Cambridgeshire Fens Bioblitz
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The Great Fen will be holding a BioBlitz on the 21st July 2012, as part of the Cambridgeshire Fens BioBlitz. Watch our new promotional video. Download the programme of events now. Remember to book your walks as places are limited!
The Cambridgeshire Fens BioBlitz at the Great Fen will start on the evening of Friday 20th July and will run until 5pm on Saturday 21st July. The main public open hours will be from 10am – 5pm on the Saturday, but some pre-scheduled walks will take place outside of these hours.
We will be ‘passing the baton’ of our race to find 2012 fenland species to the Cambridgeshire Fens BioBlitz (National Trust), which runs from 11am on Saturday 21st July to 11am on Sunday 22nd July.
Aiming to record 2012 species between the Great Fen and Wicken Fen, we kick off at Woodwalton on the Friday evening with moth trapping, dusk chorus walk, small mammal trapping and a bat and owl walk.
On Saturday 21st July, there will be a wide range of activities for families and children based at The Wildlife Trust Countryside Centre including pond dipping, bug hunts, animals tracks and signs, owl pellet dissection, Gardenwatch, wildlife gardening tips, bug homes, bird box making, wildlife arts and crafts and much more. Also throughout the day there will be guest speakers in the Speakers Marquee presenting short talks on different wildlife subjects. There will be a chance to learn how to draw wildlife as well as tips on wildlife photography. Stunning wildlife photos will be exhibited and on sale. Refreshments and a hog roast will be on sale.
We’ll also have a real-time display of species accumulation – see the numbers add up as the records are generated and feel the excitement build as we approach our 2012 species target! We’ll also have microscopes for you to examine any specimens you find, experts on hand to assist you with identification, and a tv display linked to a microscope to allow you view nature in extreme close up. Visitors to the event are especially encouraged to submit their sightings and bring along photos to be identified.
There will also be a bird ringing demonstration where you will be able to see wild birds close enough to touch and learn about the huge benefits that ringing provides to conservation.
We’ll continue our expert guided wildlife walks and recording of lichens, dragonflies, butterflies, spiders, birds, wildflowers, grasses, trees, aquatic plants, and plant galls throughout Saturday at Woodwalton Fen.
Entry is FREE! There will be a free shuttle bus between The Countryside Centre and Woodwalton fen throughout the day.
So keep the 20th/21st July 2012 free in your diary and come along to be part of the history of the Great Fen, and help us record as much wildlife as possible!
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What is a BioBlitz?
A BioBlitz is an exciting free event where scientists, naturalists, students, members of public, schools and community groups work together to find and identify as much wildlife as possible within a specific site.
A BioBlitz is a fantastic opportunity to bring people from all walks of life together, enabling them to discover and experience the huge variety that nature has to offer. Members of the public get an opportunity to experience the diversity of wildlife living on their doorstep and to learn from and be inspired by experts, all while making a hugely valuable contribution to wildlife recording on the Great Fen.
The beauty of a BioBlitz is that anyone can come along. A BioBlitz brings together adults and children from all backgrounds and expertise, as no existing knowledge about nature or wildlife is needed to be able take part.
Volunteers, students, naturalists, families, school groups and everyone in-between can come together in this giant biodiversity event. By working alongside one another we can bring the skills and enthusiasm needed to create a real scientific survey in which lots of people go home having learnt lots and been inspired to learn more about wildlife.
