Conker Nature Magazine | Autumn | October 2021 Issue II by Swanky Group

Autumn | October 2021 | Issue II

THE WORLD OF FUNGI

ING CO R E V

SEE INSIDE WHAT IS COP26, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

With Matthew Gould & Tiffany FrancisBaker

6 | COV 2 P

ING CO ER

Spotlight interviews

race to save our badger population

6 P2

GOING HEAD TO HEAD

Badgergeddon

WILDLIFE

MAGAZINE

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FOUNDER Editor-in-chief Lucy Morris Instagram @lucymorriswild Email: lucymorriswildmedia@gmail.com

Sally Marie Angela Mitchell Zoe Richards Heather Wilkins Darren Wynne Jaquelyn Rodgers Eric Jones Anna Clarke Laszlo Balogh Chloe Valerie Jenny Murphy Simon Hughes

Co-Editor Editor Junior Editor Advertising Director Photography Director Deputy Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor Proofreader Contributor Logo Illustrator Contributor Illustrator & Writer Digital Editor Digital Co-Editor

EDITORIAL OFFICE Wildlife photography, art, and written articles are welcomed, once images are submitted they become the property of Conker Nature Magazine; which will be used to promote the magazine if needed, not for any other purpose. Please send low-resolution j.pegs to conkernaturephotography@gmail.com Conker Nature Magazine is published by Morris Media Publishing Group. Follow us on Social media @conkernature

www.conkernature.com front cover images: RED DEER, NIALL BELL @naturewithniall

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CONKER NATURE TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTUMN VOL I 2021 | ISSUE II

07 THE CHIEF-IN-EDITOR THIS MONTHS LETTER FROM CONKER NATURE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, LUCY MORRIS. AS SHE TAKES A LOOK AT THE NEWS EMERGING FROM THIS MONTH.

08-16 PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT MATT GOULD IS A WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER AND YOUTUBER, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HIM ANDH IS WORK IN OUR SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW.

18-21 WHAT'S ON THIS MONTHS' WILD ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOU TO WATCH, LISTEN AND READ. INCLUDING BOOK SPOTLIGHT RECENT RELEASE.

FEATURES

22-29 BADGER-GEDDON IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT BADGER CULLING HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR A FURTHER SEVEN YEARS. STEFAN GLOSBY FINDS OUT MORE.

Photographer: NAILL BELL @naturewithniall

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CONKER NATURE TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTUMN VOL I 2021 | ISSUE II

30-37 THE WORLD OF FUNGI DISCOVER THE WORLD OF FUNGI, FROM IMAGES SUBMITTED BY OUR READERS, WE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE FUNGI FOUND IN THE UK

38-48 GOING HEAD TO HEAD THE MONTH OF OCTOBER IS FAMOUS FOR DEER RUTTING SEASON. WE BREAK DOWN WHAT DEER RUTTING IS AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR.

49-54 COVERING COP26 COP26 IS LAUNCHING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, BUT WHAT IS COP AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

56-64 SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW WILDLIFE AUTHOUR AND ILLUSTRATOR, TIFFANY FRANCIS-BAKER JOINS US FOR AN INTERVIEW INTO HER LIFE AND WORK AS AN ARTIST.

DEER Photographer: NIALL BELL @naturewithniall

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CONKER NATURE TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTUMN VOL I 2021 | ISSUE II

65-70 OUT AND ABOUT LET'S VISIT AND UNCOVER THE HISTORY, THINGS TO DO, AND WILDLIFE AT RICHMOND PARK, LONDON.

72-77 WALK THIS WAY WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE BEST WALKING TRIPS, FULL OF WILDLIFE, AND TRAILS OF SOME OF THE BEST SCENERY IN THE UK - SCOTLAND.

Photographer: MATT GOULd @mattgould22

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@conkernaturemagazine

CALL FOR WORK - DECEMBER 2021 IS NOW OPEN FOR WILDLIFE & LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Submissions: www.conkernature.com WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO: HARRISONHALLPHOTOGRAPHY

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I have to admit, I'm an absolute sucker for autumn from the falling leaves, to the the blooming fungi. This autumn is no different. I took my first photography trip to both the New Forest and Richmond Park to watch deer rutting behaviour. I found it so interesting watching the red stags bellowing - usually the more wilder deer are not as visible compared to the 430 deer at Richmond Park, it was definitely an experience even had a few run quite relatively close behind me!

Lucy Morris Editor-in-chief

My trip to the Park and the Forest inspired me to delve more into deer and the history behind Richmond Park, after all it is deer rutting season! I hope you learn something new and interesting in this months' issue! LJM

Conkernature submissions@ gmail.com

Conkernature photography@gmail.com

@Conkernature

Conkernature@gmail.com for general inquires

@Conkernature

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Image: Mark Fullbrook

Submit to us

Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

MATT GOULD

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER & YOUTUBER WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

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Hi Matt, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed for Conker Nature Magazine! Follow Matt Gould Instagram: @mattgould22 Twitter: @MattGould22 Youtube: Matt Gould Website: Mattgould.co.uk

When, and what inspired you to get into photography, and do you have any favourite photographers you admire?

I’ve always had a passion for wildlife, and wanted to share that with people. When I was a teenager I realised that showing people a photo of what you find interesting, beautiful or amazing Please tell our readers a little is far more effective at engaging bit about yourself and what it them and getting a message is you do. across. It’s still one of the biggest, if not the biggest drives for me I’m a 27 year old, and these when taking a photo. The days its hard to label what I do internal question of “ how can I actually. Some would call me a show people how amazing this wildlife photographer, others creature or behaviour is in just a youtuber and some a one shot” content creator. Put simply I spend all my spare time I think in general its much more taking photographs of wild a case of individual photos or life and using videos to tell projects that I find admirable those stories. these days.

But Richard Peters, Chris Kaula and Emilia Milonoff seem to regularly knock it out of the park and find their way into my favourited photos on Instagram. What does your photography mean to you? Ha, there are so many ways to answer this. To save from the very real temptation to ramble on about it for days I will keep my answer short. For me, it’s a means of communicating emotion and a reason to stop and think about something in a fast-paced world where that usually seems so absent.

Photographer: MATT GOULD @mattgould22

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What is your process when photographing, do you have a particular area or species you’re most drawn to? I genuinely don’t have any area or species I am regularly drawn to. I like to vary my subjects and locations to keep it fresh and to continue to learn and improve. What guides where I go and what I photograph tends to be the seasons and friends or acquaintances that hear of a particular species or behaviour. What is your favourite animal, and what has been your best wildlife encounter to date? WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

My favourite animal genuinely changes almost on the daily as there are so many fascinating options. But I have always loved stoats, their energy and ambition always amazes me. My best wildlife encounter in regards to photography was definitely on Mull. A friend and I were lucky enough to be shown around the shores of Mull by James Rogerson, a brilliant guide and photographer. Thanks to his expertise, I had an otter feel comfortable enough to swim close enough to me that it broke my lens’s minimum focus distance Photographer: MATT GOULD @MATTGOULD22

I had to just stop and enjoy it being less than four feet away from me. And at the time it was an animal I had tried to see properly for years and to be honest, it was one I thought I never would. So it was quite and emotional and almost spiritual experience. What is the most interesting thing you have learnt about wildlife over the years? Wow, the trouble is I find so much of it interesting. But I guess the thing I regular think about in terms of wildlife in general is how efficient each ecosystem is. Everything has its place and absolutely nothing is wasted. Something I think we humans could learn a lot from.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MATT GOULD @MATTGOULD22

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Presently, what is your biggest aspiration in your photography? I have so many, but at the moment I would say I would love to get a shot into the GDT European Wildlife Photography awards. The shots in that competition are always incredibly artistic and inspirational so I would certainly see it as a big milestone in my career if I was ever able to capture a shot on that level. But perhaps the more pressing day to day aim is to grow my YouTube channel to point of being able to live off of its income fully and so give up my part time camera shop job and create even more videos and experience far more of what the natural world has to offer. Is there a specific species or place you’ve always wanted to experience? I have always wanted to explore Canada. The kind of wildlife found up there and a real feeling of wilderness is something that really appeals to me. But there are so many places on that list that I could say the same for to be honest, every habitat appeals in its own way. Do you have a preferred camera you use, and a favourite lens? - I shoot with a Canon 5DIV and a 500MM F4 IS which I completely love and have no plans to change. Though a favourite lens of mine is my old Sigma 105mm F2.8 (non OS) macro lens. It is optically incredible and was so cheap so ever shot I take with that feels like a bargain. WILDLIFE WILDLIFEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE

Photographer: matt gould @MATTGOULD22

And finally, what advice would you give to the past you and what advice would you give people with similar interests and dreams? To be honest, I am not sure I have figured it all out yet and am probably making mistakes at the moment which 10 years on from now I will likely be looking back on and rolling my eyes. But what I would say is that what has helped me if you want to get into anything creative professionally is to realise that being nice to people and making friends is far easy than making enemies. Sharing thoughts, ideas, and skills are often easily seen as weakening your position for some reason. But there is so much more to be gained from it in the long run and seeing how others interpret what skills or ideas you may have shared can snowball into something awesome and often lead to you getting even better ideas of your own.

Brilliant! Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Matt. I’m sure the readers of Conker Nature Magazine will enjoy learning more about you and appreciate your tips and advice! See more of Matt's inspiring content and wonderful photography on his social media platforms; Instagram: @mattgould22 Twitter: @MattGould22 Youtube: Matt Gould Website: Mattgould.co.uk

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Photographer: matt gould @MATTGOULD22

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what's on

Zoe Richards rounds up some our wild entertainment the mating game, David Attenborough, presented by the bbc Finding a mate isn't easy, and it isn't just about love - the fate of an entire species could lie in the hands of a few individuals, narrated by Sir David Attenborough as he dives into the weird and wonderful ways of wildlife courtship. You can watch the latest episodes on catch up on www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

Underwater Wild: My Octopus Teacher's Extraordinary World, Written by Craig Foster & Ross Frylinck From the creators of the Academy Award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, an immersive journey into the underwater world that inspired itand holds transformative lessons for us all. Released on 16th Nov 2021, you can order here at here

INto the wild podcast, presented by Ryan DALTON. "If it's nature, wildlife, or just the entire planet that you love, then Into The Wild is a podcast for you. Hosted by presenter Ryan Dalton, the show focuses on discussing a huge variety of topics with hugely engaging experts. There is also a side series called Into The Foliage with a co-host Janet Garner where Ryan & Jan dive into the world of botany & the green side of nature. Weekly doses of nature nerd chat are what we all need & the best way to keep up to date is via social media: Twitter: @intothewildpod Instagram: @intothewildpodcast

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Nicolas Bartrum

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what's on FESTIVALs

WILDSCREEN: 2022 DATES RELEASED

The 40th birthday edition of the Wildscreen Festival will take place between the 10-14 October 2022 and will mark a new hybrid format for the world’s leading natural world storytelling event. Wildscreen, the not-for-profit conservation organisation and creator of the Wildscreen Festival, commits to building on the accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability gains made during the pandemic. The reimagined 2020 virtual edition of the Festival, saw delegate numbers soar by 100 percent to 1,900, with 42 countries represented, the largest number ever in the event’s history. The hybrid format will boost the reach and impact of the 2022 event even further, enabling face to face events and networking from Wildscreen’s home city of Bristol, UK, bolstered by a new offering of inperson hubs located in key natural history production bases around the globe, all weaved seamlessly together with a powerful virtual platform. The 2020 Festival saw 121 speakers deliver 248 hours of content, spanning 43 events covering everything from keynotes, masterclasses, commissioner briefings, and film screenings. Over 3,000 new connections were made with 10,000 messages being exchanged using the events networking tool. Headliners included Wildscreen’s Patron, Sir David Attenborough in conversation with Greta Thunberg, Jane Goodall, Jeremy Darroch, and James Cameron. Wildscreen will deliver its first fully hybrid event on 15 November 2021 - Communicating COP is a one-day event bringing together filmmakers, scientists, and corporate organisations, to translate the key actions needed to reach net-zero into powerful stories for leaders, business, and the wider public. Tickets are on sale now from £37.50 for in-person and £25 virtual. Information from https://wildscreen.org/about/news/wildscreen-festival-2022-dates-released/ PHOTOGRAPHY: Nicolas Bartrum WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

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what's on - spotlight

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what's on wildlife entertainment spotlight

CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE -50 MOMENTS OF MEETING THE WILD, edited by Kate Stephenson, featuring contributions from members of ‘The Wildlife Blogger Crowd’ Published by Journey Books / 4 th October 2021 / £12.00 paperback “This book is proof that it can take only a few words to lead us to, and be touched by, nature’s magic.” Virginia McKenna OBE, Born Free Co-Founder and Trustee In this brand new anthology; Connections With Nature: 50 moments of meeting the wild, join the collective of nature-loving storytellers, known as ‘The Wildlife Blogger Crowd’, on a journey to meet the wild. Through 50 tales of memorable moments with nature, this anthology serves to remind us of the wonders of the natural world, the benefits of making connections with wildlife and wild spaces, and highlights how our lives are often a lot more entwined with ‘the wild’ than we might immediately realise. The Wildlife Blogger Crowd was established in 2020, from a desire to create a wildlife and nature blog community dedicated to supporting one another, sharing articles, organising collaborations, asking questions, and seeking new like-minded friends, career opportunities and mentors. Available to buy from: www.thewildlifebloggercrowd.com or click here

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Badger-geddon Words By Stefan Glosby

Photographer: Maciej Jaroszewski

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Photographer: Maciej Jaroszewski

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that badger culling is to be extended to seven new areas in England this year, as part of efforts to tackle bovine tuberculosis in cattle.

Photographer: freder

This year’s release of badger cull licences marks an increase in the kill rate and an expansion of the cull area in England, with a maximum kill quota of 75,930 across both the supplementary and intensive licences issued for 2021. Seven new intensive licences including Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and two parts of Shropshire has been announced, with three of those solely concentrating on new counties to the culling map – Hampshire, Berkshire and Worcestershire. The announcement has been met with consternation by animal rights groups and badger charities. Adam Laidlaw, Badger Trust’s Executive Director, said: “Natural England has unleashed fresh horrors on badgers with the publication of seven more badger cull licences. Licences to kill badgers now cover almost 25% of England’s entire land area. The death toll under all active 2021 licences could hit over 75,000 badgers. That would push us well beyond 200,000 badgers killed since the cull started in 2013, swiftly heading towards half of the estimated population of 485,000. This Government sanctioned senseless slaughter of badgers has to end.”

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Photographer: Kneonlight

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The Born Free Foundation also responded. Their British Wildlife Advocate, Dominic Dyer, said:

Photographer: Byrdyak

“The badger cull is now the largest destruction of a protected species on record and is estimated to have cost over £70m of public funds to date. Despite the huge cruelty and costs of the policy, The government has provided no reliable scientific evidence to prove that badger culling alone is making a significant contribution to lowering bovine TB in cattle in or around the cull zones, which now stretch from Cornwall to Cumbria. “If the slaughter of badgers continues, there is a real danger the species will become locally extinct in areas of England which it has inhabited since the Ice Age.” Ever eager to bury bad news, the Government emphasised that no new badger licenses will be issued from 2022. However, those licenses will run until 2025, guaranteeing at least four more years of culling.

Why was badger culling introduced? Badger culling was introduced in 2013 with pilot culls taking place in Gloucestershire and Somerset, in order to tackle the spread of bovine tuberculosis. European badgers can contract the disease, posing a risk to the human food chain if they pass the disease on to cattle intended for food production. Face-toface contact between the species is very rare, the most common means of transmission occurring via infected badger excretion in fields used by the cattle.

Has it been successful? It is very hard to decide whether culling has been successful, due to the fact that there is only a few years’ worth of data in most areas, and the data itself can very easily be interpreted in different ways. For example, a study published by the journal Scientific Reports showed that between 2013 and 2017, the incidence of TB breakdown in cattle had fallen by 66% in the cull zones of Gloucestershire, and 37% in Somerset. This was seized upon by the National Farmers Union as proof that badger culling is the best way to fight bovine TB and therefore must continue.

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Photographer: sduben

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However, the same study found that there had been no change in herd incidence within the cull zone of Dorset. Not only that but in the year after the report, there was a 130% increase in the rate of TB incidents in herds in the Gloucestershire cull zone. As you can see, the complexity of science makes it difficult to form an opinion either way, especially at such an early stage of the process. Reports of this kind can also easily be influenced by political intervention, with scientists pressured to frame their results to justify government policies in exchange for future funding.

What other issues are there? The biggest issue is cruelty to the badgers. A study in 2019 by an independent expert panel led by Professor Ranald Munro found that up to 23% of badgers who were shot took more than five minutes to die. When you consider that over 120,000 badgers have been killed so far, that makes a potential 30,000 badgers who may have been left to suffer unnecessarily in their final moments. Another important issue is the ‘perturbation effect’, which occurs when populations of badgers are disrupted, causing them to spread out over a wider area and potentially accelerate the spread of TB – the exact opposite of the cull’s objective. Indeed, in trials that took place between 1998 and 2005, it was found that TB infections within cull zones reduced by 19%, but increased by 29% up to 2km outside of them. It must also be remembered that the killing of any animal has a direct impact on their ecosystem, and badgers are no exception. They disperse seeds which enables plants and flowers to flourish over a wider area, and their tunnels often end up being used by foxes, rabbits, otters, and other animals. They also control rodent and insect populations and aerate the soil with their digging.

Photographer: Byrdyak

What other issues are there? The obvious alternative to culling is vaccination, both of cattle and the badgers themselves. The badgers are caught in humane traps, then vaccinated and released the next morning without causing them trauma. They can also be chipped and tagged at the same time, so that data can be collected on their movements, and also to avoid the same WILDLIFE MAGAZINE badger being vaccinated repeatedly.

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Research by The Badger Trust shows that the average cost of trapping and killing a single badger is £1,100, while the same badger would only cost £200 to trap, vaccinate and release. Research by Defra has also shown that vaccinating badgers significantly reduces the chances of their offspring contracting the disease. Cattle vaccination is also making very encouraging progress. A modified BCG vaccine that works against bovine TB was developed in 2019 but at the time of writing in Hertfordshire, Defra is trialing a new skin test that can detect proteins that are present in infected animals, and not in those that have been vaccinated. This means that scientists can tell the two apart for the first time, allowing infected animals to be removed from herds.

Increasingly, farmers are going as far as to change their farming methods completely in order to lessen their impact on the environment and biodiversity, focusing on small-scale practices rather than intensive methods, such as cattle farming, which are driven by demand from supermarkets. In January this year, the inaugural Oxford Real Farming Conference brought together thousands of international farmers to show how agro-ecological farming can fix issues including the climate emergency and biodiversity loss. Photographer: Gareth Nixon

Depending on the success of the trial, a second phase would combine the skin test with vaccination, with the aim of developing a full cattle vaccination programme by 2026. Away from vaccination, farmers can take measures to keep the two species apart. This could be something as simple as erecting barriers around cattle fields to dissuade the badgers from entering, or identifying where the badger Setts are and keeping cattle away from them.

Photographer: Ed Hasting-Evans

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Photographer: Deeley s

In conclusion... As we can see from the evidence above, there is an increasingly strong case to stop badger culling and move on to other, more humane methods of stopping the spread of bovine TB. Badger culling has been advised against by numerous experts ever since the first trials began. Professor Munro, who appeared earlier in this article, was employed by Defra themselves to chair a panel on the pilot badger cull in 2013. The panel concluded that the pilot culls failed to meet Defra’s own criteria for effectiveness and humaneness. Defra’s response? They scrapped the panel and continued regardless. As Michael Gove would say, who needs experts? I personally didn’t know too much about badger culling and the issues surrounding it before I started writing this article. Having done so, my main feelings are horror and anger. If you feel the same way, there are a few things you can do to help. WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

First, you can write to your MP, urging them to put pressure on the Government to end the cull. You can find their details very easily with an internet search. Second, you can seek out your local badger group and see how you can get involved. The Badger Trust has a page on their website which can help you search for groups in your area. You really can make a difference. I think Chris Packham sums things up perfectly: “This roughshod, brutal attempt at solving a problem by continuing to kill badgers is indicative of a system of landscape management which is no longer sustainable. We need to work in harmony with nature, not against it, to ensure our own futures.” Find your local MP: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons Advice on how to write to your MP: https://www.badgertrust.org.uk/campaign-tips-howto-write-to-your-mp Find your local badger group: https://www.badgertrust.org.uk/you

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THE WORLD OF FUNGI - YOUR GALLERY h

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Fungi, a species that has existed since the beginning of life on our planet, and has existed since. There are millions of types of fungus, this includes yeasts, mildews, molds, and one special one we're going to talk about today, mushrooms.

We're going to break down some identification features in our national fungi & share where you can find them!

Please note not to pick any of these fungi species, especially if you are unsure of the species, many of poisonous and in some places illegal to pick in the UK and you could face fines as well as prosecution. HYGROPHOROPSIS AURANTIACA Photographer: Mark Fullbrook @MARKFULLBROOKPHOTOGRAPHY

Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, is also commonly known as false chanterelle and can easily be mistaken for the real chanterelle and vice versa. There are a few points on how you can tell the difference; one being the colour of the gills underneath gills that are too orange in comparison to the chanterelle are considered false chanterelle, very confusing for the beginners in mushroom adventures! Found in coniferous woodland and occasionally heathland.

2 LACCARIA AMETHYSTINA

Photographer: Tyler Hood @TYLERHOODPHOTOGRAPHS

Laccaria amethystina, is also commonly known as the amethyst deceiver. They are fairly small, bright purple in colour that changes paler with age and dry weather. It is found in broadleaf and coniferous woodlands, commonly found in leaf litter. Best times to spot them is in August to November.

AMANITA MUSCARIA Photographer: Mark Fullbrook @MARKFULLBROOKPHOTOGRAPHY

Amanita muscaria, also known as fly agaric is argumentatively one of the most widely known of the fungi family. Fly agaric is commonly identified with its iconic red cap, with white spots and gills. Fly agaric is poisonous and has extreme hallucinogenic properties. Fly agaric is found commonly in woodlands (it favors birch woodlands) as well as heathlands.

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COPRINUS COMATUS Photographer: Izzy Fry @IZZYFRYPHOTOGRAPHY

Coprinus comatus, also commonly known as the shaggy inkcap as well as other names such as 'shaggy mane' and 'lawyers wig'. Admittedly, 'lawyers wig' is my favourite name for the shaggy inkcap. The underneath of the shaggy inkcap actually has, as the name suggests, ink under it's caps. Shaggy inkcap grow in late summer into autumn and can be found commonly across mainly types of habitats, even on front garden lawns and other places such as rocky soils, different types of grassland and even wood chip piles.

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CALOCERA VISCOSA Photographer: Sandi Monger @sandi_monger_photography

Calocera viscosa, also known as yellow stagshorn. The yellow stagshorn is the only of its species that exclusively grows on coniferous stumps and dead roots. Is found in woodlands. The Small Stagshorn (Calocera cornea) is a very close relative of the fungi but much smaller, and grows on deciduous rotting wood instead of coniferous woodland.

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XYLARIA POLYMORPHA Photographer: Sandi Monger @sandi_monger_photography

Xylaria polymorpha, also more commonly known as its aptly named dead man's fingers. The fingers can vary in appearances at different stages of their life cycle, this is hence why it is named 'polmorpha' meaning 'many shapes'. Dead man's fingers are found in broadleaf woodland (the species favours beech), growing in stumps and pieces of deadwood, it is also seen in moss and dead leaved covered areas.

COPRINOPSIS LAGOPUS Photographer: Tyler Hood @Tylerhoodphotographs

Coprinopsis Lagopus is also commonly more known as Hare's foot inkcap. It gets its common name from the furry 'bunny-like foot which eventually grows out to an almost upwards umbrella shape on the cap with a gill-like texture. It is delicate and short-lived. Grows in groups on areas such as compost, animal faeces, & wood chips. Best to see in early autumn to mid-winter.

PHALLUS IMPUDICUS Photographer: Sandi Monger @sandi_monger_photography

Phallus impudicus, also known as the common stinkhorn, any guesses why? That's right, the stinkhorn quite simply stinks! Now, the reason why is due to a gel that the stinkhorn releases called gelba, which smells like rotting flesh hence the name of stinkhorn. It attracts many flies and insects, and is usually prevalent around badger sett sites due to the flies landing on, and spreading, the spores by badger faeces. The stinkhorn is found nationally, grows in every type of woodland, especially coniferous woodlands. As mentioned above, the stinkhorn positively smells disgusting, hence why you'll more likely to smell it first than to see it.

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HYGROCYBE CHOLOROPHANA Photographer: Emily Hunt @em_loves_nature

Hygrocybe cholorophana, also known as the golden waxcap. This species is generally a very wet species, hence the Latin hygrocybe which translates to ' watery head'. The cholorophana part actually translates to green colour which is actually incorrect, even the common name golden waxcap isn't quite accurate either as it is more yellowish/orange as seen on the right. This species is really quite exclusively resides on unimproved grasslands, it is rather occasional in the UK but can be found in other places worldwide.

GYMNOPILUS JUNONIUS Photographer: Tyler Hood @Tylerhoodphotographs

Gymnopilus junonius, also known as the spectacular rustgill. It is a wood-rotting species and is found on stumps and logs of broadleaf deadwood woodlands and occasionally conifers.

Spectacular rustgill has toxins inside including hallucinogenic properties and have common names of Laughing Jack and Laughing Jim because of the psychotic properties.

11 TREMELLACEAE MESENTERICA Photographer: Sandi Monger @sandi_monger_photography

Tremellaceae mesenterica, also known as the yellow brain, is one of the unique looking fungi, in terms of fungi structure and looks more of a gelatinous mass. The translation of mesenterica actually means in ancient geek 'middle intestine', interesting. The yellow brain is a national species, can be found on deciduous and other types of wood lying around and more interestingly, gorse.

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LACCARIA AMETHYSTINA Photographer: Sandi Monger

PHOLIOTA SQUARROSA Photographer: Emily Hunt @em_loves_nature

Pholiota squarrosa is also more commonly known as the shaggy scalycap. The greek translation to pholiota squarrosa is means quite literally, upright scales.

AURICULARIA AURICULA-JUDAE Photographer: Sandi Monger @sandi_monger_photography

Auricularia auricula-judae, is also known as the jelly ear. Usually found among deadwood trees and branches. It's quite common around the UK and found usually in clusters. The jelly ear tends to favour species such as sycamore, beech and ash as well as elder trees. Interestingly there has been some mythology surrounding the species in which it's said the jelly ears grow on which Judas died, the legend says the ears are representing the tormented soul of Judas.

The shaggy scalycap is frequent around the stumps of felled trees and appears in both broadleaf and coniferous woodlands - most noticeably in spruce. Found in August to November in the UK.

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MYCENA ROSELLA Photographer: Izzy Fry

Mycena rosella, is also more commonly known as the pink bonnet. It is an poisonous species and known to appear in leaf litter under decideous trees. The pink bonnet can be found in different types of woodland such as broadleaf woodland, but also can be found in decideous woodland where there is acidic soils. The species is also fond of mossy areas Happy hunting & fungi season!

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Going head

this years' WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

to head

deer rut Photographer: Niall Bell @NATUREWITHNIALL

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Deer rutting season is a simple must for any wildlife-lovers that are interested in deer. However, some really interesting things about the rut are often unknown if you aren't part of a select few that actively study deer behavior. Today, we're going to break down what deer rutting is all about. What is deer rutting?

Deer rutting is the season where three of the biggest deer species (red, fallow and sika) all engage in ferocious mating battles. The males these are called stags, compete with their rivals stags for females - these are called hinds. The stags make it known during the rutting that the hinds are 'theirs'. The dominant stag will have a herd of hinds that is his and has the sexual dominance and upper hand of his rivals. When does the rut start?

The ruts are during October time. However, the stags start getting prepared by putting on a lot of weight as early as August all through September. Then, when the ruts start in October the stags will actually fast for the entire month - this is due to the stags' instinct to gather as many hinds as possible. This results in a 20-30% loss in body weight. What to be on the lookout for?

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Just before the rut starts, stags actually live in peace together in a herd. Eventually, you'll see them start to split off in search for hinds - this is evidence of the rutting starting. Bellowing/barking - Red stags bellow as a sign demonstrating dominance over the hinds and challenging other rivals. Fallow deer do the same. However, their vocals is more of a barking, longer sound, listen out for both!

Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

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What to look out for - continuation

Deer species locking antlers has always been that iconic photography shot and really shows what 'going head to head' looks like. However, deer do not want to get to that stage but will if necessary and there are a few key things to spot before deer initiate going into combat. Bracken in antlers - this is to make the rival stags feel intimidated, by giving the individual a more 'menacing, larger' look than the rival. Parallel walking - after roaring the dominant stag and the smaller stag will parallel walk, this is to access their opponent's size and strength (picture below). If the other two options fail to intimate the rival then will come the actual battle, a fight that is a shoving match, with each one trying to exhaust the other, the stags will attempt to get the upper advantage by getting to the top of the hill and shoving their opponent downwards. The stag that loses will be cast out of the herd and forced to join the other outcasted stags until the end of the rut - results in no offspring for that stag for the year, something that animal instincts are against due to the nature of the survival of the species.

Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

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Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

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Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

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Preparing for deer rutting season

Rutting activities are more frequent not soon after dawn, although the rutting happens throughout the day into the night, it can be less intense due to human disturbance being more frequent. If you're planning on doing a photography trip for the deer rutting season there are a few things you need to know; Stags are usually pumped with testosterone and considered and there have been reports of incidences between both sexes and people. Unfortunately, there are members of the public, which walk extremely close to the herd. This has been seen by myself and many photographers, it has even been captured on film. Walking close to the herds isn't only reckless and dangerous, it also causes changes to their behaviour usually completely halting rutting behaviour. Heat actually affects how active the herds will be in rutting that day. The colder the better - in warmer weather the herd is nowhere near as active. The royal parks - where you can get much closer than your average wild deer have a strong guideline of keeping within 50 feet of the deer - of course, this is broken countless times but it is the rules that are in place.

Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

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Best locations in the UK for rutting deer

New Forest, Hampshire. Cairngorms, Scotland Royal parks, London RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk Lyme Park, Cheshire. Isle of Jura, Inner Hebrides Margam Park, Glamorgan Eastern Moors, Peak District. Exmoor National Park, Somerset Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Yorkshire

Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

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Photographer: NIALL BELL @NATUREWITHNIALL

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COVERING COP26

Photographer: HALFPOINT

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It's not a secret that the planet is in trouble. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable rising concern about climate change. This is to the point where it is nearly covered daily in media outlets - stories from Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion, and of course the political meetings, COP (Conference of the Parties), all battling one thing - climate change.

Why is COP26 the most crucial meeting to date?

If you've been following the COP meetings for a while, it won't be difficult to cast your mind back to COP21 - in Paris 2015. In COP21, every country agreed to work together to bring down global temperatures and aim for 1.5 degrees lower.

Secondly, under the Paris Agreement, countries brought forward their plans to reduce emissions Today we're going to cover what COP actually in their nation, this aimed to reduce emissions worldwide and therefore, reduce temperatures covers and what the plan to tackle climate This is known as NDCs, or Nationally change is for the next few years. Determined Contributions and is something What is COP26 and why is it happening? nations update the plan every 5 years. Global warming has been increasing steadily for years from fossil fuel emissions dating all the way back to the Industrial Revolutions. Over the past few years, it has been clear as crystal - climate change is an issue. Extreme weather events have been directly linked to climate change from forest fires, floods, and heatwaves. This last decade was the hottest ever recorded so a collective of governments internationally decided to do something.

Now, comes COP26, summit in Glasgow and also the deadline year for NDC's reducing emissions. However, the agreements laid out in the NDC's in COP21 to reduce the global warming temperature to 1.5 never got met - in fact it never even came close. Photographer: Markus Spiske

When and where is this taking place?

This year over 190 world leaders are taking part in the summit, held in Glasglow on the 31st - 12 November. This is year is the COP 26th annual summit, hence the name COP26. Now, due to Covid-19, the COP summit was delayed for a year, meaning that it has been a while since climate change political talks were underway. Not only that experts and other climate activists around the world believe this is the most crucial summit to date - here's why.

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Photographer: Markus Spiske

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WHAT DOES COP26 AIM TO ACHIEVE? ACHIEVE REDUCING 1.5 DEGREES PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY & LIVELIHOODS PUSHING FOR FINANCE GLOBALLY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE DELIVERING ON THE PARIS AGREEMENT

Photographer: CreativeNature_nl

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Photographer: Lumppinil

Are the politicians likely to stick to the points?

There will no doubt be a considerable amount of talking - 12 days in fact - all on climate finance and battling global issues. Even developing countries that had the least amount of pollution per population is a massive contribution to discussions. Even though these countries haven't been recorded to contribute emissions globally - they have suffered the brunt of it. All eyes will be on China this year - as one of the world's biggest polluters, as well as investors in coal (fossil fuel) stations all over the globe. Many will be observing how China will pledge and how quickly they can turn their pollutions around to meet the COP26 standards.

Developing countries will want a financial increase to help over the next five years to battle the worst of extreme weather events - caused due to climate change. COP26 is crucial to alternating climate changes' path of destruction. Therefore, anything less than what has been laid out for the aims of this summit will be met with immense criticism, due to the politicians being aware of what actions to take to prevent the climate from worsening and affecting developing countries even more so. However, scientists and members of climate activist groups say COP26 is not enough - it is far too late, no matter what is agreed, the belief is the planet is too far gone to even keep the idea of reducing global temperatures by 1.5C.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to tell if the summit will have huge success, simply because of How will we know if COP26 is successful? two things - pledges with then no implementation Now, whether or not COP26 will be successful or not being able to reach the pledge to have a will remain to be seen. successful effect. Look at the COP21 - the goal wasn't even near, There will be no doubt, specific pledges from all maybe it was even too high of an aim. nations, the UK included, and statements pledging to continue what was previously Sadly, the clock is ticking out too fast to reduce outlined in other summits will be reinforced. the aim to something more achievable. We are running out of time. WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

FLOODING DIRECTLY LINKED TO CLIMATE CHANGE Photographer: RoschetzkyIstockPhoto

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submissions for November 2021 are open! find out more at www. conkernature. com Photographer: Mark fullbrook

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Photographer: Tiffany Francis-Baker

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Interview with Tiffany Francis-Baker Wildlife Author & Illustrator

Hi Tiffany, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed for Conker Nature Magazine! Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and what it is you do.

Hello! I'm aby nature writer and Words Izzy Fry illustrator from the South Downs in Hampshire. I design stationery and gifts which I sell online, all ethically sourced and inspired by the magic of nature, and I am also the author of six non-fiction books, including Dark Skies: A Journey into the Wild Night, published by Bloomsbury Wildlife. What inspired you to write and create nature-themed artwork, and who are your favourite writers and artists? I have always wanted to be a writer, but although I dabbled with all kinds of writing styles in my late teens and early twenties, it wasn't until I was studying for my Masters that I discovered nature writing was a 'thing'! I love the natural world and everything clicked into place when I realised I could write about the subject I am most passionate about.

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The artwork came along later – I stopped studying art after A Level but picked up my pencils again after my undergraduate degree. My writing and art soon began to organically weave together, and now I do both! My favourite writers include Daphne du Maurier, the Romantic poets, Emily Brontë, H G Wells and J R R Tolkien, and artistically I am inspired by William Morris, Ernst Haeckel and Beatrix Potter. Is there anyone else who has been influential in your life and in your love of nature? My mum has always encouraged me with our shared love of nature, and my brother-in-law is also very outdoorsy. I was very lucky to grow up in a beautiful part of Hampshire and spent lots of time outdoors. What is your favourite animal and what has been your best wildlife encounter to date? My favourite animal has always been a polar bear, although sadly I am yet to see one in the wild! My best wildlife encounter is either seeing beavers in the River Otter or watching a flock of fruit bats fly out of a tree in India. Photographer: Tiffany Francis-Baker

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Photographer: Tiffany Francis-Baker

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Photographer: Tiffany Francis-Baker

You’ve often mentioned ‘Creative Conservation’ in your posts. What is that, what does it mean to you, and why do you think it's so important?

Telling stories and creating art is an amazing way to connect people with the world around them, and when they connect, they care much more.

So what is your process when It's something I've been writing and creating art? thinking about for a few years now. There is a growing My creative process revolves movement of science and art around Google Drive, scrappy colliding to help spread the pieces of paper, sketchbooks and word about nature, my iPhone notes app. I love how biodiversity and climate Wordsworth described writing change. I used to look around poetry, which is: 'The at other nature friends who spontaneous overflow of worked as ecologists and powerful feelings... recollected in researchers, and I felt like I tranquility.' was having very little impact, but I've learnt over time I go walking every day, but I

'storytelling in any form never take a notebook with me because I prefer to just enjoy is absolutely vital to being outside and reflect on the bridging the gap experience later. between science and everyday life' WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

Sometimes I write something down on my phone, but generally all my creative work is produced at my desk at home. When writing, I can't have any noise or distraction as I'm a terrible procrastinator. And when painting or drawing, I either listen to music, podcasts, or binge-watch rubbish on YouTube. The best thing about having two creative outlets is I can switch between them when I get bored or hit a block, which can happen often! Out of all your achievements so far, which are you most proud of? My little daughter Olive. She is my finest creation!

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What else are you hoping to achieve; do you have an ultimate ambition? Where do you see yourself in the future? I'd love to carry on writing books and running my small business – I absolutely love both! In the long term, I would love to open some kind of community studio or creative hub, running workshops or just sharing a space with other artists, as self-employment can be lonely at times. I'd also love to travel and produce some creative work inspired by other landscapes. At the moment I'm particularly keen to visit California and Patagonia. What advice would you give to the past you and what advice would you give to people with similar interests and dreams? I would encourage my past self not to get caught up with what a creative career should look like. For a long time, I struggled with being a writer and illustrator because I was convinced I should commit to one or the other. It took me a few years to realise, especially in the age of the internet, that you really can shape your career to be exactly what you want.

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What is the most interesting thing you have learnt about wildlife over the years? I'm really fascinated by Gaia theory and the idea that we are all connected as one giant organism. It's become very influential on my work, and I like seeing how nature always works in balance. I am also mesmerised by how far birds and butterflies migrate – I can't fathom it! Apparently, in their lifetime a swift can travel the equivalent of seven trips to the moon and back. Craziness!

Brilliant! Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Tiffany. I’m sure the readers of Conker Nature Magazine will enjoy learning more about you, and appreciate your tips and advice! See more of Tiffany’s inspiring content (and her beautiful naturethemed books, gifts and stationery) on her website: tiffanyfrancisbaker.com and Instagram @tiffany.francis Interview by Chloé Valerie Harmsworth @chloevalerienatureart / chloevalerienatureart.wordpress.com

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LET'S VISIT.... Photographer: RUZANNA

Richmond Park, London

This wildlife-filled wonder, right on the border of central London, with views of the towering skyscrapers. Yet you feel the furthest away from those bustling streets. The history of Richmond Park

Richmond Park, a part of the Royal Parks owned by The There were, however, still commoners in Crown and by extension, Her Majesty, The Queen.

the area of Richmond Park that had a right to collect timber and graze cattle. The park is actually a medieval deer park, meaning it's However, King Charles I ignored all of been there for hundreds of years, this makes its these claims, and in 1637, he built himself woodlands and trees on the park incredibly special, for a hunting park. its ancient woodlands. These ancient woodlands are by far the most important feature of the park, with many King Charles I then added 2,000 deer to of them dating back to as far as the tutor times. the park, and to make sure they didn't run off he built a wall of 8 miles around The Park has had a long line of history with the Royals, Richmond Park - some of it you can still with King Henry VII building a palace in the late 15th see today. century. However, it was King Charles I, who really changed the area of Richmond Park from a place of The local people were furious with the medieval farms and pastures to the modern Richmond new wall and as a consequence of Park today. building on commoners' rights, the King was ordered to restore the rights and built Charles was living in a time where London was rife a ladder on the wall to allow people to with the plague, making times to live in London very come and collect firewood. difficult. He then realised that his best opportunity to hunt in London was of course Richmond Park. From there, the changes made by King Charles I changed the park to what we WILDLIFE MAGAZINE know the park to be today.

Photographer: Fiona Wang

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Wildlife at Richmond Park

Richmond Park is home to a wide variety of biodiversity. The Park has designations such as National Nature Reserve (NNR), Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Invertebrates thrive at Richmond Park with records so far including 139 species of spider, 546 species of butterfly and moth species as well as over 1350 species of beetles, including the endangered Stag Beetle.

Richmond Park is famous for its herd of deer. There is a record of 630 red and fallow deer that have been roaming the park since 1637.

Grasses and wildflowers have been managed for centuries by deer, making it an incredibly special habitat - the largest area of lowland acid grassland in the entire of London.

Bird life in Richmond Park is unlike any other, with a huge variety of around 144 species recorded at the Park over the last 10 years and 63 of them have been breeding species of woodpeckers, owls, kestrels, and a variety of waterfowl.

As well as the deer, other mammals reside in the Park but are a lot less noticeable. These include mice, voles, shrews, rabbits, and foxes. Horse riders can also be seen in the park due to a number of riding stables that have permission to ride in Richmond Park.

Richmond park is also home that supports bats, with 0ver 100,000 trees, bats love the gaps and open spaces that some of the ancient trees provide them. Photographer: ShotByChris

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Photographer: Leigh Woods

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Photographer: leonard78uk

Other Information for Richmond Park

Other attractions to see at Richmond Park include; The Isabella Plantation - is a 40-acre woodland, and is famous for its evergreen azaleas that bloom in late April and early May. The Plantation houses some beautiful ponds, heath, bog gardens, and woodlands - some of the most important habitats in the country. King Henry's Mound - Located in Pembrokeshire Lodge Gardens, it is thought this is the spot where King Henry VII stood and hunted. It now has panoramic views of Thames Valley and St.Pauls cathedral, 10 miles away. The Way - The Way gates were designed to enjoy the tercentenary of St. Paul's Cathedral, where you can see straight to the cathedral and were built to enjoy the protective view no building or obstacles are allowed to block the view.

Richmond Park also offers food and drink in multiple locations across the park: Pembroke Lodge Roehampton Cafe Broomfield Hill kiosk Pen Pond Kiosk

Photographer: HELOVI

Find out more information by heading to https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park

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Photographer: ALIDA

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Photographer: keremberk

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Name:

Date:

SPOOKY ANIMAL KINGDOM You might think that Halloween is only for spiders and bats, but some animals are naturally born ready for Halloween! Learn more about these fascinating creatures by completing the crossword puzzle below.

ACROSS

DOWN

3. Ghost ______ is a rare, deep sea fish.

1._____-faced bats has an unusual appearance.

4. Bearded ______ is a highly venomous fish.

2. Flying _____ are the largest bats on Earth.

7. _______ are the world's largest and most hairy spiders.

5. Halloween snakes have black and ______ stripes.

8. ______ flounder is a thin, wide fish.

6. _______ bugs are considered as pests by farmers.

10. A black _____ is a classic Halloween symbol.

9. A Halloween ______ does not swim but needs a water source nearby.

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walk this way across SCOTLAND'S BEST WALKS

Photographer: Mimadeo

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Photographer: ROBERT KELLY

Over the past year, lockdown ST. KILDA, has severely affected our NORTH-WEST SCOTLAND freedom to discover new places, and give us that well St Kilda is probably one of the deserved mental rest. best-known, beautiful landscapes of the Scottish Now, lockdowns are seemingly isles. It has some of the over, and for the past few highest sea stacks and cliffs months 'staycations' have been anywhere in the UK and has actively trending, due to the one of the largest coastal general feeling of being seabird colonies on the planet. cautious of travelling abroad. St Kilda is owned by the National Trust of Scotland. Yet, staycations in the UK is full of awe-inspiring, and St Kilda consists of four main breathtaking landscapes to islands and sits about 45 miles travel to - from one of the west of the Outer Hebrides. arguably best spots in the country - Scotland. we have Some of the best of Scotlands picked five of some of the best birds can be found at St Kilda, walking spots for beautiful including the world's largest views and wildlife hotspots. colony of gannets can be found on Boreray and the Get your walking boots on and stacks - the sight is said to be get that sense of adventure awe-inspiring, as well as a back again, there's some truly varied of other seabirds. stunning views you must see! WILDLIFE MAGAZINE

THE CAIRNGORMS, NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND

The Cairngorms National Nature Reserve is easily the biggest nature reserve in the UK, and one of the largest conservation areas in the whole of Britain and Europe. Most of the reserve is treacherous mountainsides with lochs, streams and bogs. The summit of The Cairngorms itself is 4296ft - Scotland's second biggest mountain. In addition, The Cairngorms has over 2000 acres to the north of the reserve are occupied by Rothiemurchus Forest - the largest - and arguably the finest Caledonian pine forest in the entire of Scotland. Several different species can be found here.

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Photographer: IRISHBASE

2 Photographer: 1111IESPDJ

Photographer: Flavio Vallenari

FOREST PARK, 3 GALLOWAY SOUTH SCOTLAND The Galloway Forest Park is North of Newton Stewart. The western area of the park houses Glentrool Forest. The east lies upland pastures and mountains - including Merrick - which is the highest peak in southern Scotland - reaching at 2770ft. Birdlife is rich in Galloway Forest Park and is perfect for bird watchers, and houses the elusive one or two pairs of golden eagles, as well as golden plovers, merlins, and hen harriers. Both red and roe deer live in the area, reds can be found on the hillsides and roe in the forests surrounding the area. Keep your eyes open for the feral goats that also inhabit the area!

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LOCH GARTEN NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND

Loch Garten is argumentatively one of the best-known nature reserves in all of Britain. It is owned by the RSPB, and its reason for being famous is down to its famous population of ospreys.

Photographer: IAN APPLETON

The reserve also houses some of the finest Scottish natural pine forests where a number of bird species can be seen such as buzzards, sparrowhawks, siskins, crossbills, and capercaillies.

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Photographer: MOTTO55

LOCH LOMOND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND

Loch Lomond is most of the most picturesque and famous of Scottish lochs, it also takes a great deal of interest from naturalists and other wildlife experts due to the amount of biodiversity. The area got declared a National Nature Reserve and it includes part of the flood plains of the River Endrick. A large number of wildfowl can be found at Loch Lomond in winter and several of the islands house a smaller number of herds of fallow deer. At the River Endrick, there is a point where it joins the loch and has created some really interesting areas of marsh, the most extensive been called Aber bogs and have a wide range of flora species that characteristics meet with wetland flora diversity and it quite uncommon in the Scottish lochs and mountain ranges.

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Photographer: jaife

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ANSWER SHEET

1 3

G H

X 5

S 7

O R

P U

E L

R 10

ACROSS

DOWN

3. Ghost ______ is a rare, deep sea fish.

1._____-faced bats has an unusual appearance.

4. Bearded ______ is a highly venomous fish.

2. Flying _____ are the largest bats on Earth.

7. _______ are the world's largest and most hairy spiders.

5. Halloween snakes have black and ______ stripes.

8. ______ flounder is a thin, wide fish.

6. _______ bugs are considered as pests by farmers.

10. A black ___ is a classic Halloween symbol.

9. A Halloween ______ does not swim but needs a

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PHOTO: HENRYK_PHOTO

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