Wild Ennerdale

19/06/2026

Otters always seem to be having fun. These two were recorded playing in Moss Dub by one of Forestry England's team earlier in June. Its really special to know that there are otter in the valley.

21/05/2026

Often we are distracted by the big landscape that we don't look down at the smaller wonders of nature like these fragile violets. When you are next in the valley see what is the smallest beautiful element of nature you can find. Please share any photos so we can all enjoy your find.

17/05/2026

Rowan is one of the most prolific regenerating species in the valley, which is great news. In late spring it produces clusters of creamy‑white flowers, and by autumn those turn into bright red berries. Insects benefit from the nectar in spring, while birds and red squirrels make the most of the berries later in the year.

14/05/2026

If you walk the Liza Path, you’ll notice a lot of felled conifers. These non‑native trees were removed over winter to protect the gravel‑bed habitats that support a wide range of invertebrates. We’ve taken out the trees that were casting heavy shade, producing seed, and creating new regeneration. The aim is to reduce the spread of non‑native conifers onto the gravel beds.

11/05/2026

We get excited every year when we see the green fuzz of natural rowan regeneration on Mart Knott. Natural England tell us this is one of the best examples of natural woodland expansion uphill anywhere in the Lake District.

08/05/2026

The fresh, vibrant spring growth makes it easy to spot the mature beech trees among the conifers on Lingmell, on the south side of the valley. Beech isn’t native to Cumbria, but it does add colour, texture, and a good crop of beech seed — an important food source for a wide range of wildlife.

05/05/2026

Listen carefully when you visit the valley you may here the distinctive sound of a woodpecker. In our latest bird monitoring from 2023 we found both great spotted and green woodpeckers in the valley which is great news.

02/05/2026

Some of us are going along to the Cumbria Nature Festival are you? Some great speakers and family activities -8th - 10th May

Soooo much work has gone into pulling this brand new festival together 💪. We aimed to create a 3 day programme for all ages ,all weathers . The take up has been fantastic so much so our website programme is still catching up .
It would really help if your thinking about attending to book asap to give our fantastic The Binsey Field Kitchen a chance to work out numbers .
Please share this post with anyone who you know that cares about the wild flowers in their lonning , bees in the trees , badgers or bats ,birds or bryophytes .
" Nature is our biggest ally and greatest inspiration" David Attenborough .
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cumbria-nature-festival

02/05/2026

Spring is here, and the first butterflies are starting to appear. They’re easy enough to spot but tricky to photograph as they flit quickly from flower to flower. This green‑veined white was seen in Silver Cove, on the small area where the infected larch was recently felled.

If you spot or photograph any butterflies in the valley, do share them — it’s great to see what’s about.

27/04/2026

The change in weather has given Forestry England the opportunity to fly up the remaining fencing materials and supplies for the replacement of the southern boundary fence that keeps grazing animals form overgrazing the sensitive alpine and montane habitats.