Nosterfield Nature Reserve

15/10/2026

🌱 A closer look at Kidney Vetch seeds!

Have you ever looked closely at a Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) seed? There’s more to it than you might think!

If you look at our photos, you’ll see three different parts:

The papery outer covering – the bits on the left, which can be carefully removed.

The black pod – this might look like the seed itself, but there’s another little surprise inside!

🌱 The actual seed – the tiny piece on the right.

So, how do we prepare them?

We hand-pick the papery outer coverings, then gently sand the pods. This helps remove the pod and lightly scarifies the seed.

Scarification means gently scratching or wearing down the seed. Many seeds in the Fabaceae family benefit from this treatment.

05/10/2026

Our next conservation club is coming up this Saturday! 🍂

Join us from 10am -12pm, helping us to manage the woodland around Kiln Lake by clearing coppiced wood and building dead hedges, which make fantastic habitat for birds, mammals and insects 🦔

Please book a free ticket on the link below:

Are you aged between 6-18? Are you looking for ways to help in the community? Do you enjoy nature or like being outdoors? Then join us for our next conservation club!

05/10/2026

Tickets still available for our free Introduction to Fungi event on Friday! 🍄 🍂

More information on the link below:

Join our expert guides in identifying the fungi found at Nosterfield Quarry

03/10/2026

🌿 October events at Nosterfield Nature Reserve 🌿

Looking for something to do this October? 🍂 We’ve got three fantastic, free events coming up:

🍄 9 October – Introduction to Fungi
Join us for a fascinating and informative morning discovering the wonderful world of fungi
https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/introductiontofungi

🌳 10 October – Conservation Club
This month we’ll be getting stuck into some practical conservation work, including dead-hedging in the woodland. A great chance to learn new skills and help look after the reserve! Ages 6-18.
https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/2026/oct-conservationclub

🍂 29 & 30 October – Woodland Activities
Fun outdoor activities for children aged 6+ 🍁
https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/woodland-activities

🎟️ All events are free, but please book a slot on the links above 💚

Join our expert guides in identifying the fungi found at Nosterfield Quarry

01/10/2026

What to spot at Nosterfield Nature Reserve in October

28/09/2026

We have a fantastic range of free events for all ages coming up in October! 🍄 🍂 💚

Starting off with a fascinating introduction to fungi workshop on 9 October: https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/introductiontofungi

For our October conservation club on 10 October, we'll be learning a range of practical conservation skills in the woodland glade: https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/conservationcluboct26

Ripon Together Green Fair on 17th October: We'll be there with activities and information about upcoming events, along with over 30 other stalls including local food producers, energy-saving specialists and local school and community groups: https://www.ripontogether.com/greenfair/

29 and 30 October: Join us for a range of activities in the woodland glade, including minibeast hunts, forest bathing, outdoor art and craft activities and an autumn scavenger hunt: https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/woodland-activities

11/09/2026

🌿 Join us for our next community work day - tomorrow, 10am - 1pm!

We'll be working in the woodland at Nosterfield Quarry, creating dead hedges and clearing glades after recent coppicing work. For more information, please see the link below:

Join us for our September community work day! We’ll be building dead hedges and log-piles in the woodland around Nosterfield Quarry.

08/09/2026

Tickets are still available for our 'Spiders at Nosterfield' event, a fascinating insight into aspects of spider identification and spider habitats.
To book a free ticket, visit the link below:

A fascinating two-hour introduction to identifying spiders and their habitats.

07/09/2026

We’re delighted to see Nosterfield Nature Reserve featured in The Guardian today. ✨

The story shines a light on the work of independent ecologist Pete Cooper and LUCT volunteers to bring endangered glowworms back to the area.

Glowworms were first released at Nosterfield in 2024 and this summer brought the first encouraging signs of success, with 12 glowing females counted; a wonderful milestone for the project and a testament to the dedication of everyone involved.

With many thanks to Pete Cooper and LUCT’s fantastic volunteer team for helping make this work possible. 🌿

Read the full story in The Guardian:

Volunteer ‘glow-getters’ overseeing reintroduction of endangered beetles at Nosterfield nature reserve

03/09/2026

🌿 Upcoming events at Nosterfield Nature Reserve 🌿

Looking for something to do this September? 🦋🕷️

We have three fantastic free events coming up, with something for nature lovers of all ages:

🌳 12 September: Community Work Day: Dead-hedging in the woodland around Kiln Lake
Come along and help care for the reserve.
👉 https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/workday/sept2026

🦋 21 September: Autumn Little Explorers – for pre-school children
A fun, nature-filled session for our youngest visitors!
👉 https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1//little-explorers-autumn

🕷️ 23 September: Spiders at Nosterfield Nature Reserve
Discover more about fascinating arachnids in this two hour workshop.
👉 https://www.luct.org.uk/events-1/spidersatnosterfield

🎟️ All events are free. Click the links above to find out more and book your place.

Join us for a walk, nature-themed activities and stories for pre-school children. Each session will be influenced by the seasons and nature.  Free of charge.