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BedsLife
wishes to acknowledge the financial support of Natural England for this website
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Welcome to BedsLife!
We're your source for information on nature and wildlife in Bedfordshire and
Luton. Have a look around and let us know what you
think. And watch this space for fun new features!
World Migratory Bird Day May
10-11!
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There
are about 10,000 bird species in the world. They can be found on all
continents and most ecosystems, and display a huge variety of life
strategies. Their migrations take them to the farthest reaches of the
planet, and link up distant ecosystems.

World Migratory Bird Day is a global initiative devoted to promoting birds
and their conservation worldwide. Start your World Migratory Bird Day
celebration this weekend - check out the
WMBD website and find out more about this amazing natural phenomenon!
Turtle dove
Streptopelia turtur, a declining farmland species found in
Bedfordshire. Photo @ Sergey Dereliev, UNEP/AEWA |
Attention all knitters:
The Nude Ewe
is here!
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The Nude Ewe project is selling wool spun from
Bedfordshire's own conservation grazing flocks. Proceeds go towards the
Wildlife Trust's grazing programme.
By munching the bramble, shrubs and other rough
vegetation, grazing flocks maintain our meadow and heathland habitats.
Without these natural lawnmowers our beautiful grassy hills and fields would
turn to scrub.
So support our meadows: visit
The Nude Ewe
website and knit up your own piece of Bedfordshire!
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2008 is Year of the Frog!

This year the Association of Zoos & Aquariums is
leading a major campaign to address the alarming extinction of amphibians
around the world. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates that at
least 1/3 of all amphibian species are threatened with extinction. The Year
of the Frog campaign is aiming to raise public awareness and funding for
amphibian conservation projects.
For information on the Year of the Frog campaign
and how you can help, visit
www.2008yearofthefrog.org.
'It's not easy being green'
- Kermit the Frog
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Critter profile: common frog Rana
temporaria
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We thought we'd celebrate both springtime and
the Year of the Frog by getting up close and personal with our own number
one amphibian!
Common frogs are as their name implies, common
garden visitors. You are most likely to see them now, during the breeding
season. Males group together in ponds where sing to attract females. The
males with the best songs get to mate with the females. They do this by
climbing on the female's back and gripping her under the front legs.
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The
females lay clusters of 300-400 eggs, called 'spawn'. The eggs are
jelly-like. Each contains a small black embryo that will develop into a
tadpole. Newly-hatched tadpoles are black but quickly turn brown.
Adult common frogs are between 6 and 9 cm in length. They vary widely in
colour, from yellowish brown to brown or green. They are spotted or striped
on top with a pale underside, and have a dark patch behind each eye. Females
are often much larger than the males. |
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Common frogs aren't picky eaters and will feast
on any invertebrate that they can fit in their mouth. The frogs use their
long sticky tongue to catch prey. Favourite foods include worms, slugs,
snails and insects.
Common frogs are found throughout most of
Europe, from Ireland east to western Russia, and from northern Italy up to
the Arctic Circle.
Photos: top - Richard
Gibson; middle - common frog spawn, Aleksander Niwelinski; bottom - Bill and
Sam Lionheart |
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Year of Food and Farming
Sept 2007 - July 2008
The Year of Food and Farming is a new project
that aims to reconnect children and young people with the food that they
eat.
As part of the project, children will learn
more about environmental issues linked to food and the countryside. Many
of our most treasured habitats and species are found on farms.
Visit the
Year of Food
and Farming website to find out how you or your school can become
involved. We've got our own page on the site too - click
here
to check it out! And visit our FarmLife page to find
out more about the great habitats and species on Bedfordshire's farmland!
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Stepping onto the world stage
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BedsLife has joined a global partnership
working to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010. We're excited to report
that we've now become part of the
Countdown 2010 Partnership! What
does this mean? It means that we - along with hundreds of agencies in Europe
and around the world - are working hard to conserve and enhance our local
habitats and species. It's a big job and we can't do it alone. Find out
what you can do to help us out! |
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Breathing Places is a ground
breaking collaboration between the BBC and leading wildlife and conservation
organisations
Why not help to create a
breathing place where you live?
For more information go to:
bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces

The
Spring 08 issue of Beds BioNews is out! Have a look at what we're up to!
The February 2008 issue of the Beds & Luton Geology
Group newsletter is out! Click
here to find out the latest scoop!

The 2008 Community Tree Trust woodland
wildflowers seed collection days are being held on June 22, June 29 and July
20. Check out their
website for full details!
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