doing our own surveys

[zan]

Hiya,
The recent 'annoying times...' thread got me thinking about voluntary wildlife surveys. It's not something I have ever looked into much myself, but it strikes me that with the vast amount of expertise we have on this site, 'recording metups' could be carried out on various groups of animals around the country.

I'm a marine biologist myself, but know how to carry out basic scientific surveys and have done river habitat surveying in the past. It wouldn't be too hard to set up a standard survey form, and work out basic survey techniques to be used as standard as appropriate. Land access can be arranged as necessary, and any risk assessments also carried out (although I don't intend for WAB or anyone else to take responsibility should an accident happen).

What do you all think? Could this work?
zan

[tigger]

I've just set up a project recording wildlife in my area called Nature Watch Corfe Mullen. We record our local wildlife and then send in detailed records to the Dorset Environmental Records Centre. Although not surveying... we are adding to the local records quite considerably.

I've found that many flora and fauna groups don't always send their records in to the record centres, so I've been able to collate theirs as well, and some of the groups are coming to do specific surveys of this parish.

It's great fun, gets the local residents (young and old) involved, and I would encourage everyone to do it and send in their own records to their own records centre.

A lot of the time there are massive gaps in distribution surveys for things like "woodmice" or "foxes"... just because people take them for granted and don't record them.

So you have my vote!

[tigger]

I can't believe you only received one reply to your post. It makes me sad to think that people on WAB maybe aren't interested in surveying and recording what they see. I'm sure the post just got missed by most people.... for that very reason I'm pushing it up the top again. Because I for one think it needs another airing!

Jane

[Mercadante]

For what it's worth I thought it sounded fantastic, and I'd love to have a go. But I'm a novice, and thought it would need input from more experienced people, who might feel burdened enough already! - that's why I didn't reply.

[ogwen]

Originally Posted by Mercadante

For what it's worth I thought it sounded fantastic, and I'd love to have a go. But I'm a novice, and thought it would need input from more experienced people, who might feel burdened enough already! - that's why I didn't reply.

seconded, im not sure i have enough experience to help, im enthusiastic about wildlife but know very little. If it is easy enough to do count me in if any recording is needed in the north west. I have no transport so anything further away would be difficult.
Great idea though zan...

[zan]

apologies if it sounded too technical! I really intended this to be a way of amalgamating some of the knowledge we have on this site, and use it to teach people who are interested some basic survey techniques and help with some basic ID of species that are of interest. I don't know if we can organise long-term surveys (since everyone is very spread out in the country), but if we could get people armed with the appropriate tools, they could at least be sent out on their own with confidence to record what they find in their own local area.

I have done some survey work in the past, and know how to do transit \ quadrat surveys. My main interests for ID work are in marine and freshwater animals (small beasties!), so I'm not so good at birds and fungi for example! I was hoping that if we got enough people, we can share our knowledge and build up some real hands-on experience.

glad it's not totally bombed as an idea!
zan

[Mercadante]

Then I think it would be really great. I have sometimes thought wistfully of doing a survey on my own, but I have never done it, basically because I thought I'd feel like an idiot - doing it all on my own with no skills, no knowledge of what surveys would be useful to anyone, and no idea what to do with the results. If we were doing it as part of a WAB Survey Day and could share results and information here it would be much more motivating.

[leyland]

I think it would be a good idea having a basic survey form to download as i like to do surveys of my local patches. When i lived in Fulham i conducted a 'Survey' of the flowering plants, Dragon/Damselflies and Butterflies. Basically anything that was easy for an amateur to id. My local patch at that time was Bishop's Park in Fulham and within it there was a wildlife area that had a varied grass habitat in an area roughly 200m by 100m. The habitats ranged from short turf to rank grasses and seedling shrubs. Over 3 years 1 counted/id over 100 different plants and trees as well as about 19 species of Butteflies. i kept the survey within a defined boundary to keep the yearly counts consitent. I did find that the right people in the local council were very interestred and it all goes towards our knowledge of the natural world.

[shirl]

I think it's a great idea and if we could standardise the surveys so anyone can join in even better. I have done quite a few surveys e.g. plant, lichen, glow worm, small mammals but if the survey is to be accessible to all then maybe something simpler (although making you own equipment like a quadrat - mine is still in the shed and I am proud of it -is part of the fun). A good set of instructions and a link to identifying the different species should produce a reasonable level of accuracy. When do we start!

Shirl