Project Summary

This project encompasses a range of events and activities to engage a broad-range of people to provide them with support and resources to be able to identify and record species.

• Citizen Science recording: we are working with the Field Studies Council to produce a bespoke self-guided identification pack featuring a number of species found within the Trent Valley. It can be used by families, schools and community groups who can then share their findings with us.
• Specialist group recording: we are engaging with specialist groups such as West Midlands Ringing Group to deliver training and information talks, as well as give us species level data which can be submitted to Staffordshire Ecological Records (SER) and Derbyshire Biological Records Centre (DBRC) to increase the quality and quantity of biological records in the Trent Valley.
• Bioblitz events: public events are held across the year at key sites providing an opportunity for the surrounding communities to have access to a range of subject area specialists such as mammal group, butterfly group etc. We are running training events to increase identification skills for volunteers and the public.

Big Washlands Watch Blog Posts

Support Plastic Free July with Sisters Against Plastic.

7th July 2020 by Sisters Against Plastic

In 2018, my sister and I made a resolution to reduce our plastic use. To achieve that goal we made a year-long plan that worked really well for us. It worked so well in fact that I reduced my plastic use by 91% and Mary managed to reduce hers by 73%!

Here's how we did it...

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch.

27th January 2020 by Nicola Lynes

You might have seen that one of the projects running within the Transforming the Trent Valley scheme is the 'Big Washlands Watch', which is all about citizen science - engaging people with their local wildlife and teaching them how to identify species and submit biological records.

Call for Citizen Scientists.

6th January 2020 by Nicola Lynes

Transforming the Trent Valley scheme is launching our 'Big Washlands Watch' project in 2020. This project aims to learn more about the number and types of species living in the Trent Valley area by encouraging local people to get involved in some citizen science activities. We would like to hear from people and groups within the Transforming the Trent Valley scheme area who want to learn more about the wildlife on their doorstep and would like to help us to record it.