Spaces and species

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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
Floodplain grazing marsh	Arable plants
Hedgerows	Bats
Lowland dry acid grassland	Black hairstreak
Lowland calcareous grassland	Candytuft (COMING SOON!)
Lowland heathland	Corn bunting
Lowland meadow	Depressed river mussel (COMING SOON!)
Reedbed	European otter
Wet woodland	Great-crested newt (COMING SOON)!)
Wood-pasture and parkland	Nightjar
Woodland	Pasque flower (COMING SOON!)
	Small blue
	Spined loach
	Water vole
	Woodlark

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 Summer 08 issue of Beds BioNews is out! Have a look at what we're up to!

The May 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!

Bedfordshire & Luton Biodiversity Partnership

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