Things you might find on your biodiversity thinking walk.

Find a rainbow of plant colours

This could be in one tree

A collection of plant material, or a collage of photos!

In spring, you should find plenty of colourful flowers, you could collect photos of these, or fallen petals for your rainbow. In the summer months you should also be able to find plenty of colour in the flowers, but also colours in early fruits. In the Autumn months, leaves turn all the colours of the rainbow, but there are also plenty of fruits and berries. You can find rich reds in the hawthorn berries, golden yellows in field maple or beech trees and everything from green to black in blackberries. In the winter you might have to be a bit more creative, but you will still find many colours in barks, evergreen trees, and even dead plants you will still be able to find a few coloured berries, such as holly. Snow drops and lesser celandine will be in flower in January, with coltsfoot, bluebells and garlic mustard flowering from February and March. Find a rainbow of plant colours

Find animals on plants

In the spring you might find caterpillars, birds, bumblebees, ladybirds. The best place to look would be on flowers and leaves on any plants you find on your walk. In the summer you should be able to see plenty of bees, wasps, flies, birds, beetles and from April/May you should find butterflies. The best place to look would be on flowers and leaves on any plants you find on your walk. In autumn there will still be a few insects around, and plenty of birds perched on trees. If you can find any ripe fruits, like blackberries and hawthorn, this would be a great place to look for insects and birds. In the winter you will be able to see birds on trees and shrubs. Find animals on plants

Find plants that have been used as food (nibbled!)

In the spring you might find that some of the new shoots, fresh leaves etc have been nibbled by caterpillars. In the summer you should find plenty of leaves, fruit and even some flowers that have been nibbled. In autumn you should find fruit all around you! Look for berries and leaves with little holes In the winter you might find empty shells of acorns or conkers that could have been eaten by squirrels or mice. Find plants that have been used as food (nibbled!)

Find creatures with 6 legs

In spring you will be able to find bees, ladybirds, flies and maybe ants. In the summer there will be ants in grassy areas and maybe even in your play ground. Butterflies have 6 legs, these are most commonly found near flowers in the summer. You should also be able to see bees, ladybirds and flies all through the summer months In autumn there should still be many of the summer bugs around. In the winter creatures with 6 legs are a little more difficult to find, but try looking under a few stones Find creatures with 6 legs

Find creatures with wings

In the spring birds will be singing all around! Find them in the sky, in trees or eating crumbs off the floor. Many insects have wings too - see if you can find any flies, bees, ladybirds or beetles. In the summer the birds will still be around, find them in the sky, in trees or eating crumbs off the floor. Keep looking for insects with wings, in the summer there will be butterflies around with big colourful wings! In autumn you will still be able to find birds, and many of the winged bugs from summer. In the winter you should still be able to see and hear birds around. If you can’t see any in the sky, look at bushes and trees, or for pigeons eating crumbs off the floor! Find creatures with wings

Find evidence that animals have been here This could be a birds nest (but remember not to disturb any!)

A cobweb

A feather

In the spring you might find leaves that have been nibbled, cobwebs spun by spiders, feathers dropped by birds or even bird poo! In the summer you might find leaves that have been nibbled, cobwebs spun by spiders, feathers dropped by birds or even bird poo! In autumn. There are plenty of leaves and fruit around that might have been nibbled. You might also find feathers from birds – or even bird poo! Empty shells of acorns or conkers that could have been eaten by squirrels or mice. You could try to find empty snail shells, or animal prints in the ground. In the winter. From January you might start to find frogspawn if you have a school pond- this is frogs eggs. You might also find feathers from birds – or even bird poo! Empty shells of acorns or conkers that could have been eaten by squirrels or mice. You could try to find empty snail shells, or animal prints in the ground. Find evidence that animals have been here

Find plants in peculiar places Between cracks in the pavement

On top of a building!

In a drainpipe

On a wall

Try looking between paving slabs, in drain pipes, at the edges of your playground and even look up to the roof- sometimes they can be seen all the way up there! Find plants in peculiar places

Find different shaped leaves

In the spring leaves will be bursting from trees, from straight out the soil, and almost wherever you look! In the summer leaves will be everywhere from trees, to shrubs and small herbs in the corner of the playground In autumn, leaves not only come in amazing shapes but also amazing colours – what variety! In the winter many plants lose their leaves, but you remember the evergreens, you should still find holly, ivy, needle like leaves from conifers and there’s always grass! Find different shaped leaves

Happy biodiversity hunting!