Useful Information

Below you will find links to different online resources and organisations all connected to the environment and nature. We have used these websites and found them to be informative and useful and we hope you do too:

Local and National organisations

Our local Wildlife Trust organisation: “Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is part of the influential UK-wide partnership of 47 Wildlife Trusts. The Trust has worked for more than 40 years to protect wildlife and wild places, and educate, influence and empower people. We manage 15 Nature Reserves and help others to manage their countryside sites. Our work is helping to secure the future of many important habitats and species, which might otherwise be lost. We protect the wildlife where you live. We make our county a better place for local wildlife and people.”

Under the Tees Valley Wildlife Trusts umbrella, this is a site dedicated to the public’s photographs of flowers found along the Cleveland coast. Easy to contribute to and a brilliant collection of local information.

Locally run group acting to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of land including wildlife and natural environment in Saltburn Valleys.

You can contribute wildlife data about the region to ERIC or ask for information. It currently holds over 3.6 million species records for the North East of England.

Wildlife and Countryside Link is a unique coalition of charitable organisations concerned with the conservation and protection of wildlife and the countryside

This is an international online community of over 5 million people sharing ‘observations’ (over 93 million of them) via photos, and information about what is recorded, in map list or grid form. 

The National Biodiversity Network has been championing the sharing of wildlife data since 2000. It is  the UK’s largest partnership for nature, with over 200 members and almost 200 million wildlife records available through the NBN Atlas. NBN Atlas – UK’s largest collection of biodiversity information

A registered NGO with stunning photos and information about species and places all over the world.

Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) – Inspiring Wonder in the Natural World This site shares information on the wildlife in Northumberland, Durham and Tyne and Wear and has a lot that is relevant to the North east in general. It includes wildlife information and events and opportunities to volunteer in the North East. The society was founded in 1829 and is a registered charity.

It has an excellent article on the range of orchids in the North East, many of which are found on Cowbar.

A rewilding organisation with projects and advice for councils, schools and individuals on how to conserve habitat and support biodiversity

Plantlife is a British conservation charity working nationally and internationally to save threatened wild flowers, plants and fungi. The website is full of information, photos and projects.

This is a partnership project which aims to protect and restore nine specific wildflower meadows and grasslands in the UK and educate the public about why they are important.

Lots of photos, information on activities and projects and blogs about the organisation’s activities.

A site offering information and guidance on surveying mammals and protecting their habitat.

Lots of information on investigating and surveying mammals and data collection

This society was founded in 1982 and is dedicated to protecting native UK hedgehogs through campaigns and educational work. It also funds research which supports hedgehog conservation and welfare.

Froglife is a national wildlife conservation charity which acts to conserve  the UK’s amphibian and reptile species and their associated habitats.  They make practical differences to improve amphibian and reptile habitats and encourage learning about wildlife conservation. They also inform global research on amphibians and reptiles.

This is a very helpful team and the website has a great section on birds-of-prey projects

Information about birds and their habitats, conservation projects and data collection. Useful identification tools.

The British Trust for Ornithology – articles, blogs, research, projects and photographs with useful links and opportunities to get involved with monitoring and volunteering.

This site is packed with information on conserving barn owls and their habitat – very practical too.

A  birdwatching club site with lots of stunning photos of birds taken locally and information about local sightings.

Guide to bat conservation and local groups

A charity which works to conserve butterflies and moths, record data and provide information and education.

All about invertebrates. Plenty of information, conservation projects and opportunities to get involved.

This is a wonderful, personal site created by a woman who is passionate about nature. This link goes to a list of live streams from wildlife webcams she has set up.

This channel has some wonderful footage and livecams, especially of owls and kestrels.

A Beautiful blog about nature on the Box Moor Trust estate in Hertfordshire

A site offering hundreds of photos and lists of information to help you search for and identify all kinds of plants, animals and invertebrates. Very accessible and full of useful detail plus excellent photographs.

This site has a fantastic collection of wildflower photos. It “celebrates the diversity of natural floral beauty to be found in the UK and helps you identify the finds you make on country walks throughout the year.” There is a search box and a n A-Z of flowers in the database.

Insect week, run by The Royal Entomological Society, takes place in June each year but the site has detailed information about insects which can be accessed all year round.

A fantastic site which covers much more than British Wildlife. The videos are particularly superb.

This is the site for a small, award winning business based in Gloucestershire which makes and sells a range of products to encourage and care for wildlife in gardens.

This site has recommendations and advice and sells products to help you encourage and care for wildlife in your own garden. 

This lovely site has a range of information about all sorts of wildlife, some fascinating articles and a monthly weather and science blog.

Identification

You can drag and drop or upload an image of any plant and this site will suggest identification possibilities, show other photos to compare yours with and give a percentage likelihood for each suggestion. It’s easy to use and a really good starting point for research.

A range of beautifully illustrated plant identification sheets linked to seasons and habitat types to download and take on walks.

This website provides geographic information about the natural environment from across government. The information covers rural, urban, coastal and marine environments across Great Britain in an interactive map. 

This is a very clear guide to vetches – and on Cowbar we know we definitely have Tufted Vetch, Common Vetch, Hairy Tare, Slender Tare and Yellow Vetchling

Excellent photos of tracks from all sorts of creatures, including invertebrates.

   This site contains very useful photographs and facts to help tell these tiny mammals apart from each other.

Wonderful clear recordings, and you can play each bird’s song  simultaneously to practise identifying individual calls. 

Some excellent photos with size and weight ranges and information n habitat to help identify birds’ eggs.

Search for pictures of feathers and more information using the name of a bird from the alphabetical list, or select a country and choose from a list of birds there.

From the BBC. Sections of identifying all kinds of wildlife.

Lizzie Harper is an illustrator who bases her drawings on careful observation and knowledge. This site is beautiful and useful.

This guide contains some excellent diagrams with useful ID tips.

Excellent pictures with good colour detail and ways to compare birds.

Articles

Reports

State of Nature 2023 – report on the UK’s current biodiversity

Nature 2030: Support our plan to restore nature. (wildlifetrusts.org)

Summary_GCA_COP28.pdf (unfccc.int)

G7 2030 Nature Compact – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Environment Act 2021 (legislation.gov.uk)

Resources

Although we are aiming to develop the south verges of Cowbar Lane with yellow rattle and wildlflowers to increase biodiversity and change attitudes, and the bund is already a ‘wildlife corridor’ for invertebrates and small mammals, this article explains the value of  ‘rough grassland’ like Cowbar clifftop for owls and other birds of prey

What to do if you find a dead bird of prey. A way to contribute valuable data which may help conservation efforts.

Here you can volunteer to participate in data collection for UKCEH scientific projects, some of which have free smartphone apps that enable anyone to record environmental information. As well as connecting thousands of people to their environment across the UK, and the wider world, Citizen Science has a high value to research and policy.

This organisation began as the Natural History Book Service and  now sells all kinds of ecology and conservation equipment

This is a wonderful, original site with a fantastic collection of different soundscapes to listen to and an extensive wildlife section.