Nature

Cotgrave Country Park is home to a huge variety of plants and animals, and the park’s focus is to be a haven for wildlife. The park features a diverse set of environments, including woodland, meadows and wetlands.

Over 60 different types of wildflower were identified during our guided walks in 2022, and participants in our guided fungi walks found dozens of different species.

Woodland areas attract a wide range of birds and we have erected nesting boxes to encourage more. Birds of prey, including kestrel, are often spotted by a keen observer. The lake, ponds and canal are a magnet for wildfowl, and it is easy to spot a Heron while exploring the park. Lucky visitors might also see a kingfisher.

Dusk attracts bats to the area, feeding on the many insects who make the park home, and people attending our recent guided bat walk quickly identified noctule, pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bats.

The park is also home to some larger animals, including Roe and Muntjac deer (although very hard to spot), foxes, badgers, rabbits, as well as smaller woodland inhabitants such as mice and shrews, and even grass snakes.

Nature activity sheets

Why not explore the park with one of our nature activity sheets, and see how many items you can find? We have a range of topics for all seasons.