An article about my recent find of Holly fern in Cwm Idwal. The most recent nearby record was from Glyder Fawr in 1876 www.countryfile.com/wildlife/tre... @cofnod.org.uk @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @northwaleswt.bsky.social @bsbicymru.bsky.social @georgemonbiot.bsky.social @chrisgpackham.bsky.social

Andy Teasdale and I have now decided to offer the Capture Snowdonia workshop as a 1-day masterclass. Date: 27 Sept Cost: £80 Venue: Betws-y-coed Enquiries: DM / [email protected] MTA link: mt.tahdah.me/event/detail...

It's great to have a positive news story. It just goes to show that we should never stop looking

Join one of my environmental workshops this autumn. DM for info & bookings

Mountain lake and upland bogs made for a cool walk yesterday. Lots of beautiful wildflowers in full bloom including; Round-leaved sundew, Water lobelia, Bog asphodel & Sneezewort. Not all of them #hairyplants but downy, frilly anthers and specialist, sticky hairs can be seen #wildflowerhour

Alpine flowers are in the absolute prime in the Swiss Alps this week. Mega diversity, pollinators having a feast

A couple of Helleborine - Red & Dark-red - along with Herb Paris and Burnt-tip orchid. Snapping a few of the amazing alpine flowers whilst guiding in the Swiss Alps #wildflowerhour @europeanorchids.bsky.social #helleborine #wildflowers

Heading to the Alps this summer? There's fresh, new stock of The Alps - A Natural Companion in Chamonix Maison De La Presse

A few of the alpine flowers peaking in the Swiss Alps this week. All of which I've recently seen in the Scottish Highlands too. Yellow oxytropis, Alpine bartsia, small-white orchid & Alpine mouse-ear #wildflowerhour #wildflowers

An alpine botany trip at home in the UK. The Scottish Highlands are home to the finest collections of arctic-alpine plants in the UK. I was joined by a brilliant young botanist, @mattrjones.bsky.social a real inspiration to explore the mountains with. We recorded many of the rarest montane species.

My trip to the Highlands began on Ben Nevis looking for awesome alpines. I found Tufted saxifrage, arctic mouse-ear & Sibbaldia in flower. All incredibly special #wildflowers @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Sooo many incredible plants from a weekend botanising with @natureswork.bsky.social in Scotland. Here's a few of the specials from Ben Lawers. Rock Speedwell is one I've missed on my previous visits so gorgeous to see it flowering in great numbers #wildflowerhour @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Happily botanising in the clag with @mattrjones.bsky.social on Ben Lawers #wildflowerhour

Not been anywhere urban this week #urbanplants I've been mostly in the Highlands of #Scotland looking for alpines with @mattrjones.bsky.social and we found some stunning saxifrages @wildflowerhour.bsky.social #wildflowerhour #alpines

I revisited a site where I stumbled upon Marsh clubmoss many years ago in Snowdonia. This nationally endangered plant is still doing well at this site @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @bsbibotany.bsky.social

It's not everyday you come face to face with a carnivorous plant! Lesser bladderwort is less well known than other carnivorous plants like sundews & butterworts. They rely on digesting insects for nutrition but use suction traps (bladders) to capture their prey! @bsbibotany.bsky.social #wildflowers

Lots of botanists heading to London to celebrate the launch of @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social's new book about wonderful #urbanbotany. Trevor has promised to wear a "snazzy outfit" for the occasion. Photos to follow!

Back in Cwm Idwal today and headed up to see if Lloydia was in flower. Saw quite a few but only this one accessible. Also came across a lovely Moss campion in flower, Mountain sorrel & Starry saxifrage #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A lovely day in the Lakes yesterday looking for mountain and alpine flowers. We saw Alpine saw-wort, Bog asphodel - in flower! & yellow mountain saxifrage #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

More from today in Cwm Idwal. Northern bedstraw, Mossy saxifrage, a soltary Snowdon lily and Moss campion @wildflowerhour.bsky.social #wildflowerhour @cofnod.org.uk @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

A whole mix of species and habitats obeserved today in Cwm Idwal. Frst time seeing Holly fern here and just one small individual seen. Awlwort already flowered, Butterwort in its prime as too for Starry saxifrage #wildflowerhour @cofnod.org.uk @bsbicymru.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Slow worms are legless lizards. Here school pupils get their first experience holding them

Apologies it was Cressbrook dale not lathkill dale for Spring sandwort

Spectacular Mountain avens in Snowdonia today. The site is steep & precarious on approach but absolutley incredible. There is limited presence of other arctic-alpines but so worth the long walk in #wildflowerhour #wildflowers @bsbicymru.bsky.social @cofnod.org.uk @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

A couple of venues this week for #wildflowerhour and the #PinkFamily Spring sandwort and Red campion in Lathkill dale and Moss campion in Cwm Idwal #wildflowers @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

2/2 Mossy saxifrage, Spring sandwort, Water avens & Hoary whitlowgrass. Wonderful floral displays in the limestone dales of the @peakdistrict.bsky.social @snoweider.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social #wildflowers

Evening walks in the Peak District looking at the wonderful #wildflowers in the limestone dales. Hairy rock-cress, Lily-f-the-valley, Stone bramble & Jacob's ladder. Thanks for the great company @snoweider.bsky.social 1/2 @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @peakdistrict.bsky.social

Your chance to join in on this fantastic photographic weekend. Develop your skills and tecniques and learn more about the nature and culture of Snowdonia too #photograhy #photographic_course #photography_holiday www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/capture-sn...

Such an early flowering time for a-a species in Snowdonia. Dryas at their peak so too for S. acaulis, T. alpina and R. saxatilis @cofnod.org.uk @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social #wildflowers #wildflowerhour

Not quite #speedwell but they made my venture so enjoyable #wildflowerhour #wildflowers

A trait of arctic-alpine plants is their longevity. Without the ability to live a long life & reproduce without sex would certainly mean many of these species die out from UK a long time ago. Moss campion, Tufted saxifrage & Roseroot @cofnod.org.uk @bsbicymru.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

7 May & arctic-alpine species are in flower! These are v early flowering times. Some years Snowdon lily won't flower until early June. The 2 flowers have been flowering (not each year) at this spot for the 25 years I've observed them. @cofnod.org.uk @bsbicymru.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

common and heare's-tail cottongrass both enjoying the sunshine #wildflowerhour #wildflowers

Early season in Cwm lloer but great signs of what's to come. Roseroot, heath-spotted orchid, lady's mantle and common scurvy grass #wilflowers #wildflowerhour @cofnod.org.uk @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @bsbicymru.bsky.social

Your chance to join in on this fantastic photographic weekend. Develop your skills and tecniques and learn more about the nature and culture of Snowdonia too #photograhy #photographic_course #photography_holiday www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/capture-sn...

The slate quarries abover Llanberis is not somewhere I'd expect to find so much diversity. ivy-leaved speedwell, marsh marigold, procumbent pearlwort & common milkwort #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbicymru.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

I noticed this 12 months ago in an unusual post-industrial slate quarry. This year it is flowering very early & provides +ve ID as Silene acaulis - Moss campion. How it got here is anyones guess #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

Plenty of other species coming to life too in Iceland. Alpine lady’s-mantle, alpine rock-cress, roseroot and mountain sorrel. Happy me :) #wildflowers #wildflowerhour

An absolute abundance of saxifrage in Iceland today. Purple, mossy, tufted and alpine. There was starry and possibly Irish species too but hard to tell with the gushing waterfall spray!

I’m in Iceland and it’s not winter! The beginnings of spring are about and here is tufted saxifrage, S. cespitosa in a rock crevice. Oh to see them in flower in June here. They are far more abundant than at home!!! #wildflowerhour #wildflowers #botany #saxifrage

The Botanical Society of Scotland’s plant of the week: Purple Saxifrage botsoc.scot/2025/04/13/p...

Early doors for the Early purple orchid #orchid #wildflowers #wildflowerhour @europeanorchids.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Reflections on last Sunday's Glaciation masterclass investigsting landforms and features in a post-glacial landscape

Today I kicked off my environmental workshops for 2025 with an Environmental Masterclass. The facilitated workshop used a variety of teaching techniques and thinking routines to engage the group and to explore our knowledge & understanding of the natural world. Send a DM to join a course

#bsbi #botany #wildflowers #saxifrage @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @plantlifeintl.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social @yorkshiredales.org.uk

It doesn't get any better than this. This incredible display of purple saxifrage is in the Yorkshire Dales. It's probably Britains' premier site for the species. Yesterday was my first time to visit the site and it was truly awe-inspiring.

A lovely article by Brett Westwood on lichen, what they, their ecology and how to identify a few of the more common varieties. www.discoverwildlife.com/how-to/ident...

Today is the spring equinox, the astronomical beginning of spring for the northern hemisphere. Today the sun passes directly over the equator, precisely where I've been working in Tanzania. To celebrate I have observed my first leopard sighting. This young male is dining on a monitor lizard.

Learn about different aspects of our natural environment. These courses are designed to expand your knowledge & answer any questions you’ve had in the back of your mind! They are easily acccessible & offer great value for £ [email protected] #mountains #nature #mountainsflowers #wildlifecourses

Happy St David's Day / Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus The wild daffodil supplanted the leek in the 20thC after the Welsh politician David Lloyd George allegedly insisted that daffodils be used during the 1911 investiture of the Prince of Wales. #stdavidsday #wales #cymru #nature #wildflowers #daffodil #flora