Nature spotters at the seaside
Head out to the coast and explore the sandy beaches, rock pools, clifftops, dunes and saltmarshes. Can you find all 80 Nature Spots?
Our Children’s Nature Spotting Paperback book will help identify your seaside finds, and provides a handy recording sheet to note down and tick off each one as they are spotted!
From barnacles and bladder wrack to starfish and sea squirts, each one will win you a bronze, silver or gold medal. There are Nature Spots to see all year round, even in the winter. How many will you find? There are 10 different places to look…
- Sandy shore seashells – Sandy beaches are a great place to find empty seashells. Try walking along the water’s edge at low tide. If you can get to the seaside in winter, the days after a storm are best.
- Rockpool safari – At low tide, sea animals hide in damp and dark places like rockpools, seaweed and under stones.
- Slimy seaweeds – Green, brown and red seaweeds for you to find on the shore.
- Coastal crusts – Check gullies and crevices on rocky shores at low tide for sponges, barnacles and worms. Look for lichens at the base of cliffs.
- Crabs and starfish – These animals are easiest to find on rocky shores at low tide. There are several common species.
- Saltmarsh and shingle – Only a few special flowers can survive in these strange places, found only at the seaside.
- Clifftop flowers – Rocky cliffs are a good place to look for the colourful flowers of the coast.
- Deep in the dunes – Sand dunes are shallow hills made entirely of sand. Only a few special plants can survive.
- Sea birds – Seagulls are easy to spot at the seaside. Many other birds, like gannets, razorills and puffins, make their nests on the cliffs.
- Wading birds – These birds have long legs and a long bill. They are a good group of birds to look for in winter.
