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BedsLife wishes to acknowledge the financial support of Natural England for this website

 

 

 

 

 

Home > Spaces and Species

 

Bedfordshire has a wide variety of wild plants and animals. Some are common, some are rare. Some have been here for centuries and some have only just arrived. Some are becoming more numerous and some are disappearing fast. But they are all important to our local wildlife and they have all made Bedfordshire their home.

 

A species can’t live just anywhere, however. Different plants and animals have different needs for survival. For example, we humans can’t live at the bottom of the ocean because we need air to breathe. Species need different food sources, temperatures, water availability, acidity, shelter and the like. Those with similar needs tend to be found together in habitats.

 

A habitat is a place or environment where a species normally lives or is most likely to be found. For a small county, Bedfordshire has quite a range of habitats. These include woodlands, rivers, heathlands, grasslands and wetlands. They also include farmland and even towns and villages!

 

The variety of species and habitats is what makes nature special in Bedfordshire and Luton. Click on the links below to find out more about our local wildlife.

 

 

FarmLife: spaces and species living on Bedfordshire's farms

 

LandLife: things that live on the land - just like us!

 

WaterLife: our wetlands and waterways, and the things that swim, crawl and dive in them

 

UrbanLife: what's wild in our cities, towns and villages

 

 

Or go directly to information on one of our priority habitats or species:

 

Priority habitats Priority species
Arable field margins Adder
Brownfields (IN PROGRESS) Arable plants
Floodplain grazing marsh Depressed river mussel (COMING SOON!)
Hedgerows European otter
Lowland dry acid grassland Farmland birds (COMING SOON!)
Lowland calcareous grassland Great-crested newt (COMING SOON)!
Lowland heathland Hazel dormouse
Lowland meadow Water vole
Ponds  
Reedbed  
Traditional orchards
Wet woodland
Wood-pasture and parkland
Woodland  

 

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 2010 issue of the new Muntjac is out! Have a look at what we're up to!

 

The February 2010 issue of the Beds & Luton Geology Group newsletter is out! Click here to find out the latest scoop!

 

Bedfordshire & Luton Biodiversity Partnership

℅ Central Bedfordshire Council, Borough Hall Room 550, Cauldwell Street, Bedford MK42 9AP