Press Releases 

Planting bee-friendly flowers and cutting grass less often are among five simple steps the British public are being urged to take to help our precious pollinators thrive—as, despite public concern about bee populations, more than half of those asked say they have not taken any pollinator-friendly actions in the last year.

This year's National Meadows Day is promising to be the biggest yet, with up to 100 events taking place across England, Scotland, N. Ireland and Wales in celebration of ancient wildflower meadows and their wildlife.  People in Somerset will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the wonder of a flower-rich meadow on their doorstep.

Somerset Wildlife Trust is pleased to announce the full line-up of events and activities for this year’s Taunton Wildlife Week – an annual celebration of the town’s green spaces and wild places, and the wildlife that lives there.  Launched on Saturday 18th June as part of ‘Somerfest’, and continuing through to Sunday 26th June, Taunton Wildlife Week is part of SWT’s ‘30 Days Wild’ initiative – one that aims to encourage people to insert nature into their everyday life  to make us happier and healthier.

Students studying Countryside Management in Year 1 and 2 of their BTEC Diploma at Bridgwater College have completed practical work at Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve on the Avalon Marshes as part of an ongoing schedule of works to support Somerset Wildlife Trust’s work in that area.

The work of Somerset Wildlife Trust across the county and the public’s love of wildlife bridged the generation gap today as the organisation said thank you to two wonderful fundraisers.

Thanks to some generous funding from Martin Stanley, one of Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Trustees, we are delighted to welcome Olivia Dullaghan to the team as our very first Visitor Experience Officer. Olivia will be out and about this Spring and Summer across our flagship nature reserves in the Avalon Marshes and Cheddar area, inspiring people about the fantastic wildlife that there is to see on our Nature Reserves, and helping visitors with any questions they might have.

People who do something ‘wild’ every day for a month change their attitude to nature and report improvements in their physical and mental wellbeing, according to new research, which places nature connection at the heart of a happy and healthy life.

Bursting with colour, seductive scents, the buzz of insects and alive with animals - a wildflower meadow is a jewel in nature’s crown that puts on a spectacular show in summer. So it’s frightening to think that something so precious and vital is in real danger. Since the 1930’s we have lost 97% (nearly 7.5 million acres) of meadows and grasslands and the wildflowers and wildlife associated with them. Every year more and more meadows are lost through neglect, change of land use or development and with them our native wildflowers such as oxeye daisies, snakes head fritillary and bee orchids, to name but a few.

Some of Somerset’s most spectacular coastline is open to the public for the first time today following the official unveiling of 58 miles of new and improved coast path.

Local companies lend a hand to create the perfect piece of wildlife space and local charity and school benefit as a result.