Nature

Jason Goodwin: 'I can’t think why anyone, man or bird, would want to travel abroad'

Jason Goodwin ponders the swallow's journey and Gilbert White's observations.

Curious Questions: When does summer actually start?

You'd think it would be simple. It's anything but, as Martin Fone discovers.

Six British dragonflies to spot in Britain this summer

Fizzing over water like a fairy aeroplane, the swooping and hovering bejewelled dragonfly is one of the insect success stories of the 21st century — and, as a rule, it won’t bite you, says Jack Watkins.

The truth about Britain's deer population, and what we can do to best manage it

With most of our six deer species increasing in range and numbers, Joe Gibbs considers what can be done to bring populations back to more manageable levels.

The six types of deer in Britain

Joe Gibbs takes a look at the six types of deer in Britain, and how they came to the nation before living wild across the country.

Duke of Burgundy butterfly discovered in brand new colony, and it's the biggest in the country

There is good news for the vanishingly rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly, as a new colony has been discovered. Annunciata Elwes reports.

Teal: The tiny ducks that can’t walk straight, but can corkscrew through the air at 50mph

David Profumo takes a look at the teal, the mighty duck that's as devastatingly impressive soaring through the air as it is hilariously ungainly when waddling on dry land.

Mary Colwell: Britain's reputation for being a green and pleasant land is under threat as we bulldoze countless little Edens

Losing small patches of scrubby land to new houses might not seem significant, but these little Edens are vital for Nature, says environmentalist and author Mary Colwell.

Crofting in the 21st century: The passionate, hardy farmers still working the ancient lands of the Highlands

Remote working has a whole other meaning for those passionate individuals still farming crofts in the Highlands. Joe Gibbs takes a look and discovers crofting to be alive and well — though still as tough a life as it ever was.

Oxburgh Hall's 125 acres of parkland being returned to its former glory

Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk is being restored to its former glory thanks to pictured taken by the RAF after the Second World War. Annunciata Elwes explains more.

Feargal Sharkey: From Top of the Pops to crusading for Britain's rivers

Feargal Sharkey, one of the most recognisable pop voices of the 1970s and 1980s, talks to Country Life about his life, his passion for fishing, and how campaigning for clean rivers has become an obsession.

Jonathan Self: The collections that made me, from pressed flowers to my 416 'do not disturb' signs stolen from hotels

Who knew that pressing flowers could be thrilling and skilful? Jonathan Self, a self-confessed 'obsessive collector', tells all.

Charlie Waite: One of the world's best landscape photographers on how to take pictures, the unknowable beauty of Britain and why an iPhone can be good enough

Charlie Waite — the British landscape photographer famous for his painterly approach — on how he produces such striking images and how amateurs might follow suit.

Dandelions: Everything you need to know about the humble flower that carpets the world in yellow

Farming for our futures: The full story of How The Prince of Wales turned Sandringham organic

Over the past year, we have documented the Sandringham estate’s move to a fully organic enterprise. Here, The Prince of Wales tells Paula Lester why farming naturally and sustainably is so vital for the soil, wildlife and our own health.

The secret life of toads, from frenzied procreation to hunting snakes in the night

Despite their semi-webbed feet, warty skin and bulging eyes, toads are more endearing than Shakespeare’s witches would have us believe, says Simon Lester.

10 beautiful and thought-provoking pictures of the oceans to remind us all what's at stake

The secret life of bumblebees: Fighting queens, pollinating tomatoes, and the males who 'stay out all night, get drunk on nectar and look for sex'

Did you know there’s only one insect capable of pollinating tomato plants — and that the insect in question is the bumblebee? Clive Aslet finds out more.

Trees For Tomorrow: Join Country Life as we plant thousands of trees

To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Country Life’s launch in 1897, we have joined forces with Charles Stanley Wealth Managers and Forestry England to create the Trees For Tomorrow initiative. Together we aim to plant at least 1897 trees to mark this milestone in our history.

'Trees remind us of our insignificance, our transience, and the necessity of wonder'

As Country Life launches its Trees for Tomorrow campaign, to mark the magazine’s 125th anniversary, John Lewis-Stempel reflects on why these gentle giants are the key to our survival.