Our Nature Reserve is already home to a wide range of incredible local and national wildlife, and with our recent expansion we hope to see even more incredible species visit the site. The Nature Reserve has also provided a boost to British wildflowers, as they’re important to healthy habitats but sadly, one-in-five of Britain’s wildflowers is threatened with extinction.
Trevor Dines is also a Botanical Specialist at Plantlife; below he tells us why wildflower meadows are so important:
HERE ARE SOME OF OUR HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NATURE RESERVE SINCE WE EXPANDED IT IN MAY
So far in the coronation meadow we’ve found more than 70 types of native plant!
Black tailed skimmer dragonflies have also appeared for the first time at the zoo near one of our new ponds!
The kingfisher has been seen regularly fishing for sticklebacks from our new viewing hide.
This spring we’ve planted more than 400 more native shrubs and trees including the rare wild service tree and alder-buckthorn for brimstone butterfly caterpillars.
We’ve also spotted a family of foxes playing, badgers foraging and stoats skulking through the hedgerows!
The bare patches in the new meadow are perfect for the green-tiger beetle too – which is another first for the Nature Reserve!