1 week to go until our #Accrington EcoFest 2025! With live music, street performers, food trucks and more, it is sure to be the best celebration of #environmental action in #Hyndburn!
A #free, #familyfriendly event for anyone to take part in, join us in Accrington's town centre 10am-3pm.
#TheGreatBigGreenWeek starts tomorrow! Check out their site to look for eco events being held across the UK! www.greatbiggreenweek.com/events_calen...
Our week of green activities is being capped off with #Accrington EcoFest 2025, the ultimate celebration of environmental action in #Hyndburn!
EcoFest 2025 poster
Accrington EcoFest is back for its fourth year! The free, family-friendly event which showcases all things green and environmentally friendly will be held on Broadway in Accrington Town Centre on Sat 14th June 2025, 10am - 3pm. Visit our website to find out more: prospectsfoundation.org.uk/eco-fest/
Rob Blanken
Brimstone lift-off day with temperature touching 17'C in Yorkshire. For the majority of us a Brimstone will be our first butterfly of the year. I was lucky enough to spot two at the Yorkshire Butterfly reserve at Shipley Station while advising on improving the meadow. Comma comes in at second place
Drinker Caterpillar
Adult Drinker Moth
#MothMonday
We'll be keeping our eyes out for Drinker caterpillars which should be emerging around our wetlands again soon!
We've found both the adults and larvae on Peel Park & the Coppice LNR, there is something so endearing about the adult Drinker!
#teammoth #mothsmatter #ukwildlife
frog spawn clump in a pond
toad spawn like a strong of pearls
#SpawnToBeWild Week
What type of spawn do I have?
Frog spawn is always laid in big clumps whilst toad spawn comes in long chains, like a string of pearls draped over pond weed and submerged plants.
πΈLinda Connor & Neil Fletcher
Moth trap produced 16/5 overnight, including a stunning Oak Beauty - also Pale Brindled Beauty (4), Dotted Boarder (9), Chestnut (1), unidentified micro chilling in the fridge for later (1) #TeamMoth VC36 North Herefordshire
Our group of willow heart weavers! They are holding their fantastic willow creations.
Our work space, you can see participants creating the willow hearts by bending the willow gently into shape.
A finished woven willow heart being held by a very proud participant!
Our volunteers coppicing some neglected willow trees which were posing a risk to path users.
Our FREE Willow Heart Weaving Workshop last Monday was a big success!
Combining #conservation & #heritagecrafts is very important to us for the #HyndburnsNatureReserves project! Coppicing willow is important for many heritage crafts and also as a important woodland management tool.
#uk #hyndburn
We've not had a chance to get out with the moth trap this year yet, but here are some of the moths that we caught last February for #MothMonday!
A worn Satellite, Chestnut, & 2 Dotted Border.
πΈ: Peel Park & the Coppice LNR
#teammoth #mothsmatter #ukwildlife #hyndburn
#MothMonday comes around so quickly!
What's better for #valentines week than a True Lover's Knot moth? These moths have such a fascinating pattern on their wings which really makes them stand out from other noctuids.
πΈ: Peel Park & the Coppice LNR
#hyndburn #ukwildlife #teammoth #mothsmatter
Join us for "Ten minutes to count the insects", a webinar for #CitizenScienceShowcase - "Flowers, insects and good weather are all you need to take part in PoMS - join us online to find out more". Sunday 23 Feb at 11am - book at ten-minutes-to-count-insects.eventbrite.co.uk @ukceh.bsky.social
#MothMonday again already?
This intricate beauty is a Latticed Heath which we found in our light trap last July, but you can also see it during the day as well!
πΈ: Peel Park & the Coppice LNR
#mothsmatter #teammoth #ukwildlife #accrington
We know what you mean!
Whilst not officially classed as temperate rainforest, today we did the Plantlife Rapid Rainforest Assessment at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR in #Accrington.
Here's some good looking #lichens & #bryophytes that we saw!
Red Admiral butterfly basking on a birch trunk
A bright yellow Brimstone butterfly feeding on a purple Vinca flower amongst dark green foliage
Small Tortoiseshell butterfly feeding on a dandelion close to the ground
Comma butterfly basking on some chopped wood
Be on the lookout for butterflies! π¦
So far we've received first sightings for Red Admiral, Brimstone, Peacock, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell. What will be next?
Think you've got a first sighting? Let us know π butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/...
π·: Tim Melling, Sophie Hall, Bob Eade
Litter-picking at Woodnook Vale LNR, thank you to the #HyndburnsNatureReserves #volunteers for your hard work.
Unfortunately, this is just the entrance, email robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk if you would like to help future cleanups at the site!
#accrington #ukconservation
We hear that bluesky likes #mushrooms...
Here are some from our volunteer session yesterday!
Looks like some old King Alfred's Cakes and Velvet Shank, but we're no #mushroom experts!
#ukwildlife #accrington #ukconservation
An adder with piercing red eyes coiled on the forest floor.
ζθ΄Ίζ°η¦§! The year of the snake has begun π
Adders like this one can be found in woodlands up and down the UK. They're our only venomous snake, but they keep themselves to themselves and are rarely a danger to humans.
Group of butterfly and moth supporters standing outside the Houses of Parliament with butterfly-shaped signs and a giant Marsh Fritillary puppet. Text overlay reads 'Neonic pesticide use denied for 2025/26' with alarm and butterfly graphic
Last week we received the fantastic news that the use of neonicotinoid pesticides will not be allowed in 2025 π’
This is a huge win for butterflies, and we want to say thank you to all 42,601 of you who helped make this happen!
However, the #ButterflyEmergency is not over yet. π¨
The video of the UK Moth Recorders meeting is now available, grab yourself a brew and watch it here - https://buff.ly/3PTy9RB
There are talks on day flying moths and fascinating research into why flying insects are drawn to and circle lights, and what we can do about it
#UKMRM
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 26
Bumblebees are docile creatures and only sting when they feel threatened and even then as a last resort.
Only females (queens/workers) sting. #Bumblebees donβt die after stinging as the stinger is smooth and doesnβt catch in human skin.
#bees
ππ
#theBeeAt3
Basic bee facts every day at 3pm.
# 27
Solitary Bees:
Account for over 90% of bee species.
Donβt live in colonies.
Donβt have a queen.
Donβt make honey/wax.
Arenβt aggressive.
Donβt swarm.
Rarely sting.
Vary in size but are usually smaller than #bumblebees.
#bees
#nature
#dandelion
ππ
A before and after of bramble and overgrown vegetation being removed to revitalise an old meadow space. A shopping troll is can be seen which was entangled in the overgrown mess!
Before and after of birch coppicing to benefit bilberry and heather.
Before and after of birch coppicing to benefit bilberry and heather.
Before and after of Willow tree coppicing to prevent branches from falling on to the path.
Anyone lost a trolley? π
Lots of bramble, willow, and birch removal at #HyndburnsNatureReserves in January!
Thank you to our #volunteers for helping us remove this scrub to benefit ground flora and keep paths clear!
#ukconservation #accrington #oswaldtwistle #hyndburn #lancashire #windfallfund
What an amazing resource! Wish we had known about this sooner.
Some Elephant Hawk-moths for #MothMonday!
These glamourous moths were sadly missing from all of our moth traps last year, but we did find a few caterpillars nearby so we're hopeful for this year!
#mothsmatter #teammoth #hyndburn #accrington #ukwildlife
Essex Skipper, scientific name Thymelicus lineola. A small butterfly, with even smaller beetles.
The Essex Skipper. One of the three skippers found in the north-west of England, along with the Small and Large. To identify the Essex Skipper, look for the plain brown wings and the antennae that looks as if they have been dipped in black ink. #Butterflies
Some of Yorkshires butterfly species were hit badly by the 2024 bad weather with a quarter of our species down more than 70%. There are worrying signs of once common species like Green-viened White, Small Copper, Small Skipper and Common Blue are in permanent and quite quick decline!
Tomorrow is the UK Moth Recorders meeting. We are looking forward to some lepidopteran highlights from 2024.
https://buff.ly/40iIjBf
A colour image of a group of people looking out to sea
A colour image of a Ringlet butterfly on a thistle
A colour image of two common dolphins breaching
A colour image of a group of people in a woodland park
π Excited to be on BlueSky! Follow us to learn more about how we provide scientific evidence & advice to help decision makers #TurnScienceIntoAction for nature.
We work across land & sea with partners in the UK, UK Overseas Territories & Crown Dependencies & around the π #ForNaturePeoplePlanet
We love skippers! Something about them makes them seem more approachable than other butterflies, and male skippers are the perfect models whilst they are perching on leaves!
πΈ: Peel Park & the Coppice LNR
#butterfly #ukwildlife
Small environmental charity in Lancashire here o/
Thank you for putting these amazing lists together, our Bluesky feed has never been better π
