I enjoyed a delightful visit to Foxglove Covert today. It is a only local nature reserve on Ministry of Defence land, at Catterick Garrison. It spreads across 40 hectares and contains multiple walking trails and over 2,000 recorded species of plants, birds, butterflies and other animals. It is a marvellous place for both scientific research and to get away from it all and enjoy the tranquil beauty.
Foxglove Covert is a much-loved local institution and heavily supported by volunteers. I met many of them this morning and heard their stories about their new discoveries and how they had learnt all about wildlife whilst working at the reserve. I also spent time with the leadership team: Adam and Matt who run the reserve day to day, Ruth, Elizabeth and Major Crease who serve as officers, and a key supporter of Foxglove, Lord Zetland.
As someone with two young kids, I was also excited to discover how much there was for children to explore and learn about here. Bird Ringing is a major attraction. A lightweight, numbered metal ring attached to the bird's leg provides a valuable and harmless way of tracking the bird. This provides information on population dynamics, breeding success and survivial tool - a valuable conservation device. Children enjoy taking part in this process and also love pond-dipping!