Bioblitz connects people with nature

Bioblitz connects people with nature

June 5, 2019

More than 100 members of the public joined the Heathlands Reunited partnership on Broxhead Common last week to learn more about their local heath.

A bioblitz is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area.

Groups of ecologists, rangers and volunteers worked together to conduct field surveys over a 24-hour period. On the day the public were invited along to join surveyors to learn more about the species themselves.

The bioblitz started with a Nightjar walk to try and spot the rare ground nesting bird that migrates all the way from South Africa. Moth traps were also set out in the evening for counting in the morning. Families joined the species walks to find reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, bees, ants and wasps.

A free face painter was also on hand to decorate the children’s faces with their favourite species of the day. In total the Hampshire Biodiversity Records centre collected 273 species records across the day.

Broxhead Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which supports sand lizards, rare heathland birds, and nationally rare invertebrates.

Don’t want to miss out next time? Take a look at our Heathlands Reunited webpage to find out more about the project. Visit the events page to find out which FREE events you can attend this summer www.southdowns.gov.uk/heathlands-reunited

These events are made possible thanks to a generous National Lottery Heritage Funded Grant.