Welcome to Uttlesford Wildlife.
This website is provided to give information about the wildlife that can be found in the rural countryside of Uttlesford District, around and between Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow and Stansted in north-west Essex. To find nature reserves and other sites of interest go to Places to Visit.
Although, in common with the rest of the country, this area has suffered from the impacts of development and intensive farming, there are still many places where rare species and attractive habitats can be found. The picture in our logo is Crested Cow-wheat, and Uttlesford is now one of the last parts of the UK where this species can be found. You can read more about this species on the Saffron Walden Museum website.
Ancient woodland with Oxlips, and chalk grassland roadside verges are specialties of the area. There are also marsh sites in our river valleys, and traditional orchards, all offering opportunities to see many wildflowers including orchids.
Help a Hedgehog today
Our gardens are an important habitat for Hedgehogs, which have suffered a massive population drop over the last few decades. Watch this cute video to see how to make your garden Hedgehog friendly. And if you are driving at night and see a Hedgehog on the road in front of you, stop the car and help it get to the side of the road !
More Information from –
Picture Gallery
A set of photos taken in this area to show the changing seasons.
Shadwell Wood in the Snow
EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY
Earth Overshoot Day 2023 landed on August 2nd, and you can read more about it here; https://www.overshootday.org/about-earth-overshoot-day/.
Earth Overshoot Day 2024 falls on August 1. Learn more about how the 2024 date was calculated. Or download the more detailed report here.
Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. COVID-19 caused humanity’s Ecological Footprint to contract, demonstrating that shifting resource consumption patterns in a short timeframe is possible. However, true sustainability that allows all to thrive on Earth can only be achieved by design, not disaster. Read More here to see how it is calculated and possible solutions
https://www.overshootday.org/about-earth-overshoot-day/
This graphic from the Overshoot Day website shows the trend from the 1970s onward, and apart from 2019 things are not improving.
Overshoot Days