Autumn is the perfect time to get outdoors and play, whether you are 2 or 200. The wealth of materials that nature provides as an alternative to toys is plentiful at this time of year and provided you don your waterproofs and warm jackets the colder weather shouldn’t put you off. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Make some muddy potions – Grab yourself a pot and a stick, then head on out collecting anything…

As the summer draws to a close, the South Essex interns have finally got a chance to let you all know what they’ve been up to over the last couple of months.

So here goes...

We began our RSPB adventure this June when we joined the South Essex team ahead of an action packed summer season. As the holidays kicked off we were busy engaging with visitors in the wildlife garden & visitor centre; developing our knowledge…

Araneus quadratus by Les Steward

Get your creative juices flowing and you could be the lucky winner of a torch light moth trapping night with Steve Backshall from TV’s Deadly 60. Simply paint, draw or make a collage picture of your favourite bug and tell us why it’s your favourite, to win this exciting experience and other signed Deadly 60 merchandise.  

To celebrate the grand opening of Canvey Wick SSSI…

With the end of the summer holidays in sight it’s perhaps time for a bit of reflection on how the great British summer has panned out. I hope that for many, if not all of you, the warm sunny weather gave you the impetuous to get out and about in the local countryside and once there that you got to see or hear one of our most striking summer migrants – the turtle dove.

Whilst turtle dove numbers are in freefall…