Explore
Explore Sidmouth nature from top to bottom
All life forms are classified within what is commonly known as the 'Tree of Life'; it is a top down, hierarchical structure. To mirror this this website provides a means of navigation that uses a version of the 'tree of life' to explore the information available here about the natural world in, and around, Sidmouth.
How do I use the hierarchical structure to navigate this website?
The simple answer is that you start at the top and as you select an option another menu appears with related options for you to choose from and you just go on through the menu levels until you find the information you are looking for.
The starting point is a menu from which you can choose to explore:
- Natural Environment leading to sections on clusters of sites, basic geology and various habitat types
- Animal Life leading to sections on mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects and other arthropod
- Plant Life leading to sections on flowering plants, grasses, rushes and sedges, non-flowering plants and fungi and lichen
- Four Seasons leading to sections on spring, summer, autumn and winter
When should I use this option?
There are several uses for this approach to navigating the website but primarily it provides a useful way to just browse through looking for items that interest you without having a specific question you are seeking to answer. For example, you may have a specific interest in butterflies and want a general view of what species can be seen in the Sidmouth area and then, possibly, to see where some of the species occur. To do this you would:
Explore (here!) > Animal Life > Insects > Lepidoptera > Butterflies = a list of species seen in the area.