discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 65“Even a bit of bark might be home
to all sorts of invertebrates”
KELLY THOMAS, RSPB SENIOR RESERVES ECOLOGISTETHICS O
Deciding where to draw the line is not a
straightforward task.
Once, the tradition of nature tables
in primary schools fostered our innate
curiosity in the stuff of nature. Nowadays,
the classroom displays are few and far
between, partly because young children are
conditioned by society not to touch things
and get dirty. But this mindset may be
changing, due to the trend of forest-school
sessions and outdoor learning. There are
growing calls to bring nature tables back.
The Woodland Trust website offers
printable nature spotter sheets, on which ash
keys, rowan berries, hazelnuts and a host of
other everyday treasures can be ticked off,
and it encourages children to take a ‘treasure
pouch’ on walks in the woods. “A treasure
pouch will keep your nature booty safe,”
the charity declares. It seems like highly
educational, harmless fun. Or is it?“Finding a feather or a beautifully
patterned rock can be the highlight of a
walk,” says Kelly Thomas, RSPB senior
reserves ecologist. “It’s always tempting
to take it home with you. And normally
that’s absolutely fine, but it is important to
check a few things first.” As a start, Thomas
recommends checking if anything is living in
it: “Even a bit of bark might be home to all
sorts of invertebrates.”W
e should be aware,
Thomas says, that some
locations have special
rules restricting what
we can take. In the
UK, this includes Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSIs). There may also be other
wildlife laws to consider. If the treasure that
has been spotted is part of a dead animal, for
instance, its possession might be illegal.“Badgers and bats are protected even
in death,” Thomas points out. However,
the legislation applies only in England and
Wales for badgers, but in England, Wales and
Scotland for bats. Confused? Clearly, there is
a lot to get our heads around if we want to be
responsible in nature.
Rachael Fickweiler, head of nature
reserves and land management at Somerset
Wildlife Trust, is keen to draw a distinction
between the different types of natural places
we might visit. “Our reserves are often
designated sites, such as SSSIs,” she says.
“There’s a generally accepted principle with
sites of conservation value that they are
special, home to rare species and sensitive
habitats. We want to help people make
connections with nature, using all their
senses, and are in favour of that. But nature
reserves aren’t necessarily the right place to
CL pick a posy of flowers.”
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WAGNERCAMPELO/ALAMY;^ROBINBUSH/GETTY;^GETTYInspired
by nature
These natural objects have inspired some
of our most useful inventions everLOOK CLOSER
Wasp nest and paper
The paper palaces constructed by
colonies of social wasps are made
entirely from chewed wood
pulp and saliva. It is
said that about 2,000
years ago, they gave a
Chinese government
official the idea of
making paper.Burdock burr and Velcro
The thistle-like plant burdock produces
viciously spiky seed containers called
burrs, whose tiny hooks
latch onto the fur of
passing mammals. In
1941, they gave Swiss
electrical engineer
George de Mestral the
idea for Velcro.Dragonfly wing
and drones
Dragonflies are some of the fastest and
most manoeuvrable insects,
with four wings in two
pairs. Their unique wing
motion is now inspiring
designs for a new type
of micro-drone.