Haydon Batch BioBlitz happened on Sunday 30th of April at Haydon Batch in Radstock and was part of the City Nature Challenge 2023. The event was organised by Somer Valley Rediscovered, the Natural History Consortium and was supported by Cam Valley Wildlife Group. The aim of the event was to record as much wildlife as possible, this included plants, insects, and birds!
There were experts on hand to help with plant, insect, and bird identification but due to rain on the day, it was mainly plants that were identified. Plants spotted included Birds Foot Trefoil, Viper’s-Bugloss and Field Wood Rush. Overall, nearly 200 different species of plants were recorded which really does show what an important site this is for meadow grassland species and wildlife.
Participants were encouraged to download the INaturalist app and upload any pictures of wildlife spotted. The app gives suggestions of what it thinks you have seen so you don’t need to be a wildlife expert to use it. Once the photo you have uploaded has been verified by a team of online scientists and wildlife enthusiasts it can be used by local and national wildlife conservationists. For more information and to download the app visit https://uk.inaturalist.org/.
We had 70 people including families and children attend the event and we look forward to running a similar event at the next City Nature Challenge!
Somer Valley Rediscovered will be running more events at Haydon Batch over the coming months. Keep in touch with us by following us on Instagram @somer_valley and keep an eye on the Events Calendar.
We will also be looking for volunteers to get involved with practical conservation projects and wildlife monitoring. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator. You can email us at somervalleyrediscovered@bathnes.gov.uk.
