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If you go down to the woods today...
HF Nature Leader Russ Hedley is passionate about spreading the word about the wonderful world of British wildlife. Here, Russ describes some of the species you can spot in ancient oak woodland while out walking and shares some fascinating facts about the plants, birds and animals you might encounter when exploring on your own or as part of a guided walking holiday with HF. Take a look at what you might encounter and you’ll come away with an enhanced appreciation for the beauty and complexity of our woodlands and their essential place in our landscape..
- There are two native species of oak in Britain – sessile and English. You need to look at the acorn to identify each. The sessile oak’s acorn has no stalk whereas the English oak’s acorns has a stalk.
- Mature oaks can reach around 45 metres high and can live up to 1,000 years
- A single oak produces over 10 million acorns during its lifetime
- There are more ancient oaks in Britain than all of Europe put together
- 2,300 species of British animal use the oak for food
- Badgers can’t run for long, and only at a maximum of 19 miles per hour
- Badgers are part of the family Mustelidae which includes ferrets, weasels and stoat
- A male badger is called a boar, the female is called a sow and the young are called cubs
- The badger is the only wild animal that sometimes feeds on hedgehogs, but a lot of the badgers diet is made up of worms
Explore Nature with HF
Enjoy the many wonders provided by nature on a guided walking holiday. Join us to unravel the mysteries of the night sky, seek out wildflowers, mammals, insects and birds or make sense of millions of years of geological history. Expert leaders will use their knowledge to help find elusive species and provide insight into the natural world.