Gardens and community green spaces can be fantastic habitats for wildlife. From frogs and toads to bumblebees and butterflies, our gardens are capable of supporting all sorts of birds, mammals, insects and amphibians According to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, there are an estimated 16 million gardens in the UK – and whether these are big or small, together they form a wide network of spaces that has the potential to be a vast haven for wildlife. Wildlife gardening needn’t be h

Every year in the UK, around 10 million tonnes of food is thrown away. There’s a spike in food waste over the festive season, when many households hold gatherings – often with a focus on eating and drinking – and buy or cook more food than is needed. For example, millions of mince pies are discarded every year. And hundreds of thousands of turkeys and portions of Christmas pudding are also thrown away each Christmas. This is bad news for the environment, because when food e

The autumn festival of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient celebration of Samhain. This was believed to be the time that the souls of the dead returned home – so people lit bonfires and wore scary costumes to keep spirits away. In the eighth century, the first day of November was designated All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day, by Pope Gregory III. It's likely this move was an attempt to shift the focus away from the pagan festivities of Samhain, creating a Christian