Nature reserves

Our Rough Hill orchard Rough Hill is a traditional apple orchard on the banks of the river Avon in Worcestershire. People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has owned it since 2003, when we decided to save it from neglect and hoped to discover the noble chafer beetle there (PTES had recently become the lead partner …

Briddlesford, an ancient woodland Every January, we invite a loyal group of enthusiastic volunteers to join us in Briddlesford, our nature reserve on the Isle of Wight, to help us maintain and manage the woodland for wildlife. Briddlesford is both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area for Conservation. The presence of …

This year autumn officially began on 23 September 2019 (MET office data). Laura, PTES’s Conservation Officer, is now preparing to care for our nature reserves over the colder months. Here she recounts the splendors of wildlife in autumn at Briddlesford Woods and Rough Hill traditional orchard. Briddlesford From coppicing to canopy Briddlesford Woods is a …

Several unusual and important moth species have been recorded at Briddlesford Copse this year, demonstrating the high quality habitat that it provides for a wide range of fauna. A study by the Isle of Wight Natural History Society in August discovered the tiny Triangle moth (Heterogenea asella), a rare macro moth with a wingspan typically …