Wildlife in Mind
After the initial installation, the program always opens to show the first record in the complete database. There is a counter at the top of the screen which shows you how many records there are in your current selection.
After searching, the list of records displayed will be smaller, but the screen always functions in the same way.
Each record shows the common name and scientific name of the plant or creature. This is followed by a description and a table listing its relationships and features.
You move ahead or back in the database by using the mouse. The list is always
in alphabetical order.
One at a time: click the left and right arrows on the scroll bar underneath the photo to move ahead or back one record.
Ten percent jump: click in the track of the scroll bar to move approximately ten percent of the way through the current selection from the database. Click to the left of the thumb to move back and to its right to move forward.
Scroll through list: drag the thumb of the scroll bar to the left or right. A box appears in the scroll bar showing how far through the records you have travelled. When you release the left mouse button, the program jumps to the current record listed.
Click on the small icon of the British Isles to bring up a distribution map showing in white where in five regions of England the plant or creature may be found in the wild. The distribution map will remain in place until you click the small icon again to close it.
NB the data collected for Natural England Gardening with Wildlife in Mind includes references to other parts of Britain and Ireland but it has only been possible to compile regional distribution data for England.
There are two function icons at the top of the main screen
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The tool shed icon drops down the menu |
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The book mark adds a plant to the pick list. A red tick is added to it when a plant has been selected |
Some of the features of each plant are described by icons. The same icons are used on the Search screen (see below)
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dry (tolerates dry conditions): very well drained soil that doesn’t retain moisture |
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moist (tolerates moist conditions): free draining soil that holds some moisture within it |
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wet (tolerates wet conditions): damp soil, though not permanently necessarily waterlogged |
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sun (tolerates full sun): position exposed to full sunlight for most of the day and especially to midday sun |
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partial shade (tolerates partial shade): exposed to sun for several hours a day, often woodland glades |
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shade (tolerates full shade): where there is shade nearly all the time |