Sara Hudston

A visit to Lyme Regis’s East Cliff prompts concern after children are seen smashing live limpets with fossil hammers while nearby adults fail to intervene. The column argues that adults should guide children’s curiosity toward respect and care for marine life, especially on busy beaches.

Gutweed thriving near the River Char reflects nutrient pollution from sewage and runoff, contrasting with more diverse seaweeds farther from the outflow. Its resilience supports small marine creatures, while the surrounding geology and species highlight long‑term ecological processes.

A female beautiful demoiselle damselfly appears in a garden near the River Brit, displaying iridescent colours and delicate wing structure. The species is active across south‑west England and Wales, with males holding riverbank territories for courtship flights. After mating, females lay eggs in water plants, producing nymphs that develop underwater for two years and serve as indicators of good water quality.

Warm weather brings an abundance of butterfly species to Powerstock Common in Dorset, where mixed habitats support brimstones, orange tips, holly blues, peacocks and speckled woods. The site’s combination of open turf, scrub, woodland and a spring-fed pond attracts a wide range of insects, while transitional habitat edges also provide opportunities to encounter other wildlife, including a basking juvenile adder.

Horse logger Toby Hoad works with his mare Etty to extract ash trees with minimal ground disturbance, highlighting the advantages of horse-powered forestry over mechanised methods. French Comtois horses are used for their strength and efficiency, and the work follows seasonal cycles as spring arrives in the woodland. The team will shift to bracken rolling before taking a short break and returning to the woods later in the year.

Winter storms left swans at Abbotsbury Swannery unable to reach natural food sources, prompting increased feeding by swanherd Steve Groves. The centuries‑old swannery hosts about 600 mute swans that can come and go freely but remain due to regular care. Many birds show signs of recovery from bird flu, now less severe than in earlier outbreaks. Changing climate patterns have altered winter species presence, with goldeneye ducks and Bewick’s swans no longer arriving and cattle egrets becoming common.

Heavy overnight rain from Storm Chandra caused the River Brit to overflow, flooding meadows, allotments and footpaths around Bridport and West Bay. As the storm passed, rising winds and hail gave way to clearer skies, retreating waters and renewed bird activity. The shifting conditions highlighted dramatic contrasts between the storm’s disruption and the calm that followed, with local wildlife quickly returning to the transformed landscape.

Farmers on the Somerset Levels are testing paludiculture by cultivating bulrush on wet peatland to avoid carbon emissions from traditional drying practices. Seedheads are harvested and processed for Ponda in Bristol to create BioPuff, a sustainable insulating fibre. The project repurposes previously barren ground and demonstrates an alternative approach to managing saturated landscapes.

A solitary visit to St Catherine’s Chapel in Dorset evokes the site’s centuries of ritual use, from medieval marriage charms to its placement among ancient barrows and hillforts. Weathered stone, wind and light create a vivid sense of presence despite the chapel’s simplicity, prompting reflection on the people who once sought guidance or blessings there.

Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset sheep in west Dorset and south Somerset continue a long regional tradition of autumn lambing enabled by a rare genetic trait. The flock, managed by the Fooks family since 1906, showcases both horned and polled varieties, each with distinct characteristics and lineage. The animals’ wool is used for specialist biodegradable products, and the lambing cycle allows for multiple pregnancies over two years. As the autumn-born lambs grow strong by winter, the farm prepares to begin the next round of lambing in January.

A modest Bronze Age stone circle on Withypool Hill blends almost invisibly into the Exmoor landscape, its knee‑high stones leading archaeologists to suggest deliberate miniaturisation and hidden significance below ground. The terrain’s subtlety is linked to the life of writer and artist Hope Bourne, whose minimalist, land‑based existence is now seen as environmentally prescient. The piece reflects on Exmoor’s understated features, archaeological interpretations and Bourne’s legacy.

A close encounter with a cormorant in West Bay prompts reflections on human interactions with wildlife. Increasingly habituated seals and a popular juvenile dolphin named Reggie highlight concerns that close contact with people can harm animals. The narrator prefers distant, minimally intrusive encounters, valuing the wellbeing of wildlife over the thrill of spotting rare creatures.

Jersey tiger moths are appearing in increasing numbers across southern England, their northward spread linked to warmer winters and changing plant availability. Their generalist diet and preference for untidy, plant-rich gardens support their expansion. Butterfly Conservation identifies the species’ movement as a marker of climate change’s impact on moth and butterfly ranges in the UK.

Hedgehogs in Porlock appear to be increasing in number, with residents observing signs of their nightly foraging and the arrival of new hoglets. Despite this, dry spring conditions have left some animals dehydrated and at risk, illustrated by the discovery of a distressed hedgehog near the beach. Local efforts, including rescue interventions and homemade signs urging drivers to slow down, reflect attempts to support the vulnerable population.

A stonefly observed along the River Horner in Somerset is described as emerging awkwardly from its aquatic life, yet its presence indicates clean, well‑oxygenated water. The species’ sensitivity to pollution highlights the river’s good condition, supported by ongoing habitat restoration efforts in the nearby Aller, including reintroductions of beavers and water voles.

Southern wood ant colonies in Exmoor reawaken in spring, creating visible, bustling mounds and an audible sizzling produced by thousands of moving insects. The nests, often built against fallen Scots pines, use natural antimicrobial mixtures to protect against pathogens. Though capable of defending themselves with formic acid, the ants are generally non‑aggressive when left undisturbed. Workers gather food and materials while new males and queens develop, with the winged ants preparing to take flight later in the month for mating.

Maidenhair spleenwort, a common fern found on limestone and old buildings, appears reptilian in its green, scale‑like pinnae but gains its “maidenhair” name from the wiry, hair‑like stems left when fronds die back. The term dates to Theophrastus and reflects longstanding botanical humor. The Victorian fern craze intensified interest in such species, even leading to over‑collecting. The fern motif persists today, including in the decorative design of custard cream biscuits.

Seasonal changes bring herring gulls back to rooftop nesting sites in Bridport, where their noisy behaviour and bold interactions with humans create tension despite their protected status. A lone male gull holds territory while residents contend with the species’ aggressive defence of nests and opportunistic feeding habits, shaped largely by human-altered environments.

Trees and shrubs in Dorset show the first subtle signs of seasonal change as swelling buds, shifting colours and emerging catkins respond to lengthening days. Variations in light transform the appearance of oaks, ashes and birches, while willows provide early pollen for bees. A vividly coloured white willow near the River Char stands out as the landscape moves gradually from winter dormancy toward spring.

A calcified cliff face at Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Portland evokes the setting of the 1960s sci‑fi film The Damned, linking natural geological formations with the island’s layered human history. The piece describes the spring-fed landscape, remnants of historic infrastructure such as the Admiralty’s pumping station and tunnel, and the long-standing interaction between people and nature, from Saxon farming terraces to quarry work that shaped both the land and local society.

Storms and prolonged wet weather have increased the instability of the sandstone cliffs at West Bay in Dorset, leading to frequent rockfalls and heightened danger along the shoreline. The piece contrasts recent events with a devastating 1824 storm that caused widespread destruction and loss of life, drawing attention to the persistent hazards that shape the coastline.