Wild Worcestershire

The diversity of The Knapp and Papermill - one of the Trust's most loved nature reserves - makes it an incredible place for bats. Daubenton's bats swoop over the river, barbastelles roost under lifted tree bark on older trees, Leislers feed over the meadows, common and soprano pipistrelles dart around the orchard and lesser horseshoes snooze in the loft space over the education centre.

Volunteers for Worcestershire Bat Group have been installing and, under licence, checking bat boxes at The Knapp for more than 20 years. This long-term monitoring is really important to help us understand more about how wildlife uses the nature reserve, how different species are doing and how the Trust can ensure that they continue to thrive.

Join (excited) podcast host Lee on a bat box check with members of Worcestershire Bat Group and discover more about these amazing flying mammals.

(Spoiler alert: Barbastelles are notoriously flighty, hence their exodus from the roost when the volunteers were nearby. The ecologists returned to that particular bat box at the end of the day and again the next day just to make sure that the pup had rejoined its colony…and it had. A happy ending!)

The Wilder Worcestershire: Neighbourhoods Nurturing Nature team work with local people to create pockets of habitat for wildlife to thrive, from orchards and meadows to ponds and allotments.

Lee chats to Jameela, Liz, Sarah, Zaina and Richard to findout how their experiences with the project have helped them come together with their communities and connect with the wildlife on their doorsteps.

From discovering bats on a nighttime walk and noticing wildlife in a city garden to bringing communities together, getting young people active outdoors and volunteering to transform a wellbeing garden, hear about how taking small actions can make a big difference for wildlife and people.

If you've ever wondered about the wildlife that might be making its home in your garden, this is the episode for you. Podcast host Lee has his eyes opened to some of the wildlife hiding in plain sight in Lower Smite Farm's wildlife garden as he joins naturalists Rosemary and Wendy on an amble to discover more about the variety of garden wildlife.

Along the way, you'll bump into shieldbugs, wasps, ants and aphids, dragonfly exuviae, butterflies, bees and more. The gang also delve into how you can help wildlife at home and why it's important to record what you see.

More on wildlife gardening: https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-gardening

Tell us about the wildlife you see in Worcestershire: https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-sightings

Want to volunteer in the garden at Lower Smite Farm? https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/volunteering-opportunities/wildlife-garden-volunteer

The saline and freshwater pools at Upton Warren, Wychbold, are amongst the best places in Worcestershire to spot birds and other wetland wildlife. Listen in on a visit to this special place as host Lee is joined by the reserve's manager, Eleanor, and engagement warden Ion.

The trio visit both The Flashes and The Moors, talk birds (obviously) and other wildlife, chat about the importance of volunteering and the benefit of birdwatching for wellbeing.

Discover what you might see if you visit, how the team protect rare wildlife like little ringed plovers (under license and with a permit) and how to learn more about wildlife.

Upton upon Severn is Worcestershire's stag beetle hotspot. In fact, the town and surrounding villages are the only places in Worcestershire where these giant beetles are found. Join host Lee as he wanders the streets with the Trust's Eleanor Reast on the hunt for the UK's largest beetle.

Along the way you'll discover more about the amazing lifecycles of stag beetles; with up to seven years spent underground, we're privileged if we spot one in the 'just' 40 days they spend above ground in their adult form. The question is, will Lee and Eleanor spot one on their evening walk? Listen to find out!

Take a wander through a traditional orchard with podcast host, Lee Robinson, and Severn Treescapes Trees and Woodland Advisor, Simone Mansi, to discover why deadwood is anything but dead.

The two chat all things timber, looking at the importance of deadwood, hunting for the poo of amazing iridescent beetles and exploring how we can build continuity of trees and deadwood habitat into our landscapes.

Dead Wood Society is part of Severn Treescapes, which is a partnership project between Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Wildlife Trusts. You can find out more at https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/severn-treescapes/dead-wood-society

Sit back and relax into the dawn chorus of a Worcestershire woodland.

Do you remember your first contact with nature? Inspiring schoolchildren about the natural world is something that the Trust is passionate about and has been doing for decades.

Recent investment means that it's not just children that are benefitting from the Trust's expertise. From pond dipping to soil auguring for children to deep diving into the curriculum with teachers, the team run a full programme of school visits as well as work alongside teachers to help them overcome barriers to outdoor learning.

Host Lee Robinson meets Cat and Lucy to discover more about the importance of inspiring the next generation, what schools might experience on a visit to Smite and how schools can improve their own spaces for wildlife. Learn how harvestmen can make a difference to children scared of spiders and how a woodlouse can become a loved creature that a class is proud of.

Find out more about the Trust's programmes for schools at https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/schools

In 2021 Worcestershire Wildlife Trust bought 95 acres of land in the middle of nature reserves owned by the Trust and by Wyre Forest District Council. This created a block of over 600 acres of connected habitat and the biggest area of heathland in the county.

Heathland is Worcestershire's most threatened habitat - c98% has been lost in the last 200 years. Adjacent to the Trust's The Devil's Spittleful nature reserve, the Trust is already restoring heathland at neighbouring Blackstone Farm Fields and is now undertaking heathland restoration across the 95 acres of Dropping Well Farm.

Join host Lee Robinson as he takes a walk through this amazing landscape with the reserve manager, Andy Harris. You'll discover how heathland has evolved, why carpet is often found on the site, why rabbits are important and how we see this habitat developing in the long-term.

To keep up to date with what's happening at Dropping Well Farm, visit our heathland heroes blog.

The project has been made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Severn Waste Services, The Banister Charitable Trust, The Rowlands Trust, The Helen Mackaness Charitable Trust and generous donations from Trust members and supporters. Thank you.

Wet weather has been on everyone's minds recently so join volunteer podcast host Lee at Chapter Meadows in the heart of Worcester city.

On the other side of the river to the cathedral, Chapter Meadows play an important role in holding back water and slowing the flow. It's also a great place for communities to come together.

Meet Beth, the Trust's Wildlife and Wetlands Officer, to discover more about the role of places like Chapter Meadows as well as Connor, Wilder Worcestershire Project Officer, to hear more about the importance of community involvement. Owner Tom Greenway talks about the future and Lee wraps up by chatting to students from the University of Worcester who are taking time out of their busy schedule to help plant a new hedgerow onsite.

Connor's involvement at Chapter Meadows is thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help the Trust support communities to help wildlife where they live.