Havannah played host to a high-profile naturalist yesterday. Chris Packham visited the Newcastle reserve as part of his UK Bioblitz tour. Havannah was one of 50 nature reserves chosen across Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. The aim of the tour is to highlight the extent to which the nation’s wildlife is under threat and measure the rise and fall in numbers of different species. More than 150 different species were recorded in Havannah Nature Reserve, but we are still awaiting official figures. The survey will be repeated again in two years. Nowhere is the threat to wildlife greater than in and around Havannah, which is slowly but surely being hemmed in by residential development. We are delighted that such an eminent public figure chose to visit Havannah, as we have been working hard for the last three years to raise the profile of the nature reserve and its species and habitats. We hope Chris' visit will inspire more people in Newcastle and elsewhere to make space for nature – not just in nature reserves, but in the wider urban environment too.