A sure sign of the seasons progressing is the abundance of different fruit around the reserve.

There have been wild strawberries and raspberries and whilst we are waiting for the blackberries to emerge, the rosehips are already out.

Rosehips are the fruit of rose bushes, with these ones being from a dog rose. Earlier in the year large pink flowers decorated the bushes, but once the petals had fallen, the fruit formed which contains the seed of the plant.

Birds and small mammals, such as bank voles, love to eat the rosehips, but we humans also have a taste for them too. Jam, jelly, wine and tea are all treats rosehips are used in.

As well as being tasty, there are many health benefits to rosehips. They contain 20 times as much Vitamin C as oranges, so can also be found as tablets in health food shops.

Bye for now,

Rhian (Seasonal Ranger)