Living Rainforest Blog

Conservation at home and around the globe

‘Explore Conservation Summer’ reminds us that conserving threatened plants and animals begins at home.

Magnificent Medinilla

Last week, we had a visit from a research student from Oxford Brookes University. She was studying the Medinilla magnifica plant.

Bird-eating spider has moved

Our Salmon-pink Bird-eating Spider has moved, but there’s no cause for alarm …

Sunshine time

With the sun shining it really doesn’t take much to push the temperatures inside the rainforest houses to a balmy 27°C. The butterflies, basilisks and other reptiles love the warmth, which gives them the added ‘oomph’ to flutter and scutter through the rainforest understory.

Aroids make an international stir

Well done, Myles Challis (head of horticulture at The Living Rainforest)! The current issue of Aroideana, the journal of the International Aroid Society, includes two articles on the stunning aroid collection at The Living Rainforest.

The Giant Amazon water lily is still growing in October

The autumn sunshine has kept our Amazon water lily growing well into October, but with the daylight weakening, there may be just a few weeks left for visitors to catch sight of this once-a-year, solar-powered spectacle.

Clutch of chicks for the Ringed Teal

The Living Rainforest’s South American Ringed Teal have had a clutch of chicks. The chicks can normally be spotted in Amazonica House, by the main pond and nearby beds.

Dragon lays Easter egg

Spring is definitely in the air at The Living Rainforest. Animals at the Berkshire eco-centre – including free-ranging reptiles, birds and butterflies – are busily laying eggs in anticipation of warmer weather.

Local Lilies bloom at The Living Rainforest

Rare tropical flowers inspire half-term fun and education programme.

From Giant to Prickly – tropical water lilies at The Living Rainforest

The Living Rainforest, which has won fame in recent years for its Giant Amazon water lily, suffered a setback this summer when its batch of seeds for Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ unexpectedly failed to flourish. Instead, The Living Rainforest, which is funded by the ReDiscover project, is growing the rare Euryale ferox from East Asia, also known as the Prickly water lily, with flowers that bloom in lavender, pink, purple and red.