Lowland dry acid grassland
Sprinkled with diminutive, short-living flowers in spring and parched dry by July, this is a habitat of heathlands, coastal grasslands and ancient parkland.
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Grassland
Flower-rich grasslands, once a part of every farm, are part of our culture. Most have developed alongside humans because of livestock grazing and cutting for hay. Many have archaeological and…
Lowland calcareous grassland
Typical of softly rolling pastoral landscapes, the short, aromatic turf of lowland calcareous grassland is flower-rich and humming with insects in the summer. Its long use by humans lends it an…
Wild Isles: Dorset's grasslands
As we explore Britain and Ireland's incredible landscapes and wildlife through the BBC's fascinating new series, Wild Isles, our officers and wardens write about why these habitats are…
Sovell Down
An oasis of chalk grassland, bordering on an ancient routeway
Dormice monitoring at Fontmell Down.
Dorset Wildlife Trust volunteer, Rachel Harris, recounts her experience surveying dormice over the years at Fontmell Down.
Fontmell Down
A rare chance to see stunning displays of chalk downland flowers and butterflies with stunning views over the Blackmore Vale.
Greenhill Down
A reserve with a mix of different habitats, attracting a wide variety insects and birds
Stonehill Down
High on the chalk ridge in the Isle of Purbeck, this chalk downland reserve has far-reaching views across to Poole Harbour.
Glow-worm
The glow-worm is not actually a worm, but a beetle. Males look like typical beetles, but the nightly glow of a female is unmistakeable - lighting up to attract a mate in the darkness of their…
Lions of the lawn
Discover some of the predators stalking through your garden’s grassland.
Herring gull
The herring gull is the typical 'seagull' of our seaside resorts, though our coastal populations have declined in recent decades.