-stocking bird feeders as this brings the rats to you.
 
 Unlike the UK, many civilisations like rats. In India, at Rajastan's famous Karni Mata Temple, around 20,000 rats can be found. Many Hindus travel great distances to pay their respects to the kabbas (holy animals) that guard the shrine. This is because they believe them to be reincarnations of the deity's tribespeople. In China, the rat is one of the 12 members of the animal zodiac. People born in the year of the rat are said to have qualities of creativity, honesty, generosity and ambition.
 
They also serve a huge part in our ecosystem, as they are scavengers and opportunistic eaters. They will eat garbage and all the other food waste thrown away. Without rats, our food chain would be severely damaged - losing a food source for a lot of our favourite birds and even some snakes.
 
Rats are also incredibly smart. They can smell stereoscopically, which means that in a darkened room they can tell whether food is on the left or right of their nose within 50 thousandths of a second. 
 
A neuroscientist has even uncovered evidence that rats "laugh". When happy, they emit a series of ultrasonic chirps, similar to children. Their ability to feel happiness is also proved by their way of purring when content while being held. And many owners will agree, that they make fantastic pets - domesticated rats, that is.

Seasonal Advice
 
Reusing Pumpkins
Now the Halloween fun is over, why not reuse those pumpkins to help the wildlife? You can do this by creating your own bird feeder to help them in these colder times. To do this:
1. Cut the pumpkin in half.
2. Scoop out the seeds, leaving a hollow inside with 1/2-inch thick shell wall.
3. Insert two sticks across the open pumpkin to create perches for the birds.
4. Knot two lengths of rope together at the center and tack the knot to the bottom of the pumpkin feeder. Hang the other ends of the rope in your chosen feeder location.
5. Fill with birdseed.
 
Good luck!
 
Bonfire Night
If you've constructed your log pile a while in advance, please thoroughly check it before lighting. This is a popular habitat for hedgehogs and other wildlife, who may be sleeping iside. Ideally, you should be constructing your bonfire on the day of the event and providing barriers around it to prevent any hedgehogs entering. Instead, consider building a hedgehog home that they can stay in this winter, that won't be a part of the bonfire festivities. 
 
Messy Garden
 This autumn, consider leaving your leaves! Raking leaves away can be very detrimental to your gardens ecosystem. This is because butterflies begin in leaves, as larvae.
Those brown, dead leaves are the planet’s butterfly nursery. They’re home to butterfly larvae and worms. Additionally, leaf litter is where many species of butterflies and moths reside as pupae. Animals like toads, shrews and salamanders benefit from leaf litter to hide and hunt, too. This autumn, let your rake collect dust only!

For a village smaller than Datchet, Eton Wick have surely been putting in a massive effort to clear and enhance their green spaces for their residents. This is shown by the picture to the left, which has captured Eton Wick Waterways Group and local volunteers clearing up on the Boveney near the recreaction ground. This is some fantastic work that will benefit the river's wildlife and the village all year round, especially during flood season. If you would like to get involved, email  info@etonwickwaterways.com

Similarly, they are working hard on land too. A group of volunteers and one helpful pup, Bear, spent the day clearing up the whole of the newly mowed section of the recreation ground near the Boveney Ditch, as well as the section of the Tow path from the wooden bridge up to the lock .
 
We would love to do something similar in Datchet, so please get in contact if you would be interested in participating or have any ideas where it would be most effective.​