Going Wild in Oxfordshire
Exploring nature and sharing our wildlife adventures with my son, here in Oxfordshire one Saturday at a time. We're also testing out some simple nature activities, and learning all about the flora and fauna that live in this beautiful county.
Latest Oxfordshire Nature Adventures
Nature reserves, gardens, zoos, epic walks and quiet strolls, here's our latest family nature expeditions across Oxfordshire. Big and small, free and more costly, we want to try them all.
Click here to see all our adventures so far (more added each week)
May 2026 · Nature Adventures · Parks and Gardens
Stonor Park
A fun-filled day spent exploring the adventure playground, spotting deer, getting up close with birds of prey and strolling round the gardens and arboretum.
April 2026 · Nature Adventures · Nature Reserves
Cothill Fen
A long walk with a distinctly Jurasic vibe through the most diverse area in Oxfordshire, taking in FIVE nature reserves. We saw solitary bees, fossils, woodpeckers and some impressive geology.
April 2026 · Nature Adventures · Nature Reserves
Thrupp Lake
A gorgeous walk from Radley Station to Abingdon under the sounding bridge, around the lake and through Barton Fields, hearing an astonishing number of birds.
Latest Nature Activities
I'm a crafty, re-use everything, experiment and grow and get your hands messy kind of mum. I'm also a SEN TA who loves the benefits that being around nature brings to my learners. Here are some hands-on nature activities we've loved doing at home or at school. Making a wormery, growing veggies, nature art, all child-led, all create, all living here.
May 2026 · Nature Activities · Crafts
Nature Bookmarks
A gorgeous, child-led, creative way to showcase all the lovely leaves and flowers you find and press.
Flora and Fauna
I'm still learning how to tell a cuckoo-pint from a pitcher, a roe deer from a muntjac, and a blue tit from a great one. So far I've found deep diving into the details of the wildlife around us and learning more about them incredibly interesting. It's also been a brilliant way to soothe my mind in this fractious, stressful world.
Here's lots of things we've spotted, and all the things I've learnt so far. Check them all out here.
April 2026 · Flora and Fauna · Trees
Yew Tree
The ancient tree that's amazing for climbing, but also incredibly toxic. A harbinger of doom but also a symbol of immortality.
visited the yew in All Saints' churchyard in Didcot that's thought to be between 1,000 - 1,600 years old.
April 2026 · Flora and Fauna · Mammals
Pipistrelle Bat
The small insectivore that can fit inside a matchbox, and gobble down 3,000 insects a night.
We had a lovely evening at SCEEC spotting and hearing them with the help of a bat detector.
April 2026 · Flora and Fauna · Plants
Cuckoo-Pint
The plant that inspired many different names, (including bloody man's finger) we keep seeing it this spring.
Poisonous to eat, it's starchy tuber was used to make ruffs in days of yore. It attracts flies by giving off a rotten-meat smell.
Little Leopard's Latest Musings
The wild world explored through the eyes of my fiercely curious, nature adoring 9 year old son.
Here are his thoughts and findings, in his own words. Head here to see the whole collection.
May 2026 · Little Leopard's Page
Misunderstood Animals
My top 5 animals that people think are scary or weird but really they're not.
All About Us
I'm Lucy, a single mum to a 9 year old who is completely nature-mad (known here as Little Leopard). When he asked to get more involved with the world of wildlife around us, I decided to pull my socks up and join him in the endeavour.
So here we are now, exploring all over the county, discovering fascinating facts about plants and animals big and small, getting hands on with crafts and horticulture, and documenting it all here.