Waterside Wildlife - Nature's Calling

With a flick of the head, snails are cracked open against a stone anvil...useful when the ground is too hard to find eathworms

From ancient times, evergreens have represented the power of eternal life and early Christians continued the Roman and Norse customs of decorating their houses with these fresh, green life symbols that magically fruited in mid-winter.

The Holly Lord ruled through the winter and the holly tree was thought to bring good luck and protection from storms. A branch hung over a door would defend the place and its occupants from lightning, poison, evil spirits and witchcraft.

Hollies were frequently used as boundary markers, and you still see many hollies growing in the hedge beside the towpath. They are our commonest native evergreen, the glossy appearance of the upper surface of the leaves is due to a waterproof coating (cuticle) that reduces water loss and allows the tree to retain its foliage through the winter.