Take a look, through some of the common species of wildlife that live in the South Yorkshire area around Sheffield and Rotherham.
A recently extended patch of heathland and woodland, neighbouring Wyming Brook.
Help stop the badger cull coming to Sheffield and Rotherham!
Unveil the hidden world of insects in Sheffield & Rotherham with the newest issue of Kingfisher magazine.
Help create a resilient habitat for White-letter Hairstreak butterflies by purchasing a Dutch Elm Disease resistant sapling to plant, or donate for us to place one in a suitable location as part of our Elms and Hairstreaks Initiative!
Thank you!
The initial allocation of elm saplings have now sold out. We hope to offer similar schemes in future so please check back soon. In the meantime, you can find more ways to take action for nature in our Nature Recover Community Toolkit.
The deadly Dutch Elm Disease (DED) has decimated nearly all of the UK’s large mature elm trees. Mature elms have their own unique biodiverse species mix of lichens and insects, many of which declined as elm trees have disappeared. The most famous species dependent solely on elms is the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly, whose abundance has declined by up to 78% in England since 1976*.
Now Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust and Nether Edge & Sharrow Sustainable Transformation (NESST) are working together in partnership (supported by Sheffield City Council) on the Elms and Hairstreaks Initiative which aims to make our region a place where both species can thrive again.
Half a century of research and breeding in specialist nurseries has produced DED resistant elm trees. We have purchased 50 DED saplings, and we want you to help us plant them here!
Photograph: © Ben Keywood
*The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme & State of UK Butterflies
Participate in the initiative and help plant a young elm sapling – in your garden, on your land, or even in one of our nature reserves – and you could transform the fortunes of both the elm and the hairstreak!
(If you don’t have space to plant an elm of your own, choose the ‘donate an elm’ option below)
Online ordering is available via our Eventbrite, booking one of the below timeslots to collect. The price of each sapling is just £20 (plus Eventbrite fees).
Bring your e-ticket during your chosen timeslot to collect your tree sapling. Collection is from Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Victoria Hall, 37 Stafford Road, Sheffield, S2 2SF.
The saplings are approximately 2.5 metres tall, and have the potential to grow to 30 metres tall with a 8m wide canopy in maturity! Please arrange suitable transport (e.g. flatten back seats of a car). Bringing a large bag such as a binbag is advisable to wrap the muddy base of the saplings.
Plant in a suitable location and allow it to grow. Elm grows best in well-drained soil in hedgerows and woodland. It is really important that you let us know during the checkout process where you plan to locate it, so we can map and record DED resistant Elm locations across the city.
Over the coming years we aim to evaluate the success of the initiative by recording the population of White-letter Hairstreak butterflies and other species, and would appreciate you helping us to do so by recording your sightings to