BioBlitz 2012 - 25/26 May at Arnos Vale

Photograph courtesy of Bob Pitchford www.DigitalPhotos4U.co.uk

This year’s BioBlitz will be held at Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bath Road, Bristol, BS4 3EW www.arnosvale.org.uk on the 25/26 May 2012.  A BioBlitz is a 30 hour nature event in which scientists and experts lead surveys with volunteers and members of the public in order to document and importantly, learn about as many different species as possible.  Arnos Vale is a fantastic 45 acre site south of the city centre and holds over 150 years of Bristol's history.  The site has a spectacular landscape with many listed buildings and monuments of architectural importance and a haven for wildlife in an urban setting. Arnos Vale Cemetery is a quiet place of remembrance, a site rich in heritage and is Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).  Friday 25 may will be the schools day and Saturday 26 May will be open to the public.

Arnos Vale has a host of wildlife on site such as woodpeckers, thrushes, finches, slow-worms ,bats, and a wide variety of flora, many of which persit from the meadows that pre-dated the cemetery.  Examples of these speceis are burnet saxifrage, field scabious and ladies bedstraw, which all grow amongst the old tombstones in summer and provide food for all sorts of butterflies such as marbled white and ringlet.  As well as many fine native trees, several magnificent exotic trees and shrubs survive from the original victorian plantings.  Arnos Vale has a host of wildlife events from spring walks, owl prowls, bat walks and bird box making.  Click here for more information on these events.

To get an idea of the brilliant activities and species found at last years Bristol BioBlitz at the National Trust's Tyntesfield estate, have a look at the excellent bristolbioblitzblog the Wildscreen media team produced.

Currently, as of mid March, we have 22 guides and 44 naturalists signed up for the BioBlitz, with over 100 pupils from 5 schools for the schools day on friday 25th May.  Everything is pointing towards a fantastic day, fingers crossed for sunshine...A massive thanks to those who have signed up already, the event couldn't run without your time and expertise.

We are recruiting for volunteer guides and naturalists

To find out if you should register as a guide or naturalist, please click here

If you'd like to get involved or have any questions please email Turn on JavaScript!.

Thank you to everyone who helped during the 2011 BioBlitz at Tyntesfield, with an amazing 804 species recorded.

'Taking part in a BioBlitz is a great way of linking with nature in your local area, and your efforts can help scientists understand more about British biodiversity and ecosystems. Join enthusiastic volunteers and naturalists to find as many different species as possible in 3 hours. Who knows what lies right on your doorstep?! All the species found during the course of a BioBlitz are identified by experts and recorded on local and national monitoring schemes. The BioBlitz initiative provides a fantastic introduction into biological recording, and we hope it will inspire the next generation of recorders and naturalists!' 

Dr Remy Poland, Co-ordinator of the UK Ladybird Survey and Teacher of Biology at Clifton College.