In Depth: Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly at Ughill Farm When volunteer Wendy Birks recorded a scarce blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura pumilio at Ughill Farm, she discovered the species had never been logged in this area before. This raised question she wanted answers to! Here is her report:
Ughill Update Summer 2026: New Habitats, More Wildlife Summer 2026 brings major habitat gains to Ughill Farm, where Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust recorded fledgling curlews and over twenty lapwing chicks, plus wildflower meadow restoration and innovative pollinator research.
Lapwings, landscapes and battles with stubborn fences All in a day’s work at Ughill for Keith Tomkins, our Nature Recovery Development Manager!
Fires Damage Carbrook Ravine Nature Reserve During Prolonged Dry Weather We are urging locals to be vigilant after fires were lit on the nature reserve in Sheffield, destroying precious wildflower meadows and putting nearby homes at risk. Ten fire sites have been uncovered across Carbrook Ravine nature reserve and the neighbouring Richmond Heights open space, leaving local residents shaken and precious wildlife habitats burned. It […]
Planting a Family Legacy: Jim’s Woodland Story When retired engineer Jim decided to transform a neglected field on his farm in Silkstone, he wasn’t just planting trees – he was engineering a living legacy. With support from the South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership, Jim turned a degraded field into a future haven for wildlife, intentionally designed to increase tree diversity and withstand a […]
Why Trees are a Farm’s Best Long Term Defence After record-breaking heatwaves in May and June, and even more high temperatures now in July, the pressure on our land, crops, and livestock is greater than ever. While we might look for immediate ways to keep our land and livestock safe, there’s a powerful, long-term solution growing right under our noses: Trees. 🌳 Planting trees […]
Remembering Professor Nigel Dunnett We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Professor Nigel Dunnett, a former Chair of Trustees at Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, and one of the most influential voices in ecological planting and urban nature.
Rooting for Hedgerows: Over 7km of New Hedgerows Transforming South Yorkshire This week from 4th-10th May 2026, South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership (SYWP) are excited to celebrate National Hedgerow Week! Did you know that hedgerows form a key part of South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership’s free tree planting across South Yorkshire each year? Together with landowners and the Woodland Trust, SYWP successfully helped to plant 7.65km of hedgerows […]
Growing Our Canopy: South Yorkshire Reaches Half-Million Tree Milestone In a recent deep dive into the state of our local environment by David Bocking for his publication, A Bit Black Over Bill’s Mother’s, it was revealed that South Yorkshire woodland planting has hit a significant milestone. The South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership (SYWP) has now facilitated the planting of well over 500,000 trees and shrubs […]
Over 2,700 trees and shrubs planted by children in Sheffield parks With expert help from Sheffield City Council’s (SCC) Community Forestry Team and local not-for-profit organisation Kids Plant Trees, local communities have been working hard over the last few weeks to plant over 2700 trees and shrubs across neighbouring parks of Longley and Parsons Cross. The parks have been a hive of activity over recent weeks […]