ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

BET you never knew that St Helens was a mecca for moth-trapping and a hot-spot for a dozen varieties of dragonflies.

And, if you know where and when to look, you may chance upon grey squirrel, hawk, hare, red fox, at least 89 species of birds and 20 distinct kinds of butterflies.

The abundance of plant life - including some interesting orchids -is staggering and far too numerous to fully list.

And all of these wonders can be spotted by the keen eye in just a couple of square miles taking in Billinge, Carr Mill, Blackbrook and Laffak.

That's the nature trail beaten by dedicated naturalist Colin Twist in compiling a minutely-detailed and highly-readable diary, recording his finds over the 12 months of 1997.

He's braved hail, rain, sleet and squally showers and plodded through high winds, mist, drizzle and hot sun in compiling his absorbing diary through the changing seasons.

It's dotted with such exotic-sounding birds as goosander, shoveler, grasshopper warbler, siskin and whitethroat; and intriguingly-named plants such as eyebright, adderstongue fern, skullcap and southern marsh orchid.

Among the long list of butterflies are holly blue, purple hairstreak and gatekeeper; and dragonflies include broad-bodied chaser, black darter and emperor.

Colin (51) from Newlyn Grove, Laffak, has been a natural history enthusiast since boyhood, having been greatly influenced by early TV wildlife programmes presented by bird expert Peter Scott.

He presents occasional slide-shows for clubs and societies, selling his booklet, 'The Naturalist's Year in St Helens' at a modest £2 a copy in the hand; or £3, inclusive of postage and packing.

Colin took early retirement last April from his job with Liverpool City Council, where he worked on environmental strategy, and he now devotes much of his energies to writing.

Working alongside co-author Paul Hill of Cheshire, he's had encouraging results with a well-received site guide for Great Britain concentrated on butterflies and and dragonflies. And they're currently working on a natural history site guide for North West England and Wales. And Colin hasn't far to travel to indulge in his enthusiasm for dragonflies. A small pond within short walking distance of his home has proved to be an unexpected treasure trove of interest with an amazing variety of dragonflies and damselflies detected there during warmer months.

Colin, who at one time spent 10 years as a nature park ranger, has knocked on the head the oft-repeated view that St Helens has little to offer as far as wildlife is concerned.

It was to counter this misconception that he set out to write his nature-watch diary. And he explains: "Areas such as St Helens are often much more interesting, from a natural history standpoint, than the rolling acres of intensively-farmed land covering much of the country."

Carr Mill Dam, a watery jewel gracing our rather bleak-looking industrial borough, is especially blessed with insects, plants, birdlife and waterfowl.

And St Helens, reports Colin, "is becoming a mecca for moth-trapping, with many unusual species now coming to light-traps in the most unlikely of back gardens."

Some of the nearby woodlands, he reveals, have remained unchanged in more than a century and a half.

The planners have mercifully decided to leave most (though not all) of Colin's local nature beat untouched. It would, says Colin, be a loss if the Burgy Banks - those towering old tips near Haresfinch, built up from glassworks waste - were ever to become developed.

"They are now a fascinating wildlife habitat," he explains. "Industrial sites can be some of the most interesting areas of study - and St Helens has some excellent examples."

Colin is a defender of what he describes as valuable educational resources. "We are fortunate," he says, "to have a local ranger service to cater for the needs of schoolchildren and to raise the awareness of adults of the natural world around them. It is a valuable service that should never be lost."

And Colin winds up with some food for thought for all couch potatoes. "In our centrally-heated homes, with entertainment at the touch of a button, and with cars to ferry us around, it is possible to lose contact with the natural world. That world is for all to see and experience at no greater cost that shoe leather."

ANYONE interested in purchasing Colin's booklet, or any other of his specialist publications, can contact him in writing at 34 Newlyn Grove, Laffak, St Helens WA11 9ES, or give him a ring on St Helens 602519.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.