Calls for people to record wildlife sightings

People are being encouraged to take part in a survey which aims to provide a snapshot of the state of Somerset's wildlife.

Somerset Wildlife Trust has said The Big Count 2025 needs as many volunteers as possible to record animals in gardens, parks and community green spaces.

The environmental charity said the survey provided "vital" information about 150 species and monitored changes in wildlife throughout the county.

"We want to know what's going on with the more common species - the hares, rabbits and foxes - and want people to record what they see as they go about their daily lives," said Becky Fisher, head of engagement at the trust.

Over the past three years, nearly 2,500 records have been collected through the trust's yearly Big Count surveys.

The information was used to track declines in species and contributed to Somerset's state of nature report.

The Big Count is a partnership between the wildlife trust and Somerset Environmental Records Centre, which is the main reference centre for biological and geological information in Somerset.

While the centre holds more than three million records, the wildlife trust said there were still "gaps" in data - particularly around common species such as snails, slow worms, and certain species of butterfly.

People are now being asked to share sightings of as many of those common species as they can. No specialist knowledge is required to take part and observations can be submitted from anywhere in Somerset.

"Just taking some time out to spot [wildlife] is really good for us, too," Ms Fisher added.

"It provides a break from a screen and gets us active outside."

This year's Big Count started earlier and will run until 25 June.

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