For the final blog of my 2½ month placement I thought I would share some of the things I would recommend doing in Lincolnshire, based upon the things I’ve enjoyed – very much with a wildlife focus.

1. Watch the murmurations. The tight starling formations and their flight paths are just mesmerising – I saw them at Whisby but there are other places this happens including Far Ings.
2. Visit reserves with different habitats, including peatland, grassland, fenland and marshland...
3. ...Or if you are feeling really up for a challenge, visit all 100 reserves. This is probably one for the collectors among you.
4. If you’ve done that you may as well volunteer with the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust or join a local group (but if you do the latter seek help from experts otherwise your efforts could be counterproductive if you want to help conserve Lincolnshire's wildlife and habitats);
5. Encourage others (particularly children and grandchildren) to get involved with nature. For instance, the Wildlife Trust produce a brilliant set of activity packs for children (Wildlife Watch) and often nature reserves will have groups such as Nature Tots or Junior Wardens.
6. Visit the Bowthorpe Oak. A tree that has had to put up with have a door, a dining room and a pigeon loft added to it and is still alive about 1,000 years after it was planted.
7. Join Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (or buy membership for someone else who also might be interested).
8. Visit Gravity Fields in Grantham. This isn’t strictly a wildlife-related activity but it is an excellent science fair that takes place in Grantham (obviously visit any exhibit that Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has).
9. Spot a sparrowhawk, nightingale, nightjar and hen harrier. Extra points if you get to see one washing in a pond (as I was lucky enough to do – funnily enough she had it all to herself!). There are plenty of other birds available to view (don’t get me started on owls).
10. Go to Gibraltar Point, sit in the sofa by the window and enjoy the stark beauty (with a coffee, tea or hot chocolate of course).
11. Get out there and enjoy the nature we have (but be respectful of it and the people trying to protect it for us – that hardly needs to be said).
12. Once you’ve done this, put your feet up and have a read about Sir Joseph Banks, a very interesting and inspirational character in the world of botany.

(Please keep number 10 to yourselves though, otherwise I won’t ever get near the sofa again!)

Doug