
Wild about wildlife, interested in insects, mad about mammals and want to know more?
Join experts to discover what plants and animals are living in and around Bowkerstead woods and farm on Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July at a free family friendly event at the Grizedale Campsite. The full programme of acivities is listed at the foot of this article.
No stone will be be left unturned during the Bowkerstead Biobliltz, a 24-hour quest to uncover the incredible range of species making their home in the Bowkerstead fields and woods near Sattherthwaite.
The event will celebrate the Rusland Valley wildlife with a packed programme of free activities for all the family. Join us to take a look at lichens, watch water creatures from the river and tarn, hunt for dragonflies and butterflies, track down mammals and discover the noises insects, leaves and mud makes!
By joining staff and volunteers from Rusland Horizons and Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC) you can help create a detailed snapshot record of all the different species of wildlife going about their daily lives in the area.
The event starts at 4pm on Saturday 30th June with a barbeque and live music by the Boom Bike Bourée followed by an evening bat walk. As it is a campsite people can stay overnight and be ready for the dawn chorus walk in the morning and checking out the moth traps. On Sunday there will be guided nature walks, talks, demonstrations, face-painting, and craft activities.
Clare Dyson, Rusland Horizons Community Engagement Officer, “We are excited about this Bioblitz as it will bring together local people and county experts to help us get a really good picture of what plants and animals are living in the area. There are over 20 different activities over the weekend to get involved in – something for everyone.”
Deb Muscat, Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC) Manager said: “CBDC has lots of information about wildlife in nature reserves but there are large areas in between these wildlife hotspots that we know very little about. The Bowkerstead Bioblitz wildlife records will fill a gap in our knowledge. It is not unusual to find rare plants and animals outside of nature reserves so we are hoping to find some special things as well as the ordinary. We hope to have a list of over 700 different species by the end of the Bioblitz.”
Scroll down for the full programme of activities.