Nature & wildlife

From ancient trees to butterflies and otters, our places are full of life. We're working hard to safeguard nature for years to come

Herons in the treetops in spring in the parkland at Charlecote

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Every Day Nature by Andy Beer in a bed of daisies

The power of everyday nature 

In his new book, Every Day Nature, author and National Trust Regional Director, Andy Beer explores the natural wonders that can be found on our doorstep. Andy shares the joy he finds in nature and the power it can have on our wellbeing in our latest books blog. Find your dose of nature for every one of the 366 days of the year... and how to buy the book.

Read Andy's blog
Wicken Fen - Male bearded tit with fledglings

Spot birds from your window and garden 

Enjoy the chorus of birdsong wherever you are; fling open your windows to hear local songbird populations in full voice or head out into the garden to spot birds twittering in the trees. With our guide to birdsong and bird spotting you’ll be an expert bird spotter in no time.

Small Copper butterfly at Cotehele, Cornwall

Top tips for butterfly spotting 

Specialist butterfly volunteer, Matthew Oates, has over 50 years of butterfly spotting experience. Here are his top tips to help you on your way to spotting these beautiful insects.

Butterflies on a bluebell stem

Donate to support nature’s key workers 

As a charity, we rely on donations. But our income has dropped sharply due to the coronavirus crisis. From butterflies to blossom, the places we care for are home to a huge amount of diverse wildlife, that will need our support over the coming weeks and months.

Donate now

Get closer to nature

Bumblebee flies around cherry blossom at Sheringham Park, Norfolk

Noticing nature 

Spending time in nature not only boosts our connection to the natural world it also helps our wellbeing. From looking up at the trees to walking barefoot in the grass, we’ve got a beautifully illustrated guide full of ideas to get you started.

Gull chicks, Farne Islands, Northumberland

Promise for nature 

Join us in our anniversary year and make a promise for nature. Whether you want to build a bug hotel or reduce energy use, we’ve got a great set of promises you can make. It's never been more important to look after the forests, rivers, oceans and parks we love to escape to. Together we can make a positive difference to the natural world.

Water voles are among the creatures the project at Holnicote will help

How we're protecting rivers from climate change and flooding 

In what is the first project of its kind in the UK, we're restoring the tributary of the river Aller, which flows through the Holnicote Estate in Exmoor, Somerset. The groundbreaking approach, carried out in partnership with the Environment Agency and the European project Interreg 2 Seas Co-Adapt, will help protect the river from climate change and flooding, as well as create more space for wildlife.

Keeping our rivers flowing

Meet the rangers safeguarding nature

Our red squirrel ranger

What does a red squirrel ranger actually do? 

Meet red squirrel ranger, Glen, who is in charge of food rations, keeping predators away and making traffic signs for road crossing squirrels.

Explore Cragside on the Armstrong trail

Ranger Martin's favourite autumn walk 

Forget orange, green is the colour of autumn across the Cragside estate. The pinetum is a particularly special place at this time of year – the rows of towering spruce are really spiky across the top. Have a slow meander through; it’s very atmospheric.

Heather growing alongside a coastal path looking out towards the sea at sunset

Standing up for nature 

As the UK government writes new nature laws, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect and restore the countryside you love.

Find out how we're standing up for nature

Find nature on your doorstep

Experience nature through the seasons and spot the UK's native species in their natural habitat

Find outdoor places near you