INDEPENDENT SURVEYS AND CITIZEN SCIENCE

If you like to get out in nature, there are several of citizen science surveys and national schemes recording different species which you can take part in independently. 

So, if you fancy spotting hedgehogs, little owls, birds, mammals, or spiders, or searching for seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year you can find out how here.  We list below some activities that you can take part in.

As always you can submit records of anything you see to Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records to help build a more comprehensive record of our local wildlife.

The Big Hedgehog Map aims to identify locations of hedgehogs across the country, you can log in and record your sightings of hedgehogs, dead or alive, and also record if you have a hole in your garden boundary to allow movement of hedgehogs from one garden to the next.

https://bighedgehogmap.org/holes-for-hedgehogs-home/map-hedgehog-sighting

The UK Little Owl Project is seeking reports of sightings of this tiny owl as part of its research into locations of populations, so if you see a little owl, go to their website to record your sighting and contribute to the national data base of this elusive species.

https://www.littleowlproject.uk/index.php

The National Mammal Atlas is a project run by the Mammal Society which aims to record populations of all British Mammals across the country. Log on to record sightings of any mammals you may see, ideally including a photograph if you are able.

https://www.brc.ac.uk/mammals/recording.php

The Garden Birdwatch Survey is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and is a weekly survey of birds in your garden, usually there is a membership fee to BTO for this survey, but due to Lockdown it is currently still free to join in.

https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw

RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch takes place towards the end of January 2021 you can sign up for more information online from Mid-December. 

https://www.rspb.org.uk/

Not everyone likes spiders, but the British Arachnological Society (BAS) are running a survey seeking reports of one of 3 types of cellar spider – they don’t just live in cellars, but houses and outbuildings too. They have a good ID guide and request reports by email or twitter. 

http://britishspiders.org.uk/wiki2015/images/f/fd/BAS_Cellar_Spider_Survey2_2020.pdf

Foresters' Forest Frog and Toad Spawn Survey 2021 is running from Jan-Mar 2021 and enables you to record all sightings of frog and toad spawn in the Forest of Dean.  Your responses will help our Waterways & Ponds project build knowledge about ponds to form a more complete picture of amphibians in the Forest. We'd like to know about spawn you see in ponds in your gardens, school grounds, community green spaces and any other ponds or wet habitats you come across.

http://bit.ly/amphsurvey