Key points of the Parish Wildlife approach

Essential aspect of the scheme are:

• Members record the wildlife they see in their own back garden or favourite patch of countryside
• They receive quarterly wildlife recording diaries with checklists and identification hints about the species they are likely to see in their area
• Diary records are collated for each parish and the quarterly information about what has been seen locally is shared with members
• A co-ordinator for each parish gathers the information and acts as a local link
• Regular workshops and field trips are held to help with identification and recording skills and to share opportunities for events such as bat and moth monitoring evenings
• Members have the chance to join together for specialist training such as otter tracking, pond dipping or use of specialised equipment (moth traps, bat detectors, butterfly nets…)
• Information is used to build up county and regional information about wildlife populations
• Members can contribute to the library of photographs and the website.

Although currently limited to local groups in 5 parishes, as expertise and links develop, the Project can be expanded over a wider area and increase its value as a source of local environmental information. See Developing the scheme