Surrey Wildlife Trust

14/06/2026

🌿🐝 Planting herbs will attract important pollinators into your garden, which will, in turn, attract birds and small mammals looking for a meal.

These are our top 10 wildlife-friendly herbs to grow at home ⬇️

✅ Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis
✅ Caraway - Carum carvi
✅ Hyssop - Hyssopus officinalis
✅ English lavender - Lavandula angustifolia
✅ Common sage - Salvia officinalis
✅ Thyme - Thymus
✅ Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare
✅ Chives - Allium schoenoprasum
✅ Mint - Mentha
✅ Marjoram - Origanum

13/06/2026

We're very pleased to announce that our Chief Executive Sarah Jane Chimbwandira has been awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours for her longstanding service to nature and the environment. Sarah Jane says: "It's a great thrill to be recognised on behalf of the many fabulous people who work with the Trust. Our mission grows more important by the day, and we will approach it with more urgency and enthusiasm than ever."

The King also made our Trustee Simon Humphreys an MBE for his outstanding work for wildlife. Simon started volunteering with us in 1982, and his many achievements include serving as Voluntary Reserve Manager at our Dawcombe reserve near Leatherhead - among the most species-rich chalk grassland habitats in the country - for over 30 years.

13/06/2026

🌿 Learn how to survey and record a variety of species – Beginner wildlife survey course 🦋🐦

Have you recently taken on the management of a piece of land, or do you simply have a passion for nature? Understanding the species that live around us has never been more important, especially as changing climates continue to impact wildlife and their habitats.

Join our practical beginner's course and learn how to collect accurate ecological data to establish a baseline for monitoring local species.

You'll gain hands-on experience using three key survey techniques:

🦋 Moth Trapping
🐦 Breeding Bird Surveys
🌱 Quadrat Surveys

Book your place ➡️ https://bit.ly/3SDhkyH

12/06/2026

Long days, warm sun and wild trails are calling your name this ☀️

Whether you want a peaceful stroll, a family picnic or an accessible adventure, there is something for everyone at our nature reserves.

Find your nearest reserve 👉

The nature reserves we care for are some of the best places to visit in Surrey if you love wildlife and the great outdoors.

09/06/2026

🐸 Last week, the Trust’s Director of Reserves Management, James Herd, spoke to BBC Radio 4's Rare Earth about the importance of amphibians, the need for stronger local and landscape-scale conservation, and how well-planned infrastructure can support their recovery.

Listen back on BBC Sounds ➡️ https://bbc.in/4xoRSNB

40% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. How can we save them?

08/06/2026

🪲 Stag Beetles are now on the wing.

👀 Surrey is one of the top counties in the UK for sightings of our country's largest beetle, so look out for males at dusk, as they fly in search of a mate.

Stag Beetles are a Red List species in the UK. The tidying of woodlands, parks and gardens has led to the removal of dead wood habitats which is the Stag Beetle larvae’s food source, meaning they are becoming ever rarer.

07/06/2026

Mind the gap! As spring turns in to , many early flowering plants have now set seed, whilst summer blooms are only just appearing. This time is known as the 'June Gap', when nectar and pollen is more scarce.

🦋🌸🌼🌺🐝 You can help our our vital insect pollinators during this time by planting June-flowering plants to fill the gap. Top picks include...

✅ Knapweed
✅ Ox-eye daisies
✅ Campion
✅ Comfrey
✅ Campion
✅ Hardy geraniums
✅ Foxgloves
✅ Thyme
✅ Chives
✅ Catmint
✅ Lemon Balm
✅ Cornflower
✅ Californian Poppy

06/06/2026

Wondering which butterflies you’ve seen during your adventures? 🦋

The UK is home to so many beautiful butterfly species, each with its own colours, patterns, and charm.

June is the perfect time to spot them as gardens, parks, and wild spaces come alive in summer. Take a moment to slow down, watch what’s flying past, and see how many different species you can find.

Use our ID guide to help you figure out exactly which butterfly you’ve spotted 👉 https://bit.ly/4fWMs60

05/06/2026

June is one of the peak months for wildlife, with blooming flowers, baby birds and buzzing insects filling the air.

Top highlights include:

🐦 Swooping Hobbies speeding over heathlands and wetlands

💎 Jewel-like Rose Chafers feeding on Dog Rose flowers

🌺 Vibrant Poppies along roadside verges

🪲 Thick-legged Flower Beetles visiting flowers on sunny days

🐉 Emperor Dragonflies swooping over ponds and lakes

🌸 Pyramidal Orchids gracing chalk grassland reserves