In Hartland there is a recently established nature group called Hartland Nature Society. They have successfully gathered interested individuals within the parish who have come together to help record and monitor the wildlife they have in their area.
There was a launch event at the start of the year where over 50 interested people came together at The Anchor to discuss a new nature group. They took part in the Big Garden Bird Watch, with 14 people recording a total of 342 individual birds across 29 bird species.
The group surveyed Bursdon Moor for harvest mice nests with the help of Sarah Butcher from the Devon Harvest Mouse Project. They managed to find 3 harvest mice nests and many vole nests! Members then went on to survey other areas around the parish, with more nests being found elsewhere!
The Finding Nature’s Footprints project helped the Hartland Nature Society set up their own reptile survey by providing reptile plates, small bitumen roofing sheets, for people to place in their gardens. These sheets are then checked throughout the summer to look for potential reptiles using them to warm up under.
Hartland Nature Society had a bee talk by Jamie Buxton-Gould from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and a ‘how to use iNaturalist’ talk by Joe Newberry at The Hart Inn. If you would like to join the Hartland Nature Society project on iNaturlaist and help record observations in and around Hartland, follow the link: Hartland Nature Society · iNaturalist.
Jamie buxton-Gould also joined Hartland Nature Society at Hartland Quay for a bee walk where key bumblebee identification skills were developed.
On the 8th May the group did a mini BioBlitz for the Big Help Out down in The Vale where we recorded and identified 115 species. a variety of methods were used including riverfly sampling, sweep netting and using a beating sheet.
Members of Hartland Nature Society joined the Finding Nature’s Footprints project at Gallantry Bower where they surveyed a National Plant Moniotiorng Scheme wildflower plot.
Members of the group went on a bat walk in July and recorded 9 species of bat!
The group went to Brownsham National Trust for a wildlife day with the National Trust rangers, Jamie Buxton-Gould and the Finding Nature’s Footprints project to look for bees, assess wildflower margins and learn about culm grassland creation.
To find out more about the group, contact joe.newberry@devon.gov.uk
| View more observations from Hartland Nature Society on iNaturalist » |