Bumble bee © Darin Smith

Features from Wildlife magazine Wildlife articles 2008 -- Spring 2008 -- ::Severn Barrage ::The Variety of life ::A year at Willsbridge ::Willsbridge comes of age ::Reaching out - Willsbridge ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2007 -- Autumn 2007 -- ::Thinking BIG ::Watery webs:the pond network ::Wildlife in the landscape ::Variety of life ::How to be a climate friend ::Seasonal stroll - Walborough ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2007 -- ::The Folly Farm appeal ::Weston Big Wood-biodiversity at its best ::The variety of life ::How to capture a butterfly ::How to get to know an orchid ::Seasonal stroll - WestonBigWood ::Reserves update -- Spring 2007 -- ::Folly Farm - a very special place ::Making a difference at Folly Farm ::How find the magic at Folly Farm ::Seasonal stroll at Folly Farm ::Magic spots at Folly Farm ::Batscapes ::Climate challenge ::Variety of Life - the Ponways project ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2006 -- Autumn 2006 -- ::The Severn Estuary ::Bird Watch results ::How to identify garden birds ::Making space for wildlife ::How does your garden grow? ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2006 -- ::Going for green ::Stand up and be counted ::Happy birthday NSLMP ::Holi day - a riot of spring colour ::Avon's species-rich grassland ::How to photograph dragonflies ::The Big Switch ::Round the reserves -- Spring 2006 -- ::How to identify winter water birds ::Make 2006 the year you... ::Invasive invasion ::Sowing the seeds: Willsbridge Mill ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2005 -- Autumn 2005 -- ::Indentify common funghi ::Build a hedgehog hideaway ::Big Bird Watch ::Champions for wildlife ::Round the reserves ::Seeds of the futre: Willsbridge Mill -- Summer 2005 -- ::Restoring Folly Farm ::How to become bee-friendly ::How to identify the butterflies of spring ::Save our seas ::The variety of life: hedgerows ::Round the reserves ::25 Ways to make a difference -- Spring 2005 -- ::The variety of life: water voles ::The Avon Biodiversity Action Plan ::How to take really good wildlife photos ::How to help your garden grow ::Round the reserves ::Seasonal strolls: Browns Folly ::Sowing the seeds: for wildlife for people ::Sowing the seeds: looking back

How to...

Become bee-friendly

A recent radio programme called 'Top ten ways of swatting a bee' had Rachel Sharp, our Head of Biodiversity, buzzing mad. On this page she stands up for bees and encourages you to befriend the bee

Most bees are docile and unaggressive creatures, even near the nest. The males can't sting; and the female workers who can sting really aren't out to get you. Curiosity may lead them to inspect you in case you are a source of food - unfortunately this normally results in people waving their hands around ferociously which is exactly the wrong thing to do. It's always surprising when people complain when joined by wildlife companions outdoors and perhaps no other insect (apart from the wasp) evokes picnic-time hysteria. Bees are good for your garden - they're vital for pollinating plants. Our bee species fall into three categories:

• social bees which live in hives and produce honey
• cuckoo bees that kill the young in a hive and replace them with their own egg
• solitary bees which nest in holes either in wood or the ground

But our bees, the solitary ones in particular, are vanishing at an alarming rate because of the lack of nesting areas and lack of food plants. You can help nesting bees by making your garden bee-friendly - try to leave dead wood, leaf litter and dried stems in undisturbed corners. Earth banks, fences and sunny walls with old mortar are also important bee-nesting habitats. Don't worry if you haven't got these features in your garden as bees will readily adopt artificial homes which can be bought from good garden centres. They can be inspected in the summer where some holes will be filled in and when the young have hatched and dug their way out, you can then re-drill or clean out the holes. To make your own pack a section of a drain pipe with split canes and hand in a sheltered corner. A bumble bee home can be made by burying a large clay plant pot in the ground with a 25mm pipe or hose running from the drainage hole to the surface.

A range of nectar and pollen is needed for food, especially late in the summer, You can help bees by growing good nectar plants in your garden - choose from the list below - and enjoy the companionship of bees in your backyard this summer.

Talking trees
The launch of Willsbridge Valley Local Nature Reserve took place on national Tree Dressing last December. The theme of the event was 'Natural Journeys', which involved a magical night time procession around the reserve to view giant leaf sculptures hanging in some of the trees. These sculptures had been made at a series of community art workshops to celebrate five different key tree species in the reserve - ash, hornbeam, sycamore, walnut and oak. This Wildspace project worked with local people of all ages, from young mums and schoolchildren to the elderly. On the day of the launch there were lots of activities for everyone and as dusk fell the lanterns were ceremoniously lit and the 'natural journey' went around the valley, visiting the five specially dressed trees.

Amazing artworks
Golden Valley Local Nature Reserve is a spectacular site hidden on the doorstep of Wick Village. Its colourful history of ochre mining provided the inspiration for a innovative project to forge greater links with the local school and the nature reserve on the doorstep. After a morning of exploring the hidden history and wildlife delights of this wooded valley, the children created artworks which were used to launch the reserve in February. These made use of soil collected on site containing the bright red ochre pigment to create stencil prints, and younger children recorded their visit to the site by making sculptural 'map sticks'. Models of creatures were made from clay which were then painted with the ochre.

All these amazing artworks were used to decorate the area where the special ceremony was held for the official opening. The school's involvement in the site has continued since our visit with poetry workshops and a major exhibition of the children's work.

The outdoor classroom
Teachers from six Bradley Stoke primary schools have been attending training sessions to learn how to use Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve. A range of curriculum-linked activities and ideas for class visits to the site have inspired the teachers to use this wildlife oasis which is sited in an area dominated by huge housing estates. This invaluable training aims to give teachers the confidence to use the site as an outdoor classroom and develop an understanding, enjoyment and care for their local wild space with their classes.

Help bees by growing good nectar plants like these in your garden...