Orston is a rural village surrounded by arable fields and pasture. The river Smite skirts the western edge and greatly increases the biodiversity. The Millennium Green is also to the west, on Smite Lane, it’s a green space that is managed for the enjoyment of our human residents and is a haven for a host of flora and fauna.
The best way to experience the wildlife of the area is a (roughly) 2-mile
Orston Nature Walk
taking in most of habitats the village has to offer.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel @GraceandNature or follow my blog below to learn more about our local environment.
If You Go Down To The (MG) Woods Today!
For regular visitors to the Millennium Green you will have noticed a hive of activity. The trees have had a much needed thinning to allow them to fill out and flourish. This also lets in more light so we have taken the opportunity to increase the biodiversity and plant some wild flowers. The trees along […]
Bring Out Your Wild Side
The Wildlife Trusts are challenging you to do #30DaysWild – pledge to do something wild every day between 1st – 30th June! Previous years suggested – Make a nature table, Admire a setting sun, Exercise in the wild. And Zara and my favourite- Dance in a downpour – it’s one of my happiest memories ever! […]
Otter or Mink?
Poo has been spotted, poked at with a stick and smelt! These ‘scats’ or ‘spraints’ are left to mark territory on prominent rocks, walls or stumps – often under bridges. Numerous deposits have been left along the Smite – especially on the stretch on the Millennium Green. Great news for the environment as only a […]
The days are getting noticeably longer
The birds are responding in full voice. Staking their territory and hoping to entice a mate. Its Saturday and I’ve been in the office. It’s a fair afternoon and I’m counting down the hours until I can speed home and get out for a walk before I lose the last of the light. I head […]
Encounters with Deer
Driving back from work along the country lanes between Newark and Orston. Pitch black, headlights on full, winding my way home. A pair of jewels caught in the glare. The shape of an animal comes into view. A deer. Hugging the hedge line, contemplating a crossing. Walking with Zara along the footpath that skirts Kilvington […]
The dark days are upon us
The dark days are upon us, the nights are long and the days achingly short. The cold grip of winter makes the hardiest of us feel like hibernating within the warmth and safety of our homes. Grey days where the sky is a distant memory, it envelopes us in its dark, depressing fog……. But the […]
Spring has Sprung! A Guide
The Lockdown is difficult for everyone, our normal way of life has been turned inside out, back to front, or ground to a halt altogether! If you are lucky enough to be enjoying the weather and exploring the village on your 15 minutes permitted exercise here are some tips to get the most out of […]
Strange and challenging times
If ever we needed a hug to reassure us and keep us together it’s now. But with Self-Isolation and Social Distancing we have to either skirt around our friends and neighbours as we pass them on our ration of one trip outdoors a day or we have to avoid them all together for risk of […]
Thinning out of the wooded areas
It’s been 20 years since the Millennium Green was founded and we have decided to do a long-overdue bit of thinning out of the wooded areas. It is best practice to plant the trees closer than needed to allow for losses to disease and failing to establish. But over time the trees grow tall and […]
Does the need to be perfect get you down?
Do you look at the posts from your ‘friends’ on Social Media and feel lacking? Public displays presenting the perfect life; the perfect children; the perfect holiday in a 5 star villa in the most beautiful little village straight out of the pages of Conde Naste; the perfect 5 tiered celebration cake with home-made ganache […]
Apps
iNaturalist is an identification app for all living beings. You take a photo or a sound recording and the database makes suitable suggestions based on your location. Your sighting is then uploaded onto their database and then open to the wider community- specialist can then verify your sighting , or correct it, once you get three positive IDs it becomes research grade and helps build a picture of the local ecosystem. The app is free but you can make a donation of your choice if you value their work.
Merlin Bird ID uses algorithms to identify bird species by photo or sound. The sound function is extremely accurate and sensitive so can handle the dawn chorus easily- picking out each individual bird from the cacophony. You can build your own life list, and there are additional sound recordings so you can play back either the song, contact and alarm calls to build your song ID skills
Websites
