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Countryside Detectives

Posted on 25/02/2008
P. Klein

The Community Heritage Initiative is inviting more people to join the successful local Season Watch project, which aims to record nature’s first signs that each of the new seasons has arrived. Each year volunteer nature detectives send in records that are fed into the national phenology scheme run by the Woodland Trust, but also act as local alerts to the state of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife. Data is then assessed to see if timings in natural occurrences are varying. (Phenology is the study of the relationship between climate and the timing of periodic natural phenomena such as migration of birds, bud bursting, or flowering of plants)

Season Watch simply records signs of seasonal change, through informal wildlife monitoring. These signs may include the first leaves burst on trees, or lesser celandine and bluebell that flowers in spring, the first butterfly that appears in summer or the first leaf that falls in autumn. By making a note of when these natural events occur, volunteers can keep track of how changing weather patterns affect the wildlife around us. Each year thousands of sightings are sent to the Leicestershire County Council Environment and Heritage Resources Centre at Holly Hayes in Birstall and these are used in part of this national assessment of potential threats to our wildlife.

Observations can be from peoples own back garden or a nearby park or woodland. So you can do it from the comfort of your own Loughborough home, even by just looking out of the window. Watching for changes every year can be a fun way to tune into the world around you. It can be both entertaining and educational for young and old alike. Botanists, bird watchers, gardeners, horticulturists, wildlife researchers, photographers and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds can find subjects that suit their interests.

Nationally, trends are that spring is occurring earlier, with many plants responding to the temperature increases of warmer winters, and early seasonal high temperature spells as seen in early February.

A spokesperson said: "Looking back at historical data for the last two centuries it is already noted that popular indicators of spring such as flowering of hawthorn is now occurring 10 days earlier. Already this year we had reports of bees being seen in late January and peacock butterflies the weekend of February 9th due to the warm spell. The recent low temperatures will have damaged early frogspawn, but through regular monitoring we will be able to track later spawning into the spring. All of these wildlife occurrences have potential implications for the food chain."

Locally, participants in Loughborough and elsewhere in Charnwood or the greater area of Leicestershire are be able to record their observations using an information and recording pack developed by Leicestershire County Council. Many of these are signs from people’s own back garden, but can also be recorded in the wider countryside around the area that people live. The project is open to anyone with an interest in the natural world and no previous knowledge or experience in the field is necessary. By participating, you are doing more than just enjoying a new appreciation for the sights of nature occurring around you. You get to learn about the natural environment and biodiversity. Understanding how and when plants and animals respond to normal seasonal changes will also give good clues to their responses to climatic changes, such as global warming.

The comprehensive pack contains information about the project and what to look out for, as well as forms to make it easy for anyone to record. It is available to download on the CHI website at www.leics.gov.uk/seasonwatch