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Tree Appeal provides trees to schools and colleges throughout the UK.

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Tree Appeal provides trees to schools and colleges throughout the UK. They are paid for by our corporate sponsors so there is absolutely no charge to the schools receiving them (but you have to plant them; we don't do that!)

Does your school want to plant trees linked to environmental education? To see if you can provide a good home for some trees, we need to know just a few things about your project. If you qualify then saplings can be delivered to your school free of charge, including canes and protection. Read on to find out what we need from you - then get ready to start tree planting!

Why trees?

Northern Ireland

On 1st January 2021 new legislation was introduced which currently prevents us from sending trees to Northern Ireland. We are looking for solutions and hoping the situation will be resolved in time for the autumn planting season.

We want to encourage schools to make the most of their grounds by planting trees. This helps create woodland habitat, increases biodiversity and, most importantly, provides an excellent learning resource. - planting the trees, watching them grow, seeing how wildlife is encouraged, charting the changing seasons and weather.

Does your school qualify for free Tree Appeal trees?

There are a few simple things we need to check; Firstly, we need to be confident that the location for our trees is 'permanent', Although we realise there are never any guarantees it is important to remember that Tree Appeal's focus is on habitat creation, biodiversity targets and social benefits. So, we need to be sure that our trees will be planted where they have the best chance of reaching their full potential.

The planting season usually runs from November through to March but you can make your application at any time. The cell grown saplings are delivered free including canes and rabbit spirals.

We only provide British native species but that includes some of the most popular such as: English Oak, Silver Birch, Downy Birch, Rowan, Goat Willow, Green Beech, Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Hawthorn, Hazel. If there are other species you are interested in, please ask. Read the full list of species available.

Next we need you to describe your project for us in simple terms. It doesn't need to be an essay, just a few lines. Things we like to know are, for example:

Where exactly is it?

Why are trees being planted?

Is it accessible to the public?

Is it part of curriculum activities?

Will it help meet local biodiversity targets?

Are there any rare or special species locally?

Is it a Site of Special Scientific Interest or similar?

Finally, we need you to send us some photos of the planted trees.

If you would like some Tree Appeal trees to plant at your school please contact schools@treeappeal.com or download an application form.

We also provide free saplings for non-school organisations such as councils, community groups, environmental and volunteer organisations. If you would like to apply on behalf of one of these then please download our non-school application form.

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Tree Appeal provides trees to schools and colleges throughout the UK and Ireland. They are paid for by our corporate sponsors so there is absolutely no charge to the schools receiving them (but you have to plant them; we don't do that!)

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RHS Campaign for School Gardening provides guidance and resources to help schools get growing.

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Join our school growing community / RHS Gardening

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Complete the sign-up form below to receive regular tips and advice along with updates about our free teacher training and awards programmes.

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Grow Your Own Potatoes: Free growing Kit

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Grow Your Own Potatoes: Free growing Kit

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Grow Your Own Potatoes 🥔 For Primary Schools in England, Scotland and Wales

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Each pack will have 7 seed potatoes. You will plant 6 and use the remaining one for our great experiment.

You will need a container, soil and optional gardening gloves for the children.

Full instructions are included and you will be able to refer to our huge resource bank here. You will also receive timely email updates throughout the project.

Please visit our sponsor page to learn more about the companies who have made GYOP 24 possible.

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what to do with young children in school

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Grow Your Own Potatoes for Primary Schools in England, Wales and Scotland

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Grow Your Own Potatoes 🥔 Free Seed Potatoes for all Primary Schools 🥔 Register NOW 🥔 Educational Resource with Projects 🥔 Linked to the curriculum 🥔

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Apply to TCV's I Dig Trees programme to claim your free community tree pack.

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For climate, For wildlife, For communities

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#IDigTrees We just claimed trees from TCV! We’re planting millions, creating biodiverse pocket forests across the UK! Claim yours & consider donating to support

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Plant an orchard in your school and be a #ForceForNature Orchards for Schools is our popular grant programme for UK schools that provides a free pack of fruit-bearing, wildlife-enhancing, carbon-storing orchard or fruiting hedgerow for your school!

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Bright Green Nature: 'Wild your Space' Microgrant

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Bright Green Nature: 'Wild your Space' Microgrant

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Open to households and schools in the Scottish Borders.

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"Wild your Space" Microgrant Our microgrant funding is available to households in the Scottish Borders and aims to help people to bring wildlife into their gardens, connect with other green spaces and to restore natural ecosystems. Call 9 of our Wild Your Space Microgrant is now open for applications!

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Woodland Trust: Free Trees for Schools and Communities

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Woodland Trust: Free Trees for Schools and Communities

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Woodland Trust's free tree packs.

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Scottish Wildlife Trust: Creating Riverwoods - Riparian Planting

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Scottish Wildlife Trust: Creating Riverwoods - Riparian Planting

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This 5-minute video from the Scottish Wildlife introduces the importance of riverside woodlands to the river ecosystem.

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In this 4-minute video, Isla and Conner explore forests in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, comparing the differences between broadleaf and coniferous woodland.

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Why are forests important? - BBC Bitesize

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Find out about different kinds of forests and the importance of protecting forests with this BBC Bitesize Scotland article for P5, P6, P7 - Second Level CfE

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The Woodland Trust: A Year in the Life of an Alder Tree

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The Woodland Trust: A Year in the Life of an Alder Tree

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Watch an alder tree change throughout the seasons in this 1-minute video.

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A Year in the Life of an Alder Tree | Woodland Trust

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The slow evolution of a woodland ecosystem, made up of a thousand tiny things. This story emphasises the importance and interdependence of all the things that make up a woodland.

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Who Makes a Forest? by Sally Nicholls & Carolina Rabei

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Who Makes a Forest? by Sally Nicholls & Carolina Rabei

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Who makes a forest? A wizard, a giant, an emperor? Come…

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Tree Tools for Schools is a great resource for groups exploring trees and woodlands. You can find printable tree identification sheets and online games to test your learner’s knowledge.

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Help youngsters learn about trees and wildlife with our outdoor learning resources.

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Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland: Tree Stories

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Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland: Tree Stories

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Tree Stories is an online learning resource featuring 12 stories about 12 Scottish trees. It was written by Claire Hewitt and inspired by the magnificent trees of Highland Perthshire.

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A story about a Scottish tree for each month with supporting information folklore, recipes and facts about each tree.

Tree Stories was written by Claire Hewitt over a year and inspired by Highland Perthshire's beautiful fauna and flora. Each story was created during the month with which its tree is linked in folklore.

Tree Stories is also available as a pdf in gaelic.

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A story about a Scottish tree for each month with supporting information folklore, recipes and facts about each tree. Tree Stories was written by Claire Hewitt over a year and inspired by Highland Perthshire's beautiful fauna and flora. Each story was created during the month with which its tree is linked in folklore.

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An excellent online resource that can support you when identifying trees.

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Here is a list of all the tree species on this site for which there are full descriptions. Click on the names in red below to get access to over 90 common broadleaf trees, 18 exotic broadleaf trees and 25 Conifer trees found in Britain. Each description includes a photo of the entire tree with photos of important distinguishing features such as leaves, flowers, cones, bark and fruit. Also included is information on whether the tree is native to Britain or where and when it was first introduced and where it is likely to be found now.

The index of tree species provides a quick way of checking the identity a tree if you think you know its name. Alternatively type the common or scientific name of the tree in the search box below. This will pick up up several reference to the tree on this website, one of which should link to a description.

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Index of Tree Species - Tree Guide UK Index of tree species

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Index of tree species with links to photos of 90 common broadleaf trees, 18 exotic broadleaf trees and 25 Conifer trees found in Britain.

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Introducing the Global Goals: Welcome to the World's Largest Lesson!

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Introducing the Global Goals: Welcome to the World's Largest Lesson!

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Resources for teachers that support an introduction to the Global Goals.

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Welcome to the World's Largest Lesson!

In 2015, leaders from all 193 countries of the United Nations made the most ambitious plan that has ever been agreed. We believe that by teaching kids about the Global Goals, you can show them that a better world is possible.

On the resources page there are hundreds of free materials for students aged 4-18. First though, we've picked some out of the best resources to get started with.

You can sign up to the mailing list below for all our latest resources, tips and news.

Enjoy!

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Teaching the Goals for the first time | The World's Largest Lesson

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First Steps To Get Your Goals Teaching Started

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This visually striking short video from Our Planet introduces the concept of biodiversity and explains why it is essential for life on Earth. While it looks at biodiversity on a global scale, it also provides valuable context for exploring the diversity of plant life in your local environment.

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One word sums up the incredible variety of animals and plants on Earth. It's the magic ingredient that enables the world to work smoothly.

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Natural History Museum: What is Biodiversity?

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Natural History Museum: What is Biodiversity?

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This short, animated film from the Natural History Museum explains what biodiversity is and why it matters. It highlights the variety of life on Earth and the way it supports healthy ecosystems. Again, the global perspective provides context while studying the diversity of local plants.

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What is biodiversity? | Natural History Museum

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TED-Ed: The Treat of Invasive Species- Jennifer Klos

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TED-Ed: The Treat of Invasive Species- Jennifer Klos

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This animated Ted-Ed lesson by Jennifer Klos explores the threat of invasive species and the impact they can have on ecosystems worldwide. It explains how non-native plants and animals can spread rapidly, disrupting local biodiversity.

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The threat of invasive species - Jennifer Klos

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Massive vines that blanket the southern United States, climbing high as they uproot trees and swallow buildings. A ravenous snake that is capable of devouring an alligator. Rabbit populations that eat themselves into starvation. These aren’t horror movie concepts – they’re real s…

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RHS: Potentially Harmful Garden Plants Guide

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RHS: Potentially Harmful Garden Plants Guide

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You can find a detailed list of potentially hazardous plants on the RHS website.

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Serious poisoning by plants is very uncommon in the UK. Some garden plants present a hazard, but the risk of severe poisoning, skin reaction or allergy is generally low.

Quick facts

If it is not a food plant, do not eat it.
Teach children not to play with or eat growing plants.
Use gloves when pruning or weeding and keep skin covered.
Do not leave prunings or uprooted plants in reach of farm animals or pets.
Check plant labels for toxicity warnings (sometimes stated on label).

Plants potentially harmful to people

This list of plants mirrors the HTA (Horticultural Trades Association) guidelines and includes garden plants and houseplants that have been known to cause injury, either by contact or after being eaten.

All these plants are safe to grow provided they are treated with respect. Remember, they are ornamental plants, often very beautiful - they are not meant to be eaten. Avoid contamination by wearing gloves and covering your skin.

This is not an exhaustive list. Additional information on toxicity and irritation can be found on plants listed in our Find a Plant tool so if a specific plant you wish to check isn't listed below, do try searching there as well.

(chenille plant, copperleaf) - skin & eye irritant; poisonous
Agyreia nervosa - poisonous
Acokanthera (bushman's poison) - poisonous
Aconitum (monkshood) - poisonous; irritant to and via the skin
section Actaea (baneberry) - poisonous; irritant to and via the skin
Adenium - poisonous
Aesculus (horse chestnut) - somewhat poisonous
Agapanthus (African lily) - poisonous
- skin irritant
(Chinese evergreen) - poisonous; skin irritant
Agrostemma githago (corncockle) - somewhat poisonous
alder buckthorn - see - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Alocasia (taro) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
- poisonous
Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily) - skin irritant
Amaryllis - see Hippeastrum
Amaryllis belladona (belladonna lily) - poisonous
Amorphophallus (titan arum) - poisonous, skin/eye irritant
Angel's trumpet - see Brugmansia
Angel's wings - see ( Zigadanus some species)
Anthriscus sylvestris (cow parsley) - sap is a skin irritant in sun
Anthurium (flamingo flower) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Apium graveolens (celery/celeriac) - sap is a skin irritant in sun
Apocynum (dogbane) - poisonous
Arisaema (cobra-lily) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
(mouse plant) - poisonous, and skin and eye irritant
- poisonous, skin allergen
Aristolochia(Dutchman's pipe) - poisonous
Arrowhead vine - see (cuckoo-pint, lords-and-ladies) - poisonous; skin & eye
irritant
(asparagus fern) - may cause skin allergy, fruits
poisonous
Asparagus fern See Asparagus
Atropa (deadly nightshade) - poisonous; skin irritant
Autumn crocus See Colchicum
Azalea- see Rhododendron
Baneberry - see Actaea section Actaea
Belladonna lily - see Amaryllis belladona
Black byrony - poisonous, skin irritant
Bluebell - see Hyacinthoides
Bottle gourd - see Lagenaria
Brassaia- see Shefflera
Brassica nigra, B. juncea (black mustard, brown mustard) - skin irritant/allergen
Brugmansia (angel's trumpet) - poisonous
Brunfelsia (yesterday, today and tomorrow) - poisonous
(white bryony) - poisonous
Buckthorn - see Rhamnus
Bunny ears cactus - see Opuntia microdasys
Burning bush - see Dictamnus
Bushman's poison - see Acokanthera
(angel's wings) - poisonous
Calico bush - see Kalmia
Calla lily - see Zantedeschia
Calla palustris (water arum) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Calycanthus - Carolina allspice - poisonous
Capsicum annum (ornamental pepper cultivars)- skin & eye irritant;
poisonous
Castor oil plant - see Ricinus communis
Celandine, greater - see Chelidonium majus
Celastrus - poisonous
Chalice vine - see Solandra
Chaste tree - see Vitex
Chelidonium majus (greater celandine) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Chenille plant - see Acalypha
Cherry laurel - see Prunus laurocerasus
Chincherinchee - see Ornithogalum
Chinese evergreen - see Aglaonema
Christmas cherry - see Solanum pseudocapsicum
Chrysanthemum - skin irritant
(lemon, lime, bergamot orange) - fruit harmful to skin in sunlight
(old man's beard) - skin irritant
Cobra-lily - see Arisaema
Colchicum (autumn crocus) - poisonous
Colocasia esculenta (dasheen, eddo, taro) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Comfrey, Russian comfrey - see Symphytum
Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley) - poisonous
Copperleaf - see Acalypha
Coriaria - poisonous
Corncockle - see Agrostemma githago
Crepe jasmine - see Tabernaemontana
Cucumis sativus - bitter varieties of cucumber - poisonous
Cuckoo-pint - see Arum
x Cuprocyparis leylandii (Leyland cypress) - skin irritant
- ornamental varieties - poisonous
- edible varieties (courgette, pumpkin, squash) - if crop is bitter, do not eat
- poisonous, skin irritant
- skin allergen
Cypripedium (lady's slipper orchid) - skin allergen
- (broom) - poisonous
Daffodil - see Narcissus
(mezereon, spurge laurel) - poisonous; skin irritant
Dasheen - see Colocasia esculenta
- poisonous; skin irritant
Deadly nightshade - see including Consolida (larkspur) - poisonous
Dendranthema - see Chrysanthemum
Devil's ivy - see (carnation, sweet William) - skin allergen
(burning bush) - skin irritant
Dieffenbachia (dumb cane, leopard lily) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
(foxglove) - poisonous
(black byrony) - poisonous, skin irritant
Dogbane - see Apocynum
Dracunculus (dragon arum) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Dragon arum - see Dracunculus
Dumb cane - see Dieffenbachia
Ecballium elaterium(squirting cucumber) - skin/eye irritant, poisonous
Echium - skin irritant
Eddo - see Colocasia esculenta
Elder - see Sambucus
Epipremnum (devil's ivy) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Euonymus (spindle tree) - somewhat poisonous
(spurge, poinsettia) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant NB: Poinsettia ( E. pulcherrima) is considerably less toxic than other Euphorbia species. However, it is best to avoid ingestion and contact with milky sap.
False hellebore - see Veratrum
False jasmine - see Gelsemium
Ficus benjamina (weeping fig) - may cause skin allergy, poisonous
- skin & eye irritant in sunlight
Fig - see Ficus
Flamingo flower - see Anthurium
Four o'clock plant - see Mirabilis
Foxglove - see - see Rhamnus
Fremontodendron - skin & eye irritant
(snowdrop) - poisonous
Gaultheria section Pernettya - somewhat poisonous
Gelsemium (false jasmine) - poisonous
German primula - see Primula obconica
Ginkgo biloba - seeds toxic
Gloriosa superba (glory lily) - poisonous
Glory lily - see Gloriosa superba
Goosefoot vine - see - skin irritant/allergen
Gymnocladus dioicus - poisonous
Hedera (ivy) - somewhat poisonous; skin irritant
Hellebore, false - see Veratrum
Helleborus (Christmas rose, Lenten rose) - somewhat poisonous; skin irritant
Hemlock water-dropwort - see Oenanthe
Henbane - see Hyoscyamus
Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) - severe skin irritant in bright sunlight
Heracleum sphondylium (hogweed, common hogweed) and other Heracleum spp - severe skin irritant in bright sunlight
Hippeastrum (amaryllis) - poisonous
Hogweed - see Heracleum
Homeria - poisonous
Horse chestnut - see Aesculus
Humulus lupulus - skin irritant
Hyacinthoides (bluebell) - poisonous
Hyacinth - see Hyacinthus
Hyacinthus (hyacinth) - skin irritant
- skin allergen
Hyoscyamus (henbane) - poisonous
Hypericum perforatum (perforate St John's wort) - poisonous
(holly) - poisonous in large quantities
Ipomoea (morning glory) - poisonous
Iris - somewhat poisonous; skin irritant
Ivy - see Hedera
Japanese lacquer tree - see Rhus
Jasmine, false - see Gelsemium
Juniperus communis (juniper) - skin allergen
(savin) - except Juniperus communis - poisonous, skin allergen
Kalmia (calico bush) - somewhat poisonous
+ Laburnocytisus 'Adamii' - poisonous
Laburnum - poisonous
(bottle gourd, calabash) edible varieties - poisonous if bitter
Lantana - poisonous; skin irritant
Larkspur - see (except L. sativus) - pods and seeds not edible
Laurel - see Prunus laurocerasus
Laurentia axillaris (blue star) - skin irritant
Lenten rose - see Helleborus
Leopard lily - see Dieffenbachia
Leyland cypress - see x Cupressocyparis (privet) - somewhat poisonous
- bulbs poisonous
Lily-of-the-valley - see Convallaria majalis
(except bedding lobelia, L. erinus) - somewhat poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Locust tree - see Robinia pseudoacacia
Lords-and-ladies - see (loofah) - poisonous
Lupin - see (lupin) - poisonous
Lysichiton (skunk cabbage) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Mandragora (mandrake) - poisonous
Mandrake - see Mandragora
Marvel of Peru - see Mirabilis
May apple - see Podophyllum
Mentha pulegium (pennyroyal) - poisonous
Mezereon - see (marvel of Peru, four o'clock plant) - poisonous; skin irritant
Monkshood - see Aconitum
Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
- poisonous
Morning glory - see Ipomoea
- somewhat poisonous; skin irritant
Nandina domestica (sacred bamboo) - poisonous
Nerium oleander (oleander) - poisonous
(tobacco) - poisonous
Oenanthe crocata, O. aquatica, O. phellandrium (hemlock water-dropwort, water dropwort) - poisonous
Oleander - see Nerium oleander
Oleander, yellow - see - skin allergen
Opium poppy - see Papaver somniferum
Opuntia microdasys (bunny ears cactus) - skin irritant
Ornithogalum (chincherinchee, star-of-Bethlehem) - somewhat poisonous; skin irritant
Pagoda tree - see Sophora
Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) - poisonous
(herb Paris) - poisonous
Parsnip - see Pastinaca sativa
Parthenocissus (Virginia creeper, Boston ivy) - poisonous, skin irritant
Passiflora caerulea (hardy passion flower) - somewhat poisonous
Passion flower - see Passiflora caerulea
Pastinaca sativa (parsnip) - severe skin irritant in bright sunlight
Peace lily - see Spathiphyllum
Pedilanthus - skin & eye irritant; poisonous
Pepper, ornamental - see Capsicum annum
Pernettya - see Gaultheria
Peruvian lily - see Alstroemeria
Phacelia - skin allergen
(navy beans, kidney beans, French bean, climbing bean, runner bean)- raw pods/beans poisonous
Philodendron - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Physalis alkekengi (Chinese lantern)- poisonous, except ripe fruit
Phytolacca (pokeweed) - poisonous; skin irritant
Pieris - poisonous
Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce) - poisonous, skin/eye irritant
(frangipani) - poisonous, skin/eye irritant
Plumbago(leadwort) - skin irritant
Podophyllum (May apple) - poisonous
Poinsettia - see Euphorbia
Poison ivy - see Rhus
Pokeweed - see Phytolacca
Polygonatum (Solomon's seal) - somewhat poisonous
Polyscias - poisonous; skin irritant
Portugal laurel - see Prunus lusitanica
Primula obconica (German primula), and - skin irritant
Privet - see Ligustrum
Prunus laurocerasus, P. lustanica (cherry laurel, Portugal laurel, ) - poisonous
Prunus lusitanica (Portugal laurel) - seed kernels are poisonous
Ranunculus (buttercup, crowfoot, celandine, spearfoot, beakwort) - poisonous/skin irritant
Rhamnus including Frangula (alder buckthorn, buckthorn) - poisonous; skin irritant
x (rhubarb) - poisonous, except cooked stems
except R. x hybridum (Chinese rhubarb) - poisonous
Rhaphidophora - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Rhus verniciflua, R. radicans, R. succedanea, R. diversiloba, R. rydbergii,R. striata, R. toxicarium, R. vernix (Japanese lacquer tree, Poison ivy, Sumach) - poisonous; severe skin irritant
Rhododendron, including Ledum, Azalea, Menziesia - poisonous
Ricinus communis (castor oil plant) - poisonous
Rivinia (Bloodberry) -poisonous
Robinia pseudoacacia (locust tree) - poisonous
(dock/sorrel) - poisonous if eaten in large quantities
Ruta (rue) - severe skin irritant in bright sunlight
St John's wort - see Hypericum perforatum
Salvia rosmarinus (rosemary) - skin allergen
Sambucus except S. nigra (elder) - poisonous
Sauromatum (voodoo lily) - poisonous and skin/eye irritant
Schefflera (Umbrella tree) - skin irritant
Scindapsis - poisonous, skin/eye irritant
Scilla - somewhat poisonous
- poisonous
Sinapis alba (white mustard) - skin irritant
Skunk cabbage - see Lysichiton
Snowberry - see Symphoricarpos
Solandra (chalice vine) - poisonous
Solanum - poisonous
Solanum pseudocapsicum (Christmas cherry, winter cherry) - poisonous
Solomon's seal - See Polygonatum
Sophora (pagoda tree) - poisonous
Spanish broom - see Spartium junceum
Sparmannia - skin irritant
Spartium junceum (Spanish broom) - poisonous
Spathiphyllum (peace lily) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Spindle tree - see Euonymus
Spurge - see Euphorbia
Spurge laurel - see Daphne
Star-of-Bethlehem - see Ornithogalum
Sumach - see Rhus
Swiss cheese plant - See Monstera deliciosa
Symphoricarpos (snowberry) - poisonous
Symphytum (comfrey, Russian comfrey) - poisonous
(arrowhead vine, goosefoot vine) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
Tagetes minuta - (African marigold, French marigold) - skin irritant/allergen
- see Dioscorea
Tobacco - see Nicotiana
Tabernaemontana (crepe jasmine) - poisonous
Taro - see Alocasia, Colocasia
- poisonous
(germander) - poisonous
(yellow oleander) - poisonous; skin irritant
Thermopsis (false lupin) - poisonous
Thornapple - see (western red cedar) - poisonous, skin irritant
Tradescantia - skin allergen
Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium) - skin allergen
Tulip - see Tulipa
Tulipa (tulip) - skin irritant, poisonous
Umbrella tree - see (nettle) - skin irritant
Veratrum (false hellebore) - poisonous
(mistletoe) - poisonous
Vitex (chaste tree) - skin irritant
Water arum - see Calla palustris
Water-dropwort - see Oenanthe
Winter cherry - see Solanum pseudocapsicum
Wisteria - somewhat poisonous
Woody nightshade - see Solanum
Xanthosoma - poisonous; skin & eye irritant
x Cupressocyparis leylandii, x Cuprocyparis
leylandii(Leyland cypress) - skin allergen
Yesterday, today and tomorrow - see Brunfelsia
Yew - See Taxus
Yucca - skin allergen
Zamia - poisonous
Zamioculcas - poisonous, skin/eye allergen/irritant
Zantedeschia (calla lily) - poisonous; skin & eye irritant

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Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips - all to help you grow successfully

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK's leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone's life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.

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Potentially harmful garden plants / RHS Gardening

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Serious poisoning by plants is very uncommon in the UK. Some garden plants present a hazard, but the risk of severe poisoning, skin reaction or allergy is generally low. Quick facts If it is not a food plant, do not eat it. Teach children not to play with or eat growing plants.

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WWF‚'s 2024 Living Planet Report details an average 73% decline in wildlife populations since 1970. The report warns that, as the Earth approaches dangerous tipping points posing grave threats to humanity, a huge collective effort will be required over the next five years to tackle the dual climate and nature crises.

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Nature is being lost - with huge implications for us all

Biodiversity sustains human life and underpins our societies. Yet every indicator that tracks the state of nature on a global scale shows a decline. Over the past 50 years (1970-2020), the average size of monitored wildlife populations has shrunk by 73%, as measured by the Living Planet Index (LPI). This is based on almost 35,000 population trends and 5,495 species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles.

Freshwater populations have suffered the heaviest declines, falling by 85%, followed by terrestrial (69%) and marine populations (56%). At a regional level, the fastest declines have been seen in Latin America and the Caribbean - a concerning 95% decline - followed by Africa (76%) and the Asia and the Pacific (60%). Declines have been less dramatic in Europe and Central Asia (35%) and North America (39%), but this reflects the fact that large-scale impacts on nature were already apparent before 1970 in these regions: some populations have stabilized or increased thanks to conservation efforts and species reintroductions. Habitat degradation and loss, driven primarily by our food system, is the most reported threat in each region, followed by overexploitation, invasive species and disease. Other threats include climate change (most cited in Latin America and the Caribbean) and pollution (particularly in North America and Asia and the Pacific).

By monitoring changes in the size of species populations over time, the LPI is an early warning indicator for extinction risk and helps us understand the health of ecosystems. When a population falls below a certain level, that species may not be able to perform its usual role within the ecosystem - whether that's seed dispersal, pollination, grazing, nutrient cycling or the many other processes that keep ecosystems functioning. Stable populations over the long term provide resilience against disturbances like disease and extreme weather events; a decline in populations, as shown in the global LPI, decreases resilience and threatens the functioning of the ecosystem. This in turn undermines the benefits that ecosystems provide to people - from food, clean water and carbon storage for a stable climate to the broader contributions that nature makes to our cultural, social and spiritual well-being.

For further information, click here.

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Nature is being lost - with huge implications for us all

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Helps to identify plants and animals and provides information about whether the species is native or introduced.

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Open Your Camera and Start Seeking!

Found a mushroom, flower, or bug, and not sure what it is? Open up the Seek camera to see if it knows!

Drawing from millions of wildlife observations on iNaturalist, Seek shows you lists of commonly recorded insects, birds, plants, amphibians, and more in your area. Scan the environment with the Seek Camera to identify organisms using the tree of life. Add different species to your observations and learn all about them in the process! The more observations you make, the more badges you'll earn!

Kid-Safe and Fun for Families

No registration is involved, and no user data is collected.

Seek will ask permission to turn on location services, but your location is obscured to respect your privacy while still allowing species suggestions from your general area. Your precise location is never stored in the app or sent to iNaturalist.

Our image recognition technology is based on observations submitted to iNaturalist.org and partner sites, and identified by the iNaturalist community.

This is a great app for families who want to spend more time exploring nature together.

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Found a mushroom, flower, or bug, and not sure what it is? Open up the Seek camera to see if it knows! Drawing from millions of wildlife observations on iNaturalist, Seek shows you lists of commonly recorded insects, birds, plants, amphibians, and more in your area.

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You can download this App for out-and-about identification, or you can use their website to identify photographs.

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Identify, explore and share your observations of wild plants

Pl@ntNet is a tool to help to identify plants with pictures. It is organized in different thematic and geographical floras. Choose the one that corresponds to your region or area of interest from the list below. If you don't know what to choose, select "World flora" which has the widest coverage but will give less accurate results than a more focused flora.

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Identify, explore and share your observations of wild plants

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Pl@ntNet is a tool to help to identify plants with pictures. Identify, explore and share your observations of wild plants

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Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland: Plant ID: getting started

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Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland: Plant ID: getting started

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BSBI has a great collection of resource signposting for people starting with plant identification. It includes handy hints, spotter sheets and blog posts.

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Check out these free ID sheets from our friends Discover the Wild: there's violets & pansies; crane's-bills & stork's-bills; common British tree leaves; winter tree buds.

Kevin Widdowson @kwid79 is rapidly gaining a reputation for his fabulous photos showing how to identify various trees, seeds and members of the daisy family. Coming soon: a 'Kevin's plant ID' section on this website. For now, check out Kevin's photos towards the end of this BSBI article published in BBC Wildlife magazine online and scroll down to see Kevin's photos on how to ID blackthorn Prunus spinosa and cherry plum Prunus cerasifera.

The Field Studies Council have some really useful and inexpensive fold-out sheets - there's one describing the various parts of a flower, one of common ferns, others on the plants found in a particular habitat, eg moorlands. Access them here.

Identifying orchids can be tricky but the Beginner's Vegetative Guide to Orchids of the British Isles, produced by Mike Waller for the NHM ID Trainers project, helps you get started.

Members of the Wild Flower Hour team led by Rebecca @botany_beck have put together various help sheets to help you as you get started with plant ID:

The first hurdle is understanding some of the botanical terms so check out the #talklikeabotanist series from the dynamic duo of Gus @PinkfootedGus and James aka @GranthamEcology - example on the right.

ID sheets for buttercups, speedwells, strawberries and violets have been produced by #dinkymoira" - see box on right.

Orchid-lover Richard @thenewgalaxy has put together some orchid ID/ info sheets - there's an example below right and more available from @wildflower_hour.

Botanist Joshua @joshual951 has focused on some Peculiar Plants - check out his toothwort sheet below and here is the BSBI distribution map for toothwort so you know where to look for it. Joshua also led a helpful online ID course recently to help people get started with identifying the c250 species of British and Irish Dandelion.

More of these helpful ID sheets in the pipeline so keep an eye on #wildflowerhour. It's on Twitter but you don't need a Twitter account to view these links - just click and enjoy! But if you do want to take part in Wild Flower Hour and you don't know what your plant is, just use the #wildflowerID hashtag to summon help from a friendly botanist.

Check out the Herbology Hunt monthly spotter sheets, free to download here: https://bsbi.org/herbology-hunt Five common plants to look out for each month with tips on what to look for. Created with children in mind but they work well for anyone just starting out with plant ID.

This leaflet produced by Phoebe O'Brien has photos and ID tips for 20 wild flowers commonly found in Ireland and in Britain: https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/20-common-urban-plants-in-Ireland.pdf

Try the 'Wildflower of the Month' series on the BSBI News & Views blog: ID tips, fascinating facts and info for snake's-head fritillary, purple saxifrage, sweet violets, bluebells, buttercups, and bird's-foot trefoil.

Sussex Botanical Recording Society has a Plant of the Week feature which includes ID tips: https://www.sussexflora.org.uk/

The Botanical Society of Scotland's new blog also has a regular Plant Of the Week feature with ID tips - they launched with Wall speedwell and followed up with Oxford ragwort, cuckooflower and then Thale Cress.

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Check out these free ID sheets from our friends Discover the Wild: there's violets & pansies; crane's-bills & stork's-bills; common British tree leaves; winter tree buds. Kevin Widdowson @kwid79 is rapidly gaining a reputation for his fabulous photos showing how to identify various trees, seeds and members of the daisy family.

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A shot of Wildlife: What Wildlife Lives in UK Rivers?

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A shot of Wildlife: What Wildlife Lives in UK Rivers?

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A whistlestop tour of some of the common wildlife you might spot in and amongst the UK's lowland rivers. It features a range of animals, including fish like minnows and chubs, minibeasts like mayflies, birds such as little grebes, and mammals like otters and water voles.

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Our World: Stunning Wildlife in the Rivers of Wild Great Britain

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Our World: Stunning Wildlife in the Rivers of Wild Great Britain

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This film is 1 of an 8-part series called Wild Great Britain. It showcases Britain’s landscapes and wildlife, narrated by Hugh Bonneville. This episode celebrates our rivers and the amazing animals adapted to thrive in them.

Dippers: The diving songbird (2:50 & 22:00)

Atlantic salmon: The epic journey (6:16)

Kingfishers: The tiny jewelled bird (11:20)

Mayfly nymphs: The great transformation (14:30)

Otters: An elusive river favourite (27:46)

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Stunning Wildlife in the Rivers of Wild Great Britain | Our World

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The Lost Words: A Spell Book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

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The Lost Words: A Spell Book by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

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The Lost Words is a ‘book of spells’ inspired by the loss of everyday nature words from the Oxford Junior Dictionary. This book is full of acrostic poems that celebrate important nature words. Many are linked to iconic river plants and animals such as willow, otter, kingfisher, and heron.

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by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris published by Hamish Hamilton at Penguin - UKHouse of Anansi Press - North AmericaMatthes und Seitz - Germany

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Tweed Forum: Habitats and Species of the River Tweed Catchment

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Tweed Forum: Habitats and Species of the River Tweed Catchment

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To read more details about the habitats throughout the River Tweed, check out the Catchment Facts Species and Habitats page on the Tweed Forum website.

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NatureScot: Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

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NatureScot: Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

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More information about Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

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Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

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More than 1,400 Sites of Special Scientific Interest represent the best of Scotlands flora, fauna, geology, geomorphology or a mix of these features.

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NatureScot: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

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NatureScot: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

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More Information about Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

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A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) protects one or more special habitats and/or species - terrestrial or marine - listed in the Habitats Directive.

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NatureScot: River Tweed SAC and SSSI guidance

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NatureScot: River Tweed SAC and SSSI guidance

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River Tweed SAC and SSSI guidance for planners and developers

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Natural History Museum: Beginner's Catalogue of invertebrate survey methods and ID Guides

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Natural History Museum: Beginner's Catalogue of invertebrate survey methods and ID Guides

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This catalogue contains a range of links to useful identification resources for different types of invertebrates.

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Terrestrial invertebrate survey methods and ID guides - Beginners’ catalogue | Natural History Museum

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This catalogue shows you how to identify and record invertebrates, the backbone of healthy ecosystems, and how to improve their habitats.

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IUCN: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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IUCN: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

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'What is The IUCN Red List?

Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive. It provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions.'

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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'A short animation explaining the water cycle - including evaporation, condensation and precipitation.'

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Over two thirds of the Earth is covered in water.

Water is vital to support all life on the planet.

Water never leaves the Earth and its atmosphere.

It simply moves around in what is called the water cycle.

The water cycle is the continuous journey of water from oceans and lakes, to clouds, to rain, to streams, to rivers and back into the ocean again.

When the sun shines, it causes water to warm up, turning it into a gas - water vapour.

This process is called evaporation.

The water vapour rises and collects in the sky as clouds.

When the water vapour cools down, it condenses, turning back into liquid, and falls back to earth as precipitation: rain, snow, hail or sleet.

This water then moves across land as run-off, and ends up in rivers and streams.

It then flows back to the sea or lakes and the cycle starts again.

Water moves continuously around this cycle.

The water we use today has been around for as long as the Earth.

So next time you take a drink of water, remember, it's the same water the dinosaurs drank!

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A short animation for KS2 pupils explaining the water cycle.

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Where does our piped water come from, and what can we do to help conserve it?

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How can water be managed sustainably - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about the impact of our water use on the environment and how we can use it more sustainably. BBC Bitesize Scotland Learning for Sustainability article for Second Level CfE.

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TED-Ed: Freshwater Scarcity: An Introduction to the Problem - Christina Z. Peppard

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TED-Ed: Freshwater Scarcity: An Introduction to the Problem - Christina Z. Peppard

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Thinking globally about the causes and impacts of water scarcity.

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Christiana Z. Peppard is a water-loving biologist turned ethicist who thinks a lot about bodies of water and the fact/value distinction. She is Assistant Professor of Theology, Science and Ethics at Fordham University in New York City.
A video about how to conserve water: http://vimeo.com/91919685
Here is part one of two in a series about water: Fresh water accounts for only 2.5% of Earth's water, yet it is vital for human civilization. What are our sources of fresh water? In the first of a two part series on fresh water, Christiana Z. Peppard breaks the numbers down and discusses who is using it and to what ends.
A global public good is a good that has the three following properties: [1) It is non-rivalrous. Consumption of this good by anyone does not reduce the quantity available to other agents. 2) It is non-excludable. It is impossible to prevent anyone from consuming that good. 3) It is available worldwide.] This concept is an extension of American economist Paul Samuelson's notion of public goods to the economics of globalization.
Here's an excerpt from an article about people who have won awards for providing access to clean water: "With its Clean Water Foundation, Georg Fischer has been involved since 2002 in projects to improve the water supply in developing countries and disaster areas. To date, over 200,000 people worldwide have received a better access to clean drinking water."
Here's an excerpt from a Catholic News source: "A referendum in Italy has spotlighted an emerging social justice issue for the Catholic Church: access to safe water as a basic human right."
Here's news about global water justice activists: "This Saturday, July 28, 2012 marks the two-year anniversary of the historic United Nations General Assembly resolution recognizing the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. This human right has yet to be fully implemented, however, prompting water justice activists from around the world to release an open letter demanding action from governments."
From a 2007 article by the Food and Agricultural Organization: "By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water stress conditions, FAO said today. Water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase over the last century, making sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources a key challenge for the future, according to FAO's Pasquale Steduto, current Chair of the United Nations coordination mechanism, UN-Water."
A New York Times article: The Ins and Outs of Digging a Well
The Water Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to bringing relief to communities around the world who suffer needlessly from a lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation.

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Fresh water scarcity: An introduction to the problem - Christiana Z. Peppard

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Fresh water is essential for life -- and there's not nearly enough of it for the world right now. Why is that, and what could we do? Christiana Z. Peppard lays out the big questions of our global water problem. And no, shorter showers are not the answer.

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This film can help you link a topic about a local blue space to global examples of freshwater habitats. It shares engaging stories of some of the creatures that live in these habitats and highlights the threats caused by humans. Highlights include:

The Tisza River, Hungary: Impact of polluted rivers on mayflies (16:30 mins)

Lake Tanganyika, Africa: A freshwater habitat that holds a fifth of the world’s accessible freshwater. (27:32 mins)

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Our Planet | Fresh Water | FULL EPISODE | Netflix

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The Mess We Made by Michelle Lord and Julia Blattman

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The Mess We Made by Michelle Lord and Julia Blattman

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This beautifully illustrated, rhyming picture book examines the impact of litter on the sea and its creatures. The second half of the book offers a positive message about the actions we can take together to protect our oceans.

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Read 120 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The Mess That We Made explores the environmental impact of trash and plastic on the ocean ...

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WATER: Protect Freshwater to Save Life on Earth by Catherine Barr and Christine Engel

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WATER: Protect Freshwater to Save Life on Earth by Catherine Barr and Christine Engel

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This non-fiction book looks at the global story of freshwater. It includes topics such as the first water on Earth, the importance of freshwater and the impact of pollution.

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WATER protect freshwater to save life on Earth — Catherine Barr Books

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Water is a nature picture book about freshwater around the world: discover the history of water, the water cycle, the amazing variety of freshwater wildlife, the impact of climate change, water pollution and the link with girls education.

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Planet SOS: 22 Modern Monsters Threatening Our Environment

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Planet SOS: 22 Modern Monsters Threatening Our Environment by Marie G. Rohde

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Planet SOS: 22 Modern Monsters Threatening Our Environment by Marie G. Rohde

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This book engages readers with various environmental issues represented by mythical monsters. Water pollution is one of 22 monsters and is depicted as ‘The Aqualik’, a greedy frog who appears when humans waste or pollute freshwater.

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SOS Monstruos verdaderos: amenazan el planeta

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Read 8 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Hay monstruos merodeando por el planeta: vuelan sobre tu cabeza, viven en las profundidades ...

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'Sewage is discharged into our rivers on a daily basis. This isn’t an isolated problem; it affects urban city centre rivers and pristine chalk streams alike. Find out if your river is fit to play in and take a deeper dive into the problem.'

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Freshwater Habitats Trust: Clean Water for Wildlife Project

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Freshwater Habitats Trust: Clean Water for Wildlife Project

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Clean Water for Wildlife was a citizen science survey, which raised awareness of the extent of nutrient pollution and helped to identify clean water habitats in England and Wales. They are no longer taking results, but you can still download resources from their website.

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Clean Water for Wildlife - Freshwater Habitats Trust

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Clean Water for Wildlife was a Freshwater Habitats Trust citizen science survey, which raised awareness of the importance of clean water.

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From 30 September - 3 October 2022, Earthwatch Europe encouraged their existing FreshWater Watch community groups to take part in a global water... Read more

Tate & Lyle has entered into the next phase of its sustainability programme for stevia, a plant-derived and in-demand low-calorie... Read more

Earthwatch researchers have led on the publication of a new paper entitled Drivers of public plastic (mis)use New insights from changes... Read more

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Every drop of fresh water is precious. But pollution, climate change and over-exploitation have brought our fresh water systems to crisis point. We want to transform our rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, wetlands and reservoirs into clean, thriving habitats for people and wildlife.

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Take action
for your river now Every passing moment sees our rivers under siege from pollution. They deserve better. Explore the resources below to find out how you can take action. Explore the river rescue kit What are the key problems? Years of poor regulation and neglect have turned the UK’s rivers

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Tweed Forum: The Eddleston Water Project

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Tweed Forum: The Eddleston Water Project

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This short film shows how restoring rivers, planting trees, and creating wetlands can help reduce flooding and improve habitats. It’s a useful way for learners to see how natural flood management works across a whole catchment.

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Cumbria Wildlife Trust: Slowing the Flow

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Cumbria Wildlife Trust: Slowing the Flow

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This collection of stop motion films brings natural flood management (NFM) to life through puppet characters like Twiggy the Red Squirrel. Produced with partners including the EA, RSPB, NFU, SEPA and Wild Ennerdale, the films show how woodlands, wetlands and leaky barriers can slow water, reduce flood risk and support wildlife.

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Combating the effects of climate change | Cumbria Wildlife Trust

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As well as storing carbon, nature can also help to reduce the impact of the effects of climate change for us and for wildlife.

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This wordless picture book shows a family preparing for, experiencing, and recovering from a flood. Its illustrations make the emotional and physical impacts of flooding very real for learners. Using this book before introducing natural flood management resources can help learners understand why flood management is important.

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A beautiful wordless picture book about the effects of …

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Wyre Rivers Trust: Down to the Wyre- The Natural Flood Management Storybook

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Wyre Rivers Trust: Down to the Wyre- The Natural Flood Management Storybook

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This illustrated storybook introduces natural flood management through the journey of the River Wyre. It explains in a child-friendly way how wetlands, woodlands, and other nature-based solutions help slow and store floodwater. A useful resource for teachers to spark discussion or follow up on a lesson on flooding and river habitats.

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We are an Environmental Organisation working for an improved environment across the Wyre catchment in North West Lancashire

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Tweed Forum: Eddleston Water Project Webpage

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Tweed Forum: Eddleston Water Project Webpage

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This short (4min) video gives learners an overview of what archaeology is and why it matters. It shows how archaeologists work by digging up, studying, and caring for things from the past to learn about how people lived long ago. The video emphasises that archaeology isn't just about stones and bones, but understanding change, identity and communities.

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The history of archaeology | History – Proud To Be

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Dig IT: The Easiest Guide to Scotland's Archaeological Time Periods and Ages

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Dig IT: The Easiest Guide to Scotland's Archaeological Time Periods and Ages

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This clear, teacher-friendly blog outlines Scotland’s main archaeological periods from the earliest hunter-gatherers to medieval times. It highlights key features of each era and notes that dates are only approximate, making it a handy quick reference for lesson planning or class timeline activities.

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Learning through Landscapes: Local School Nature Grants

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Learning through Landscapes: Local School Nature Grants

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Funds for school-based environment projects.

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Local School Nature Grants

What do bird boxes, bee hotels, and nature experts all have in common? They're all available for free as part of our Local School Nature Grants programme, supported by players of the People's Postcode Lottery.

Open to schools and early years settings in England, Scotland, and Wales, this outdoor learning grant fund has two elements - £500 of outdoor equipment chosen from a catalogue of over 100 items, and an outdoor learning training course for your staff.

Learn more about the grants below or head straight to the application portal.

Discover our tips
for writing a winning
grant application!

Our impact

Since their launch in 2017, our Local School Nature Grants have helped nearly 3,500 schools across England, Scotland, and Wales to improve their outdoor learning provision, enabling thousands more children to profit from time in nature.

2022 was our biggest and best year yet: we awarded 900 grants - more than any previous year.

There was a general lack of confidence with ideas to take outdoors, so the staff found the training hugely beneficial. Some said it was the best training they have ever had.

Key Information

Product catalogue

With a Local School Nature Grant, you'll have a budget of £500 to mix and match on items from our product catalogue. We offer a wide variety of products to appeal to a broad range of age groups and projects. All the products are delivered direct to you from our partner suppliers.

Training catalogue

You'll be able to select an outdoor learning training session from a range of themes. A member of our skilled team will then deliver an engaging session for your staff for up to half a day. You will be offered a choice of dates, but we do ask that the training is delivered within the funding round.

Funding

Eligibility

The grants are available to all schools and early years settings in England, Scotland, and Wales only. Early years settings must employ at least five staff and have a dedicated building, either stand alone or part of a school. School nurseries and the attached school will be classed as one setting.

We cannot fund outside of the geographical limits. Individual childminders are not eligible to apply. If you have previously been awarded a Local School Nature Grant, you cannot apply again.

Please read the FAQ on the application portal for more information.

More details

The total spend on products cannot exceed £500.

All prices include VAT and delivery.

Any under-spend will be used to help further schools partake in the project and cannot be reimbursed to the school.

Schools are welcome to select the same item multiple times, as long as the £500 budget is not exceeded.

Items will be delivered to your site within three months of a successful application.

We manage all the ordering and payments - you simply make a choice via the online catalogue.

We cannot let you 'top up' the grant.

The training will take place at your own site.

You will have a choice of themes for the training session.

The training will be outdoors and interactive (our preference), or delivered remotely online.

Up to 30 staff can take part, although up to 15 (including the trainer) is preferred.

We include handouts and follow up information, including lesson plans and ideas.

You will have a choice of times and dates for the training session.

All our staff are following strong Covid-19 protection protocols as well as our standard risk management processes.

Keep in the know

If you'd like to get involved or want to stay up to date on our projects, sign up to our free newsletter today.

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Local School Nature Grants - Learning through Landscapes

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Apply for a Local School Nature Grant for the chance to get free staff training and £500 worth of outdoor learning equipment for your school.

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If your learners wish to compose a piece of music to perform during their pledge ceremony, they could refer to ancient musical instruments. There are a few from Scotland, including various whistles, the lyre and the carnyx.

EXARC’s recording of a replica Iron Age whistle from Loch Tay: Oakbank Dog Rose (1min)

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Oakbank Dog Rose: A Working-Model of an Iron Age Wooden Whistle from a Loch Tay Crannog (S. Wyatt)

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Historic Environment Scotland: Ancient Stringed Instrument

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Historic Environment Scotland: Ancient Stringed Instrument

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If your learners wish to compose a piece of music to perform during their pledge ceremony, they could refer to ancient musical instruments. There are a few from Scotland, including various whistles, the lyre and the carnyx.

Historic Environment Scotland’s video about the fragment of a lyre from High Pasture Cave, Skye: Ancient Stringed Instrument (3mins)

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Ancient Stringed Instrument - Replica being played

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National Museums Scotland: The Sound of a Carnyx

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National Museums Scotland: The Sound of a Carnyx

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If your learners wish to compose a piece of music to perform during their pledge ceremony, they could refer to ancient musical instruments. There are a few from Scotland, including various whistles, the lyre and the carnyx.

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The British Museum: Classroom Resource - The People of Iron Age Britain

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The British Museum: Classroom Resource - The People of Iron Age Britain

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If your learners are keen to explore Iron Age and La Tène art further, the British Museum has created a classroom resource on People of Iron Age Britain (PowerPoint image bank and accompanying Word doc). It includes the depiction of faces in Iron Age art, with activity suggestions (ages 7-11/KS2).

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From around 800 BC iron became the most commonly used metal in the British Isles. It gave its name to the British Iron Age.

Our image bank is the first in a series looking at different aspects of life in Iron Age Britain. This one focuses on Iron Age people, what they wore, ate and spent their time doing.

Curriculum links: Art and Design, History

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Classroom resource: People of Iron Age Britain

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From around 800 BC iron became the most commonly used metal in the British Isles. It gave its name to the British Iron Age.

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BBC Bitesize: What Did Iron Age People Make?

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BBC Bitesize: What Did Iron Age People Make?

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The BBCE website has resources specific to the Iron Age, including a section on Iron Age art: What did people make?

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What did Iron Age people make? - BBC Bitesize

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Find out more about what people made during the Iron Age in this year 5/6 primary history guide from BBC Bitesize.

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A Community Archaeology Project in Wales Create and Enact their own Ceremonies

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A Community Archaeology Project in Wales Create and Enact their own Ceremonies

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A community archaeology project in Wales saw a local primary school create and enact their own ceremonies at Tinkinswood Burial Chamber. Take a look for inspiration:

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National Museums Scotland: Picture Library

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National Museums Scotland: Picture Library

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This online resource helps learners find examples of Bronze Age beakers. You can find local examples using the 'place' filter on the search tool.

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About our Collections

National Museums Scotland cares for over 12 million objects and specimens in our museums and stores. Over 820,000 items from the collection are currently available to search online. We have an active digitisation programme, and new records are published regularly.

From Viking-age hoards to modern aircraft, Renaissance treasures to specimens from the natural world, ancient Egyptian artefacts to items representative of life in Scotland today, our collections are here to inspire, to support learning, and to be enjoyed by all.

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Search our collections | National Museums Scotland

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National Museums Scotland cares for over 12 million objects and specimens in our museums and stores. Over 820,000 items from the collection are currently a

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This resource can help learners researching Bronze Age beakers and how they were made.

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Beakers appear in Britain in about 2500BC, at the same time as the earliest metal objects. They had already been around for several 100 years on the continent. The last beakers date to about 1800 BC.

H ow did beakers get to Britain?

Early scholars thought that they were brought by invaders, but the first beakers probably arrived as a result of trading with people from the Netherlands. Then they were copied by people in Britain. The earliest beakers were special items and are only found in graves or ritual contexts, but soon they are found on domestic sites.
Who made the beakers?
Thin-sections of beaker pottery have shown that they are made of clay local to the sites on which they were found. When beakers were first studied, it was thought possible to date them by the decoration on them. But C 14 dates from a series of sites have shown that the different types of decoration occur throughout the Beaker period (the early Bronze Age). Perhaps the decoration was passed down through the family.

Bronze Age beaker from Okus Quarry, Wiltshire (AN1955.126)

Bronze Age beaker from Northamptonshire (AN1927.625)

How were beakers made?

Like all prehistoric pottery in Britain they were built up in a series of clay rings, each one carefully scraped up and joined to the next. Beaker clay had stones added to it, or broken-up old pots (grog), so that the pots did not explode when they were fired. This was probably in a bonfire with lots of air, as beakers are red in colour (in a closed kiln they would turn black).

What were beakers for?

The most probable use was as mugs for drinking from. Other pots, very similar to the ones made before in the Neolithic period, were used for cooking and storage (eg for food and clothes). Archaeologists have excavated beakers that contained meadowsweet pollen. This plant is still used to flavour beer and mead (an alcoholic drink made with honey), so the pots may have been put in the grave filled with alcohol for the dead person.

Decoration on Beakers

Beakers have all-over-decoration, or designs in panels. These are always geometric patterns, in lines. Sometimes the panels are outlined by incised lines.

Comb impression - made by pressing a toothed comb into the dried pot, using a wooden, stone or antler comb. Both square and round-toothed combs are known. The comb gave a short line of dots; a longer line could be made by using the comb again and again. Some beakers are combed all over. Single holes could also be made using a bone or wooden point.

Cord impression - using a twisted cord. Impressions vary from blurred (?woollen thread) to sharp (?sinew). Sometimes the cord was wrapped around itself (whipped cord) or around a sharp flint (barbed wire impression).

Finger nail decoration - the nail was pressed once into the wet clay to make a halfmoon or twice to make a leaf shape. Sometimes this was used to make a herringbone design.

Bronze Age beaker from Weymouth, Dorset (AN1927.2673)

Bronze Age beaker from Felixstowe, Suffolk (AN1927.2674)

Bronze Age beaker from Lancing, Sussex (AN1927.2675)

Bronze Age beaker from Stranraar, Wigtownshire,
Scotland (AN1948.235)

Bronze Age beaker from Okus Quarry, Wiltshire (AN1955.125)

Bronze Age beaker from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire (AN1927.622)

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Ashmolean Museum: British Archaeology Collections - Rationalisation and Enhancement Project - Collections - beakerpottery

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Beakers appear in Britain in about 2500BC, at the same time as the earliest metal objects. They had already been around for several 100 years on the continent. The last beakers date to about 1800 BC. H ow did beakers get to Britain?

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For older learners, burial practices (in the Bronze Age, people were often buried lying on their sides in stone-lined graves known as cists, with beakers included within the grave). Useful information and a reconstruction drawing can be found in a HES leaflet. This may help them imagine their stories more vividly.

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Prehistoric Burials | Historic Environment Scotland | History

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An overview of the prehistoric burial monuments to be found in Scotland.

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Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

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Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

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'Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.'

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Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation - The Global Goals

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Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

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Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action

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Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action

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'Take action to combat climate change and its impacts.'

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Goal 13: Climate action - The Global Goals

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Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land

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Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land

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'Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.'

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Goal 15: Life on land - The Global Goals

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Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

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Read about slavery in ancient Rome and its impact through an object highlighting the difficult lives of those enslaved.

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Slave Chains | Staff Picks | Maidstone Museum

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These Iron Age slave chains are evidence that one of the major exports from Britain to the Roman world were slaves during the 1st century AD.

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Woodland Trust: Nature's Calendar Citizen Science Project

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Woodland Trust: Nature's Calendar Citizen Science Project

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What effect has recent weather had on wildlife? Does climate change affect timings in nature? Join Nature's Calendar and help scientists discover answers to these questions.

From leaf buds bursting to blackberries ripening, let us know what's happening near you. You'll be contributing to a long biological record that dates back as far as 1736.

Start recording

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Join Nature's Calendar and you'll help scientists discover the effect of weather and climate on timings in wildlife.