Welcome to the July edition of SEEN. 

One of the rarest species butterflies in the UK, the Heath Fritillary, has been spotted at a new location on Exmoor National Park land at Ashton Cleave about 8km west of Hawkcombe Woods.

The Exmoor team have been engaged in a long-term project to restore oak coppice in Hawkcombe Wood National Nature Reserve near Porlock to help the recovery of this nationally rare butterfly, also traditionally known as the “woodmans follower" because of its habit of occupying recently coppiced areas. It has been breeding successfully in Hawkcombe for a few years.

The first butterfly this year was spotted by a holiday maker in the area, they sent their findings to Butterly Conservation who work in partnership with Exmoor National Park Authority.

We love Chard Reservoir Local Nature Reserve and our proud of our team of rangers and amazing volunteers who look after it.  This wonderful haven for nature is there for all to enjoy.

You can see it in its full splendour through this stunning video created by Warner Vision. Check it out at Visit South Somerset website and find out about all the brilliant events happening this summer.  Start planning your visit now!  

There is still time for Somerset schools and community groups to order FREE trees.

We’ve teamed up with the Woodland Trust to bring you their FREE Trees for Schools and Communities programme along with expert help from our woodland creation team.

Apply before 26 August through The Woodland Trust to get your free trees delivered in November. 

Unlock the power of trees for your school or community. As we plant, so we grow. 

Our Ham Hill rangers and Monday volunteers would like to say a big thank you to the team from RNAS Yeovilton, who came for a day of dry-stone walling. As part of their team building day at Ham Hill, the group helped with the construction of the wall at the edge of Butchers’ Hill, which is part of a restoration project being carried out by the regular Monday walling volunteer team.

Interested? The Ham Hill team welcome corporate volunteer groups to help with a number of tasks, including scrub clearance in the winter and dry stone walling. Visit the Ham Hill webpage or contact countryside@somerset.gov.uk

In August, wild grass areas buzz with life and come alive with natural wonders. Look out for vibrant Oxeye daisies, Knapweed, and Betony in full bloom and tall grasses like Meadow Fescue and wavy hair grass. False Oat grass has now turned the verges a golden colour. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are flitting among the flowers, ensuring their survival. Birds are also feasting on grass and wildflower seeds, making the most of abundant food that will help them through the coming colder months.

If you are one of the brilliant peeps leaving it longer, our natural environment specialist Barbra recommends these jobs for August to help you balance the grasses and allow wildflowers to thrive.

• If possible, cut some areas of long grass but not all at the same time. Perhaps target areas that may be flopping over access areas or blocking visibility.
• Leave some areas longer to give wildlife a chance to move to another area and complete their life cycles. Longer grass provides continued cover and shelter for invertebrates, birds and small mammals.
• The cut areas will regrow and potentially provide a second flush of flowers and growth in September if the weather is agreeable.
• Creating a mosaic of different grass heights benefits a wider range of plants and animals.

Thank you to SEEN reader Helen Shattock for getting in touch to tell us she has devoted her entire back garden to wild space and is being rewarded with a wildlife haven.

Helen told us: “Despite being on an estate, our neighbourhood is exceptionally quiet (absolute bliss) and now we’ve created an established wild space, we are seeing more wildlife than ever. We are seeing lots more butterflies and other pollinators and being visited by hedgehogs and now have two resident squirrels. We see foxes visiting the close at night, but they haven’t yet ventured into our garden that we know of. I would recommend having a wild area to anyone who loves to connect with nature. It’s good for the soul and having such beauty outside our door brings a daily dose of the feel-good factor.”

Retrofit Somerset project led by Somerset Climate Action Network in collaboration with Somerset Council has recently launched a partnership with green tech company Thermly to trial a heat pump ready scheme. 

Zipp Mobility e-scooter trials in Taunton, Minehead and Yeovil, which have run successfully since 2020, have been halted by the operator due to an unexpected supplier issue.The trials were due to continue until the end of May 2026. Zipp Mobility is reviewing the situation to consider next steps. Whilst the service is suspended the scooters are being removed from town centres and users have been messaged through push notifications via the user app.

For clarification the Zwings brand in Yeovil is now part of Zipp Mobility. The intention is for all scooters across the three towns to move towards the same branding.

A contract to upgrade to energy efficient lighting on Somerset’s roads has been signed by Somerset Council.  

VolkerHighways Ltd will provide an eight-year maintenance contract covering all the council’s street lights, lighted signs, bollards and other electrical equipment on highways and public open spaces across the county. 

Somerset Council has 59,593 lighted assets to look after, consisting of street lights, illuminated signs and bollards. Of these, nearly 66 per cent have already been changed to greener and more efficient LED lighting. VolkerHighways will support the Council in its aim to convert all its lighting LED by the end of their contract, if possible, which will help the Council to lower our carbon footprint. 

We've begun work on a game-changing green link between Taunton Railway Station and the town’s riverside.

The northern section of the Firepool Boulevard will provide a walking and cycling route from the recently revamped station, past the new Innovation Centre and connect Trenchard Way to Canal Road, with the project aiming to continue the route to Vivary Park.

As well as the space for walkers and cyclists, the route will feature seating, green spaces and rain gardens for people to stop and relax.

The boulevard will be a safe, green throughfare for people travelling from the north of the town towards the centre – including thousands of cricket fans heading for the Somerset County Cricket Ground from the station – transforming residents' and visitors' travel into town and encouraging active and sustainable travel options, with all the health and environmental benefits that come with it.

Sunday 4 August 10am - 4pm

There are many more brilliant eco events happening across Somerset this summer. Click on the Events Calendar button below to find out what's on and let us know about your eco events at climateemergency@somerset.gov.uk so we can share it for you.

Yeovil Town Council is looking for a full time Biodiversity Ranger to champion wildlife and help visitors engage with nature at the Green Flag Award winning Yeovil Country Park. You will need a passion for nature, broad practical skills and demonstrable experience in surveying and stewardship of protected species. 

We are continuing to help businesses to reduce their carbon emissions and, in turn, save money on their energy costs through the extension of two pioneering schemes. 

Launched in October, the ‘Go Green Scheme’ and the ‘Somerset Green Business Grant Scheme’ were introduced to offer businesses practical help and financial support to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. The schemes have been funded from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Local Growth Fund.

If you are a local business, you might be able to get help to reduce your company's carbon footprint. Check out the Go Green Scheme and Somerset Green Business Grant Scheme that are empowering Somerset businesses to go greener.