Bury BioBlitz
Our flagship event, the Bury BioBlitz
The third annual “Bury BioBlitz” takes place tomorrow, Saturday May 18th at the bottom of the Abbey Gardens alongside the Lark. The aim of the event is to explore and celebrate the biodiversity of the Abbey precinct, and to engage residents and visitors alike in appreciating the wonders of wildlife all around us. A programme of free activities talks and guided walks will cover topics such as wild plants, birds and insects as well as gardening for biodiversity so that these creatures can be tempted into your patch. It starts with a bird walk around the meadows as birds are most active early in the day. Stallholders will be on hand to give advice and information on all things Nature based.
In previous years, participants have spotted a staggering 550 different species of animal and plant living within the meadows and Abbey precinct. Although a BioBlitz is technically a 24-hour blitz of the local wildlife, a stock take of living species if you like, this Bioblitz is being done by local ecology specialists who will be on standby with microscopes, reference books and years of experience.
We know we have these species, as our own BWMG bio-recorders go out on a regular basis walking the meadows and collecting data. Recently a tree creeper pair was spotted; a kingfisher fishing the newly created water vole habitat at No Man’s Meadows and a large shoal of minnows, the object of the Kingfishers desires! We erected a barn owl box and they have been spotted too but so far have declined to take up residence within. Water vole, an endangered species but one we enjoy quite regularly in Bury, have also been spotted with our trail cam.
The context for our surveying and the Bioblitzes, is that the earth is losing its biodiversity at rates not seen since the dinosaurs roamed prehistoric forests and grasslands. We are facing twin emergencies of runaway climate warming and biodiversity loss. One in 7 species is at risk of extinction in the next 5 to 10 years in the UK. Many bold efforts are taking place to halt this trend such as large rewilding and regenerative projects by farmers and landowners, but house building and habitat destruction continue apace and targets are frequently missed at both national and international levels. The Soil Association reported in National Hedgerow week last week, that half a million miles of hedgerow have been replanted after being ripped out over the last 50 years. This is encouraging.
At a community level we want to understand what is being lost and the only way to do that is to discover what we have. A Town Council grant means we can run Bioblitzes for a few years and we plan to do so. This will boost our biodiversity monitoring work but just as importantly, is a great way of engaging with schools and the public about the beauty and infinite variety of Bury’s natural environment because ‘Nature Studies’ is only just being brought back into the school curriculum after years in the wilderness.
Jillian Macready
