Blog

The Habitat Aid blog is set in Somerset. The blog tries to introduce some of the issues surrounding our natural environment as understood by a non ecologist. You’ll also find some practical “how to” guides. It’s written by Nick Mann, who runs Habitat Aid. Nick is an increasingly curmudgeonly bald middle-aged bloke of familiar type.

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Native And Exotic Plants In The Garden
April 3, 2017
Native against exotic plants in the garden; a complicated story. Which is best for wildlife and which is best for you?
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Plants for Bugs
August 18, 2015
Last week the RHS published the first paper from its "Plants for Bugs" four-year study in the Journal of Applied Ecology. It's an interesting read,...
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Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
July 7, 2015
Viper's Bugloss is one of my favourite British wildflowers. It looks like a kind of poor man's Delphinium, but flowers for ever and it's just great...
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The Invertebrate Conservation Conference
November 2, 2014
Last week I had a very jolly day in London at the Invertebrate Conservation Conference. The presentations were generally high quality and surprisin...
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Native and non-native plants
April 22, 2014
Today's papers reported on an RHS study which looks at "whether the geographical origin of garden plants makes a difference to the abundance and di...
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There's No Pleasing Some People...
October 8, 2013
What a fantastic summer we had. And it wasn't just us enjoying the sun - all sorts of other animals had a great time of it too. Invertebrates gene...
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Moths And Butterflies: A Life Lesson
September 10, 2013
Moths and butterflies offer a useful lesson in growing up. The most attractive children often grow up to be the dullest adults. My most glamorous c...
- butterflies and moths
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Brimstone Butterflies
April 20, 2013
Photo: Peter Eeles Brimstone butterflies are one of my favourites. I'm not a very clued up lepidopterist, but Brimstone butterflies I can ID a mi...
- butterflies and moths
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Orange Shed With Green Roof
March 6, 2012
make your own green roof
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Settling In
July 31, 2011
New house, new plumbing
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Gardens: The New Countryside
November 25, 2010
When was the last time you cleaned your windscreen?
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Sexing Up Scabious
October 28, 2010
Your Flowers Need You!
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