August has been rather soggy for a summer month – what more could be expected of British weather really! Not that the worms were complaining though – with the soil finally receiving some much-needed moisture, we have seen an increase in our wiggly friends, which is important for soil health.
Human visitors also didn’t seem all that deterred, coming along to our free to access summer holidays events, which included several sessions exploring biodiversity in our very own Community Garden – Wendy’s Wildlife Wednesdays! There were many exciting finds, including butterfly eggs, tiny mint moths (pictured), and even some earwigs who had made a poppy seed head their shelter.
Even though these sessions have now reached their conclusion, there is still plenty to see on the farm! September is a wonderful time to see wildlife in the British countrysidr – with the hedgerow beginning to fill up with autumnal delights, foraging creatures will be in their element. For example, goldfinches and other song birds can now be seen feasting on seed heads, while pollinators such as the footballer hoverfly are making the most of the late blooming flowers.
Keeping track of biodiversity on site is important in ensuring our practises are caring for the environment around us – and our visitors can help us with that! We have a citizen science project called ‘Nature Spotting’ – all you need to do is fill in the form on our website to report your sighting to us. Worry not if you’re not experienced in wildlife identification though – the webpage comes with links to simple online ID guides to help you out. Simply head over to www.fordhallfarm.com/naturespotting/ to let us know what wildlife you have spotted. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Francesca Lant, Marketing and Communications Officer