Wildlife Counts!

Wildlife Counts is a recording scheme aimed at people with a limited expertise in the identification of plants and animals but who would like to learn more and would like to get involved. It is about recording wildlife in your own local area or a place that you visit frequently and takes account of the fact that certain species are known to be good indicators of the health of the environment and whether it is changing.

We have chosen 32 species that we are particularly looking for which include mammals, birds, insects, plants, amphibians and reptiles. They have been chosen because they are relatively easy to identify and also because they are good indicators of their habitat. Some are quite rare so we would like to know if they are spreading and some are ‘aliens’ so we would like to keep an eye on them.

The message of this project is simple, that this is something you can do at any time, just by carrying a notebook with you when you walk in your local area. If you are unsure of your observations, make as accurate a description as you can and we should be able to help you identify it.

All we need to know is what you saw, where you saw it (preferably with a grid reference, postcode or detailed description), when you saw it and who you are. Simple really! Any additional information you can add such as whether it was an adult or juvenile, what the habitat was like, what it was doing and what the weather was like would be a bonus. You can submit your records via the on-line form. There is also an example spreadsheet for you to download with details on how to fill in the various fields.

The more wildlife we know about, the more we can try to protect, especially when it comes to planning matters where the WSBRC alerts the planning authorities and agencies such as Natural England to applications that may have impacts upon key sites, habitats and species.

See the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's 'What's On' guide for details of walks, events and species identification courses that are available each year and will help you to brush up on your knowledge of butterflies, birds, amphibians, mammals and even spiders! But even with limited wildlife knowledge, you can still send in valid records of things you do know how to identify, even if that is only blackbirds and robins!