Nature features

With the holiday season about to start, millions of Brits are thinking about spending their summer in the UK because foreign holidays are getting too expensive.

So expect even more visitors to Nottinghamshire and, maybe if you've not explored our county, it's time to take a closer look. The UK is packed with wonderful wildlife that you can enjoy without spending a fortune.

If you're planning a seaside break, heading for the hills, woodlands and rivers, or simply putting your feet up at home - it's possible to have a credit-crunching encounter with Mother Nature.

Going camping

Campsites are a real wildlife hotspot. There are more than 3000 camping and caravan sites across the UK and many of them are in our most beautiful countryside.

It doesn't cost the earth and it's a great adventure for the whole family.

Camping is a great way to enjoy wildlife

"When you go camping you're only the thickness of your tent away from the natural world," said Springwatch presenter Martin Hughes-Games.

"Always make sure to take some binoculars – but you don't need to spend a fortune on a pair – and take a field guide if you're going exploring for the first time.

"Make it a basic one as some of the bird guides can be too complicated. To let you into a little secret – the one I always take is Bill Oddies," he added.

Some of the best camping and caravanning locations you can enjoy in Nottinghamshire are found on working farms in the north of the county, close to Sherwood Forest (perfect if you're on the trail of Robin Hood), Clumber Park and Rufford Park.

Alternatively, you could look to pitch alongside the River Trent near Newark, Gunthorpe or Holme Pierrepont.

Along the coast

The UK coastline stretches for thousands of miles, offering a diverse range of habitats.

On a seaside break, the first instinct might be to flock to the beaches or, like moths to a flame, to the bright lights of the arcades - but by exploring a little further along the coast you can uncover a world of wildlife in the cliffs, tide pools and sea.

"There are spectacular wildlife hotspots all round our coast and it's not just birds – you can see seals, dolphins, even whales if you're lucky," said Martin.

Rock pools, or tide pools as they are sometimes known, are home to a wealth of sea life and provides a unique opportunity to study it at close quarters.

Wildlife adventures await on the coast

"I hadn't been rock pooling for years and I'd completely forgotten how much there is to see. It's fabulous, it's free and it's fun for all the family," said Martin.

"You'll see crabs, starfish, limpets, killer dog-whelks and if you catch a really low tide you might see British cowries or pipe fish – but don't forget to think safety first and keep an eye on the tide, it can come in far faster than you think."

Remember, the best sort of rock pooling means leaving no trace of your visit. Always return creatures back to the sea and leave the wonders of the rock pool for all to enjoy.

Closer to home you might like to try pond dipping. There are regular supervised events held throughout the year at various locations across Nottinghamshire. Favourite spots include Attenborough, Ollerton Pit Wood and Rushcliffe Country Park. You can also pond dip at Dukes Wood. 

In the woods

The woods are the UK equivalent of the rainforests, they are the most diverse habitat that we have and there's always something new going on - whatever the season.

Wherever you live you're never far away from a woodland adventure.

"The woods are home to some of our most spectacular wildlife and big animals like deer, wild boar, foxes and badgers," said Martin.

"Surprisingly, it's often a wood that has lots of visitors that is a better place to see wildlife as they get used to people.

Woodland visits get you closer to nature

"You should also go very early in the morning, and I mean really early - like first light, as this is when the animals are at their busiest.

"Getting up that early is a real adventure and just think how delicious your breakfast will taste when you get home," he added.

In Nottinghamshire, as well as Sherwood Forest, five great locations for exploring woodland habitats include Bunny Old Wood, Ploughman's Wood, Treswell Wood, Farndon Willow Holt and Dukes Wood.

Bunny Old Wood is an ancient coppiced woodland, which is home to wych elm, ash and field maple. Great and lesser-spotted woodpeckers are amongst 50 bird species recorded in the wood along with 20 species of butterfly.

Ploughman's Wood runs between Lambley and Woodborough and is another of the county's few remaining ancient woodlands. One of the most important features of the wood is the presence of substantial quantities of dead wood. This provides excellent habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna, including bracket fungi, beetles, bats and hole-nesting birds.

Treswell Wood is one of the best examples of an ash, oak and maple wood in Nottinghamshire. The ponds play host to the great crested newt, smooth newt and more than 12 species of water beetle. Stoats and foxes are regularly seen in the woodland and large molehills are evident.

Holidaying at home

If you're deciding to holiday at home this year, one of the most exciting wildlife habitats can be found in your own garden or from a visit to the local park.

Take a wildlife adventure in your garden

"I love spending time in my garden, but if I'm not at home there's always a green space somewhere nearby that'll act like a magnet for wildlife," said Martin.

"I'm passionate about insects as they have some of the best stories. Forget looking up at the birds, look down and under things and you'll find a bizarre and fascinating world.

"Again, get yourself a basic guide book and a magnifying glass. There are 20,000 different species of insect in Britain so you'll never be short of new discoveries."

Nottinghamshire is a county blessed with many beautiful country parks and gardens including Clumber, Rufford and Wollaton.

Wollaton Park is found three miles west of the city centre. It's spectacular gardens are a great place to hunt for insects but you won't need a magnifying glass to enjoy both fallow and red deer which wander freely around the 500 acres.

Rufford Country Park, set in 150 acres, is home to a 12th century Cistercian monastery surrounded by gardens, meadow and woodland.

While Clumber Park has almost 4,000 acres of farmland park, woods, grassland, heath land, marsh, streams and a lake and is home to a wide variety of wild life.

If you're a keen bird spotter then Erin McDaid of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust would recommend Attenborough Nature Reserve, Chainbridge Lane Nature Reserve near Retford or Mons Pool at Besthorpe Nature Reserve.

Attenborough is a complex of flooded gravel pits and islands with hides to watch all the action. The spring and autumn are good times to see migrant birds as they pass through and the delta area attracts a wide range of waders. In summer, breeding birds include great crested grebe, shelduck, little ringed plover and common tern.

Chainbridge Lane Nature Reserve makes a good starting point for a trip to the Idle Valley, one of the most important wildlife areas in the region. The large areas of restored gravel pit workings, with a mix of lagoons, shallows and islands alongside the River Idle supports an exceptionally rich assemblage of breeding, wintering and passage birds.

Mons Pool at Besthorpe Nature Reserve contains a colony of nesting cormorants and a heronry. Other birds which may be seen from the nearby hide include ducks such as pochard and the brilliantly coloured kingfisher.

From villages to cities, the countryside to the coast – wildlife is everywhere you look.

To help you make the most of it, a number of free pocket guides are available from BBC Breathing Places.