Young country diary: A little rewilding goes a long way | Tess

Oxfordshire: It's only a small bit of land, but since it became a conservation area it's become busy with ladybirds and hoverflies, butterflies and beesAround a year ago, my local parish council decided to rewild a strip of land near my house and turn it into a special conservation area. My mum, who is a councillor, has been putting new native plants in, as well as wildflower seeds and yew saplings. These plants included wood spurge, ragwort, butcher's broom and lords-and-ladies, which now have bright orange-red berries.As May turned into June, we found that many insects had come to make it their home. One particular moth was common, looking like rubies flying in and out of the trees - scarlet tiger moths. Once we saw 10-20 of them in just 20 minutes. Their bright red underwings were easy to spot against the dark green of the yew trees. Continue reading...