Author Archives: vickyboult

This month’s blog comes to us courtesy of Dawid Martyniuk, a Zoology student at the University of Reading. Lifting a log or stone, you may have noticed a centipede quickly scurrying away and squeezing itself into a crevice or under … Continue reading →

This month’s blog comes to us courtesy of Chris Foster and Jonathan Mitchley, lecturers in the School of Biological Sciences. Pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services and a great example of plant-animal interactions which are essential for … Continue reading →

This month’s blog comes to us courtesy of Dawid Martyniuk, a Zoology student at the University of Reading. One may come into contact with millipedes when moving logs and stones or uncovering leaf litter. Whatever the encounter, chances are that … Continue reading →

The average lawn contains many more plant species than you might think, and where rich in flowers like Ground Ivy, Daisies, Dandelions and Birds-foot Trefoil can be important habitat for pollinating insects. Additional selected areas of short grass on campus … Continue reading →

Whiteknights is home to a diverse collection of trees, some dating back to ownership of the estate by the Marquis of Blandford in the early 19th century. There are numerous veteran trees, mostly oak, which are especially notable landscape features … Continue reading →

This area of grassland (to the right of the path from here down to Friends Bridge) received its last hay cut in August 2019 and has since been left unmanaged. Although rewilding is the current buzzword – hence our use … Continue reading →

Whiteknights has around (ha) of species rich semi-natural grassland, an increasingly rare habitat in Berkshire and indeed nationwide. The areas of grassland to the east of Whiteknights Lake have a drier character, while those on the west side of the … Continue reading →

Whiteknights Lake is believed to have been created in the mid-17th century by damming the natural springs which occur in the area.  The lake was further enhanced by the Marquis of Blandford and is now approximately 5.85 hectares in size. … Continue reading →

The surprisingly extensive woodland on the east edge of the campus developed on the footprint of the old Whiteknights Estate’s ‘Wilderness’ garden, which would have had a more formal layout. Remnants of the original Wilderness can still be seen – … Continue reading →

This month’s blog was kindly contributed by Tara Pirie, postdoctoral research fellow, and Amanda Callaghan , Lecturer in Zoology and Curator of the Cole Museum. How do you move a museum? With a lot of help from experts and volunteers! With 3000+ specimens … Continue reading →