Young country diary: A rare orchid and a big, pink doughnut. What a day! | Joseph

I’m an orchid hunter. I like them because they’re mysterious and exotic and you never really know where they’re going to be. I think people would be very surprised that there are orchids in Britain – 57 species of them!

I’ve just been to Kenfig in Wales – it’s my favourite nature reserve this year. The variety of orchids and the number of orchids astounded me! We went there to hunt for the very rare fen orchid, it’s only one of a couple of places in Britain that has them. Kenfig has lot of dunes, dune slacks, woodland and bog etc, so definitely an orchid hunter’s paradise.

Fen orchids are so hard to find, but I ran into the first dune slack and by some miracle found the first one. It had alien-like green flowers (so hard to describe except as “alien”). I was so proud and I don’t think anyone else saw this plant this year before me. We found other fen orchids too, and ate a very large pink doughnut! What a day!

I want to say to anyone who is bored, go out and try to find a wild orchid, it’ll make you feel magical. That’s how I feel, how I always feel. A common spotted, a fragrant orchid on the heath, a burnt orchid on the Downs – they all make me feel magical.
Joseph, eight