Notice Your Nature!

"There is life EVERYWHERE." - School Student

A Newcastle University Library Education Outreach Project

A common blue butterfly

About the project

Newcastle University collaborated with Durham Wildlife Trust and students from two Sunderland schools to create a brand-new nature trail at Durham Wildlife Trust’s Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve that invites visitors to pause for a mindful moment, immerse themselves in nature and appreciate the North East’s local wildlife.

Notice Your Nature! provided students from St. Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy and Southmoor Academy the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature and learn about the plants, animals and ecosystems at Rainton Meadows, using this experience to create their trail. They also spent time on campus at Newcastle University, where they found out about the University's cutting-edge wildlife research and experienced Higher Education first-hand, helping them make more informed decisions about their future.

To form the final trail, students worked with local artist Zoë Robinson to produce watercolour wildlife paintings that appear alongside their writing. The trail is being launched with a celebration event for the students and their families in July 2026.

Exploring Rainton Meadows

Students spent a day on site at Rainton Meadows, where they were guided around the Reserve by Durham Wildlife Trust's Education and Engagements Officer. They found out about the different species of animals, plants and insects that can be found at Rainton Meadows and had the opportunity to get up close to newts, tadpoles and dragonflies in a pond-dipping activity. As they walked around the site, students made notes and observational drawings in their Notice Your Nature! journal.

"I learned a lot about different creatures and new species I never knew existed before." - School Student

Outdoor Mindfulness

During their time at Rainton Meadows, students were given the opportunity to spend unstructured time in the forest to take a mindful moment in nature. Following prompts created with Newcastle University's Student Wellbeing team, the students used all of their senses to focus on the wildlife around them. From the sounds of the birds to the texture of tree bark, they took notes of what they found most meaningful to help them write their trail.

"It's very calm to listen to the sound of the birds." - School Student

University research

Students spent a day at Newcastle University, not only to find out more information to complete their trail, but to gain an insight into Higher Education and consider their future. Students attended a university-style lecture in the School of Natural & Environmental Sciences where they learned about two impactful projects the University is currently involved with, from river restoration to protecting pollinators. Students were given a guided tour of the University campus by current students, who shared what it's like to study at Newcastle. In the afternoon, students took part in a research carousel, where they could ask experts from Newcastle University and Durham Wildlife Trust for further information, complete independent research using the Wildlife Trust's Wildlife Explorer, and handle rare books and archival materials from Newcastle University's Special Collections and Archives.

"There is a lot of different types of research and ways that research can be done." - School student

Career Conversations

Throughout the project, students had the chance to hear from staff at Durham Wildlife Trust and Newcastle University about their career journeys, and what it's like to work in wildlife conservation and Higher Education. While at Rainton Meadows, staff told the students about roles in marketing, education, finance and ecology (while toasting marshmallows and making s'mores!). At Newcastle University, they heard from staff working in archives, wildlife research and project management. Colleagues shared the skills they needed for the roles they have, the varied career paths they've taken so far, the subjects they enjoyed at school, and what it's like to spend a day working in their sector.

"The amount of careers is almost endless and there [are] so many opportunities." - School student

Creating the Trail

On the final day of the project, the students worked in groups to create their points on the nature trail. Using everything they learned throughout the week, they wrote up the facts and mindful tips that can be seen on the trail. Then, working with local artist Zoë Robinson, students took part in a watercolour wildlife workshops where each student created their own artwork to be displayed on the trail.

"I think it is very exciting that our hard work over the past 3 days will be published at Rainton Meadows." - School Student

The Notice Your Nature! Trail

Explore the trail created by students from St. Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy and Southmoor Academy

Trail Point 1

This area is made up of lots of different species of birds and bugs, and is full of plants and seasonal flowers. Here, you’ll find habitats such as grassland and woodland. You might spot birds of prey flying overhead or slugs on the path when it’s wet. In springtime, the meadows are covered with yellow buttercups.

Beetles

In the UK most beetles are harmless, however some can secrete an irritating chemical when threatened. Male rhinoceros beetles have a distinctive horn on their head
which gives them their name.

Millipedes

Millipedes can have between 40 and 400 legs, depending on their sub-species, but they definitely don’t have 1,000 as their name suggests. They can be up to 6cm long and like to hide under rocks.

Snails

Snails have no bones but can have between 10,000 and 25,000 teeth. In the rain they sometimes lick mineral-rich rocks to access calcium, which helps strengthen their shells.

Spiders

Spiders rely on their fangs to inject venom. Raft spiders live in wet areas like bogs and ponds and will dive underwater when they feel threatened.

Ladybirds

There are many different species of ladybird, but the most common is the seven-spot ladybird. It is only around 6–8mm in size. In winter, ladybirds find a place with stable conditions so they
won’t freeze, and emerge again when it warms up in spring.

Earthworms

Earthworms have five hearts. They can only see light and shade which helps them work out if they’re underground or above ground.

Trail Point 2

Durham Wildlife Trust has created muddy margins that surround the lake to support
the wading birds that feed here. In the pond, there is an array of fish and you might see
birds diving to try and eat the fish and pond weed. Behind the fence, there are reed beds.

Grebes

Great crested grebes have unique features. During mating season, the ruff of red feathers around their neck becomes more vibrant. Grebes can live for up to 15 years.

Lapwings

Lapwings have iridescent
wings that stand out against their black body and a small tuft of feathers on their head. They are sometimes known by other names, such as ‘green plover’
and ‘peewit’.

Perch

Perch have an unusually long lifespan for a fish. They live around 10-12 years. They have tiger-like stripes and are very heavy, weighing up to 2.8kg.

Plovers

Little ringed plovers are a good indicator of a healthy habitat. They have a long bill to eat invertebrates in the mud, and are so well camouflaged they’re
almost impossible to see.

Terns

Common terns are predatory birds that hover
over bodies of water to find fish to eat. You can see them between April and September. Terns can become noisy when intruders threaten their nest.

Minnow

Minnow have a dark stripe along their flank. Females have a silver belly and
males have a red belly. The scientific name for minnow is Phoxinus phoxinus.

Cormorants

Cormorants are very strong swimmers. Their feathers are coated in an
aquaphobic oil which
stops them getting
too wet when they dive
underwater to catch fish.

Trail Point 3

This area is made up of marshlands, wetlands, trees and grass, where you’ll find an abundance of different birds. You can look through the letter boxes to see the pond, or take shelter under the trees. You might see a hazel tree, a maple tree or a hawthorn tree. The hawthorn tree has long spikes to protect it from animals.

Herons

Herons have a straight,
pointed bill that is up to
five inches long. When
they’re hungry, herons stand at the edge of the water and watch for a fish to swim past.

Sticklebacks

Sticklebacks are fish with three or nine spikes on their back, which they use to protect themselves. In spring and summer,
the males have blue around their eyes and
orange on their body.

Mallards

Mallards are the most common type of duck in
the UK. Male mallards have shiny green heads,
whereas female mallards are brown to help with camouflage as they nest on the ground.

Swans

Mute swans take care of their babies for ten months, which is longer than many other birds.
Baby swans are known
as cygnets.

Kingfishers

Kingfishers have very eye-catching colours, with orange on their breast
and teal on their back. They can be seen diving into the water for fish.

Gulls

Black-headed gulls can be found in wetlands, as well as farmlands and the coast. In the summer,
their heads are actually chocolate brown instead of jet-black.

Oystercatchers

Oystercatchers have different shaped beaks depending on where
they live. If they live inland, they have rounded beaks.
If they live at the coast, they have pointed beaks for opening shells.

Trail Point 4

This area is made up of grassland where there are several scrapes. Scrapes are small, man-made ponds created by scraping up a patch of land to replicate how big animals (like bison and ox) dig up land. It’s a type of temporary pond, meaning it isn’t always full and changes seasonally.

Leeches

Leeches have a muscular, soft body.
Most feed on smaller prey that they
can swallow whole, such as tadpoles.
Leeches have 32 brains and ten
stomachs.

Boatmen

Boatmen can be seen throughout the year. They have oar-like legs to help them swim, but they can’t swim upside down.

Trefoil

Bird’s-foot trefoil can be found in all kinds of land and is part of the diet of
caterpillars and butterflies. It is nicknamed ‘granny’s toenails’
because of its shape.

Dragonflies

Common darter dragonflies hover
around bodies of water looking for
prey. You can tell them apart from other dragonflies by their red,
narrow bodies.

Newts

Newts are amphibians that breed in
water in spring and early summer
then return to dry land. They spend
the winter in sheltered, damp spots,
like under stones or buried in mud. The
smooth newt is the most common
newt found in UK ponds.

Beetles

Diving beetles belong to the Dytiscidae family. They dive underwater hunting for food, and float to the surface for air by pushing their abdomen out of the water.

Trail Point 5

This area is made up of varieties of grass, trees and flowers. There are a range of habitats, such as grasslands and woodlands. The woodlands are mostly dry, but when it rains and becomes damp it attracts lots of bugs. You might see a common spotted orchid or a Northern marsh orchid among the grass.

Butterflies

Male orange-tip butterflies have bright orange tips on their wings. Their scientific name is Anthocharis cardamines. They can be mainly be spotted from April to July.

Ponies

Exmoor ponies graze on the grass which helps manage the reserve in a natural way. Their manure is also a natural fertiliser. Exmoor ponies have no natural predators.

Deer

Roe deer have no natural predators and are protected by the Deer Act. They are solitary in summer but join together in small, close groups in winter.

Hares

Brown hares have ears that stay up when they are running. They are much bigger than a classic rabbit. They can camouflage easily.

Stoats

Stoats are a native species to the UK. They belong to the mustelid family and are related to weasels.

Voles

Field voles are one of the most common mammals in the UK. They like to hide in the grassland and burrow into the ground.

Trail Point 6

This area is a relandscaped spoil heap called Nicholson’s Hill, named after the pit that used to be here when there were coal mines. Here, you’ll see meadows that are filled with flowers and pollinators in the spring and summer.

Bullfinches

Bullfinches are pinkish-red with a thick, black bill and can often be seen in gardens and orchards. In the 16th century bullfinches were seen as a
problem for fruit trees by King Henry VIII, who condemned their “criminal attacks”.

Robins

Robins are very familiar because of their red breast. They evolved
around wild boars (the species that pigs descended from),
which helped them find worms by digging up mud. This means
they think the sound of humans gardening
is a sign of food.

Tits

Long-tailed tits can be easily identified by their long tail. When building a nest, long-tailed
tits camouflage it with
cobwebs and line it with up to 1500 feathers before
laying eggs.

Sparrows

Tree sparrows can be spotted on farmland and in woodlands, as well as in urban spaces. They feed
on seeds, weeds and insects. Tree sparrows are on the UK Red List for
Birds.

Buzzards

Buzzards have a life span of up to 12 years. Their scientific name is Buteo buteo. Buzzards are birds
of prey and eat small birds and mammals.

Kestrels

Kestrels are around 33–39cm in length. They can
usually be seen hovering in the air looking for food.
Kestrels sometimes create their own nest in abandoned crows’ nests.

Butterflies

Common blue butterflies are bright blue in colour. They are very small and only have a wingspan of
2.9-3.6cm. They can usually be seen from
May to October.

Chaffinches

Chaffinches can often be seen hopping on the ground. During winter, males stay close to breeding territories while
the females fly South.

"[The project] taught me a lot about how nature is connected and made me love nature even more."

School student

A group of students toasting marshmallows
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