Category Archives: Uncategorized

This summer we are collaborating with Pollenize in their ‘citizen science bioblitz’ project to identify the pollinators and plants in two large Plymouth parks. In response to the continuing decline of insects in our urban environments, Pollenize are conducting these surveys to identify and count the existing species in Devonport Park and at Mount Wise.Continue reading “Rebel Botanists and Pollenize get Buzzy 🐝”

Step back in time to Plymouth’s last Victorian chemist. Established in 1864, it was known as Mr Park’s Chemist shop. It sadly closed its doors in 1983, but the contents were rescued and are on show at the Park Pharmacy Trust’s museum and library at Thorn Park. We have been invited by Dr Jan Knight andContinue reading “Botanicus Materia Medica and Park Pharmacy”

Whilst more people than ever were enjoying the music and activities of this year’s Freedom Community Festival, we were seeking out tiny wild flowers popping up along the busy pathways. And, we found some beautiful ones 😍 Shepherd’s Purse has tiny white flowers which, unusually, flower all year round, providing much needed nectar for pollinators.Continue reading “The Festival of Tiny Flowers 🌼🌸🌺”

David Attenborough has been teaching us all, across the world, for almost 70 years! This is a record-breaking achievement for any presenter or (online) teacher, and there is no sign of stopping him, even in his 100th year! In his 2011 ‘Life Stories’ book and series, he took us on a journey back almost 600Continue reading “100 Years to Celebrate; 100 Years to Contemplate…”

“The State of Nature Report is an assessment of how nature is doing across the UK…The report pools data and expertise from more than 60 nature conservation and research organisations, a partnership unparalleled in UK conservation.” https://www.bto.org/our-work/science/publications/reports/state-of-nature Our latest project, ‘Nature Calling!’ has been kindly funded by Charlotte Holloway, the local councillor of Drake WardContinue reading “Nature Calling!”

Pasley Street (pronounced paisley) is a very long urban road in the heart of Stoke, Plymouth. Join us on our walk and chalk, with Sophie from Green Communities, to identify wildlife on the walls and in the cracks of pavements, serving as valuable green corridors for nature. 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️🚶Here we go 🙂… Firedot crustose lichens canContinue reading “Pasley Street Chalking”

It’s fair to say the Dutch people seem really wild about tulips! 🌷 They are everywhere, in every colour and composition imaginable, through a hybridisation process that has lasted over 400 years and still continues. There is even a book called Tulipomania explaining the fad that took hold regarding this flower. Each genetically modified design hasContinue reading “Searching for the Real Wild Tulip”

Whilst walking and chalking on Plymouth’s Hoe, we met a lovely French lady and her two young daughters visiting from Paris. They joined in, chalking flowers on the path, and commended our work for raising attention to urban wildflowers, which are key to the survival of pollinators in cities. We explained how this consciousness raisingContinue reading “The French Connection”

The men responsible for chainsawing the Sycamore Gap tree “were each given sentences of four years and three months”, stated The Guardian on 16th July, 2025. Although the charge was one of criminal damage, “the attack… was met with sadness, disbelief and anger that rippled around the world…the felling caused widespread distress”.  Generally, acts ofContinue reading “Criminal Damage or Ecocide: a right to life”

Did you know that Durnford Street, Plymouth was once the location of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the great fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes? In 1882 he practiced medicine for a short time here. Well, we went on our own investigation to see what urban wild plants we could find on this famous street.Continue reading “A One Street Wander/Wonder”