Flora and Fauna in 'The Forest in the Dip'

At Greave Primary we are blessed with beautiful surroundings and a large amount of outdoor space; including ‘The Forest in the Dip’. Part of Forest School at Greave Primary is immersing children in the natural world and in order to support them it is important that adults are skilled at identification – for the following reasons.

Educate: Forest School leaders need to know about the different flora and fauna in order to be knowledgeable and pass on information / facilitate learning more about the forest for the learners.

Managing the site: In order to manage the site, and know what to cut down and or protect the forest school leader must be knowledgeable about the flora and fauna there.

Understand the setting of the Forest School: it is important to know what is on the site so it can be included in the risk assessment and learners know the boundaries of the site – in order to keep them safe. It is also important so that leaders know which wood is best for lighting a fire and which plants and fungi are poisonous.

Being aware of and considerate of others’ habitats and breeding seasons in order to ensure we are supporting the protection of the environment and not damaging it. This information can be shared with learners to ensure that they understand the importance of looking after our natural environment.

Knowledge of flora and fauna is crucial in passing on the message of the natural world to learners of all ages and invoking their curiosity to find out more. If the Forest School Leader doesn’t deem this knowledge important, then the learners will follow suit. Therefore it is crucial that correct identification is a part of the Forest School Leader’s toolkit.

Trees

Scots Pine Native to the UK: Yes Age: up to 700 years. Height: Max 35m high. Leaves: are needle-like blue-green and slightly twisted, and grow in pairs on short side shoots.  Bark: Thick very rough and bumpy Fruit / seeds: cones Evergreen/deciduous: E Uses: timber, telegraph poles, fencing,	Beech Native to UK: Yes Age: up to 1000 years Height: 50 metres Leaves: smooth with wavy edge Sharp pointed buds. Bark: smooth and grey Fruit / seeds: Catkins and flowers in spring. Beech nuts are triangular with a spiky casing. Evergreen/deciduous: D Uses: furniture, cooking utensils, tool handles, smoke herring.	Spruce Native to UK: Age: up to 1000 years Height: Can grow to approx. 50m in natural habitat. Leaves: Looks like a Christmas tree! Needles for leaves. Bark: Thick bumpy bark. Fruit / seeds: Longer cones. Evergreen/deciduous: E Uses: timber
Ash Native to UK: Yes Age: up to 400 years Height: 35 metres Leaves: Smooth twigs with opposite black buds in winter. Leaflets are opposite each other (6-12 pairs) plus one at the top. Bark: Pale brown/ greyish bark Fruit / seeds: Purple flowers in spring. Clumps of ash keys = fruit. Evergreen/deciduous: Likes fertile, deep well-drained soil. Uses: very hard timber: handles for spades and oars. Also firewood and charcoal.	Elder Native to UK: yes Age: up to 60 years Height: 15 metres Leaves: 5-7 pairs of leaflets with sparsely serrated edges, buds have a ragged appearance Bark: short trunk, grey-brown, corky, furrowed bark Fruit / seeds: creamy coloured flowers in groups 10-30cm, Evergreen/deciduous: D Uses: whittling and carving Mildly poisonous flowers and berries - should be cooked before eating! Flowers - wine, cordial or tea. Berries - preserves and wine and natural dyes.	Willow Native to UK: yes Age: 50 years Height: 25 metres Leaves: slender twigs, slender, oval leaves with fine, silky white hairs on the underside. Bark: grey/brown gets rough and bumpy with age Fruit / seeds: catkins on separate M NS female trees in spring,  female catkins develop tiny seeds dispersed by wind Evergreen/deciduous: D, likes wet areas often found near rivers Uses: flexible stems - weave baskets. Larger stems were traditionally used to make small sailing boats. Cricket bats.
Birch Native to UK: Yes Age: 100 years Height: 30 metres Leaves: Delicate triangular leaves with slight tooth edges. Bark: Beautiful silver trunk – bark peels easily for tinder. Fruit / seeds: catkins in spring – lambs tails (m) short erect (f) Evergreen/deciduous: D Uses: furniture, handles and toys	Sycamore Native to UK: No Age: 400 years Height: 35 metres Leaves: palm like leaves measure 7-16cm with five lobes. Bark: twigs in winter look pinkish-brown and are hairless Fruit / seeds: small green / yellow hanging flowers, winged fruits that spiral like helicopters. Evergreen/deciduous: D Uses: timber – furniture , kitchenware	Oak Native to UK: yes Age: 300+ years Height: 20-40m Leaves: 10cm long - 4-5 deep lobes with smooth edges, grow in bunches. Rounded buds in winter. Bark: Their smooth and silvery brown bark becomes rough and bumpy with age Fruit / seeds: long catkins, acorns Evergreen/deciduous: Uses: Strong hardwood, ship building, furniture, flooring, firewood.

 Plants

Bramble Native to UK: Yes Appearance: sends out shoots with barbs on them Leaves: palmate (3-7) toothed Flower: white / pale pink – 5 petals and lots of stamen Fruit / seeds: blackberry – forms from the flower	Common Bluebell Native to UK: Yes Appearance: narrow long leaves Flower: Delicate deep-violet blue bells at the end of a stem which droop to one side. The ends of the bells turn back slightly making a frilly edge. Scented Fruit / seeds: bulbs	Nettle Native to UK: Yes Appearance: Spear shapes leaves with toothed edge – arranged in opposite pairs. Lots of tiny stinging hairs lie on the leaves and the stem (containing histamine, serotonin, formic acid and acetylcholine Flower: small greenish white at the base of the leaf – separate male and female plants Fruit / seeds: tiny seeds pollinated by wind
Blackthorn (Sloe) Native to UK: Yes Appearance: spikey and densely branched, twigs are smooth and dark brown that develop shoots on the sides which turn into brutal spikes. Leaves are small oval toothed, Flower: white flowers which are both male and female Fruit / seeds: blue/ black 1cm fruits	Hawthorn Native to UK: Yes Appearance: slender twigs covered in thorns, leaves have toothed lobes Flower: white with a pinkish tinge, highly scented – both male and female Fruit / seeds: haw (red berries)	Creeping Buttercup Native to UK: Yes Appearance: hairy leaves - sends out runners and can grow up to 50cm Flower: 2cm wide bright shiny yellow flower – like a golden cup Fruit / seeds: sends out runners to create identical plants

Fungi

Common stinkhorn Appearance: White / cream phallic looking in appearance. They can spring up overnight to about 25cm high. Look slightly slimy.

Bracket fungus – smoky polypore Appearance: sticking out like ‘brackets’ the side of a dead tree / stump. Greyish colour with white frilly tips.

Coral spot fungus Appearance: Small red/pink raised spots – on tree stump in the swampy area of site.

Insects

Peacock Native to UK: Yes Appearance: wingspan of 63-75mm, it is an orange-red colour with eyes on the upper side of the hindwings that give this butterfly its name.	Seven-spot ladybird Native to UK: Yes Appearance: red wing-cases with a pattern of 7 black spots, and a black and white pattern on the thorax	Green Shield Bug Native to UK: Yes Appearance: bright green with tiny black dots and dark wings
Comma Butterfly Native to UK: Yes Appearance: 55-60mm ragged orange and brown wings - white marking on its underside, which resembles a comma. When resting with wings closed this butterfly has excellent camouflage	Greenfly (aphid) Native to UK: Yes Appearance: 2-5mm long, green soft bodied insect, slow moving, has limited flight	Hover fly Native to UK: Yes Appearance: looks similar to a bee or wasp but is a fly and doesn’t sting, yellow and black body

Mammals

Rabbit Native to UK: Yes Appearance: brown short fur, white bob tail, long ears Size: 35-40cm Fact: comes out at dusk and dawn to find food - shy Herbivore: grass, plants and crops	Common shrew Native to UK: Yes Appearance: long narrow nose, silky brown fur and a grey underside Size: 7.5cm Fact: needs to eat every 2-3 hours, has a high pitched squeak carnivore: insects, slugs, snails and worms	Hedgehog Native to UK: yes Appearance: round bodies with light brown tipped spikes and a pointy nose. Size: 16-25cm Fact: Mostly nocturnal, has approx. 5,000-7,000 spikes Omnivore: beetles, worms and slugs
Fox Native to UK: Yes Appearance: similar to a dog with a reddish/orange coat on the upper side and silvery-white in the underside, they have large pointed ears and a bushy tail with a white tip Size: 100-120cm Fact: mainly nocturnal, excellent hunters – run fast and jump easily Carnivore: mammals, birds, insects	Grey Squirrel Native to UK: No – introduced from N. America in 17th century. Appearance:-grey / brownish short fur, silver-grey underside and a long fluffy tail used for balancing. Size: 27cm Fact: have very good memories for finding where they have stored food Herbivore: seeds, nuts	Wood Mouse Native to UK: Yes Appearance: golden brown fur, except on their underside where it is a silver-grey colour, large black eyes, large ears, long skinny tail Size: 8-11 cm Facts: mainly nocturnal, good sense of smell and night vision Omnivore: berries, buds, nuts, seeds and insects

Birds

Jackdaw Native to UK: Yes Appearance: smallest of the crow family, all glossy black apart from a cape of grey around its shoulders, white-coloured eye Size: 33cm Wingspan: 67-74cm	Magpie Native to UK: Yes Appearance: black with white patch on shoulders and on underside with a long iridescent black/green tail. Size: 44-46cm Wingspan: 52-60cm	Robin Native to UK: Yes Appearance: plump bird with bright orange-red breast, face, throat and cheeks edged with grey, a white belly and light-brown upper part Size: 13-14cm Wingspan: 20-22cm
Blue Tit Native to UK: Yes Appearance: bright blue wings, tail and crown, yellow underparts, greenish back, white face, and black eye stripe, bib and collar. They also have a black streak down the middle of the belly, and a white stripe on the wing, black beak and blue-grey legs Size: 11.5cm Wingspan: 17.5-20cm	Great Tit Native to UK: Yes Appearance: Black crown, nape and throat, white cheeks, yellow breast and belly with a black stripe down the centre. There is a white stripe on the wing that are blue-grey, yellowish-green back, legs are grey-blue and a black beak Size: 14cm Wingspan: 22-25cm	Pied wagtail Native to UK: Yes Appearance: A small black and white bird with a non-stop long wagging tail, the distribution of black and white changes throughout the season and depending on whether it is male or female Size: 18cm Wingspan: 25-30cm