So many ways to enjoy nature this summer

HAVING experienced one of the driest springs followed by a mini heatwave, it is easy to forget that summer only officially started on June 21.

- By ERIN MCDAID

Summer is a great time to get out and about to see, hear and connect with nature on your doorstep.

The warmer weather (though hopefully not as warm as we've been experiencing of late) dry spells and won derfully long days are perfect for getting out and about before settling down somewhere to take in a long, lingering sunset.

Wildflower meadows are bursting with blooms and beneficial insects from bees and hoverflies to delicate butterflies; wetlands are alive with ducklings, signets and goslings as well as swooping swifts and martins whilst woodlands offer a shady retreat when the sun is high.

With Nottinghamshire being just about as far from the coast as you can get in the country, the long days are also perfect for day trips to the seaside for the spot of rock-pooling or a chance to explore sand dune systems safe in the knowledge that you can make it pretty much all the way home with daylight to spare.