What will you discover at Killerton BioBlitz?

On Saturday 7 May the National Trust’s Killerton estate will be asking for volunteers and visitors to come along and help search high and low for wildlife across its meadows, woodland and parkland.

The team at Killerton need volunteers to help count everything they find and take part in the first BioBlitz to be held in the iconic parkland.

Everyone is welcome to take part, and whether you’re 6 or 60, every species found will help to create an important scientific record. The National Trust is hoping to record more than 200 species over a 12 hour period, looking out for birds, bats, insects, plants, trees, lichens and more.

Local experts will be leading a program of free walks and workshops, including bug hunts and BioBlitz Bingo. Even if you’re a nature-newbie you can come and help out, as the Killerton ranger team will be on hand to help you identify what wildlife you’ve seen. The day will finish with an evening walk around the grounds at Killerton looking for bats emerging from their day time roosts.

What is a BioBlitz? The “bio” in BioBlitz is taken from biology and biodiversity, and refers to the range of species that could be found. The “blitz” is taken to mean doing something quickly and intensively. Together they make the name of a new kind of outdoors event that brings together experts, volunteers, visitors and families.

Andy Bramwell, Visitor Services Officer at Killerton explained; “In our 2015 Bioblitz surveys we counted 3,401 species and with the help of the public we collected 22,317 wildlife records. This scale of surveying is only possible with the help of the public and creates useful and important scientific data, allowing us to better manage the land we care for. I love the idea that an eight year old on a bug hunt could find a really rare insect that might change the way we manage a whole area of land. It’s really exciting and also helps to create an important scientific record”.

The BioBlitz starts at 10am on Saturday 7 May, and results will be live-tweeted on the Killerton twitter account @NTKillerton so you can keep up to date with what’s happening. The full program of events for the BioBlitz can be seen on the Killerton website: nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton

If you can’t make it on the day then you will be able to see an exhibition about the results of the BioBlitz, made in partnership with Broadclyst Community Primary School, over the summer. The ParkLife exhibition will run from 26 June to 4 September in the study at Killerton house.