Help gather vital data about our species. Whether you’re observing wildlife from your window or getting out and about, anyone can get involved and every contribution makes a difference.
Citizen science is the collection of data by members of the public which contributes to our understanding of our world. In order for us to take impactful and effective action for our species, we need to know a lot about them – where they are, how they are faring, what they need etc. This is a lot of information which needs gathered, and you can help!
As well as helping us learn more about our species, citizen science is also great because anyone and everyone can get involved. Citizen science can come in many forms, from going out walking and recording species, to looking out your window.
Many of the Species on the Edge partners offer a range of opportunities to get involved with some citizen science. Explore these opportunities below:
Birds; Butterflies and moths; Bumblebees; Beetles; Plants; Bats; Amphibians and reptiles.
What: Garden BirdWatch is designed to find out how, when and why birds and other animals use our gardens. Participants send in weekly lists of birds and other wildlife they see in their garden. Thousands of people across the UK contribute their sightings each week.
When: Year-round
How: Keep a simple list of which species visit your garden each week. You can take as much time on this as you like – a minimum of 20 minutes per week is advised.
Skill required: Can identify common garden birds by sight (don’t worry, BTO have guides!)
All the information: www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw
What: The Breeding Bird Survey monitors the population changes of 118 breeding bird species across the UK thanks to the dedication of almost 3,000 volunteers who survey their randomly selected 1-km square each spring.
When: April – June
How: The survey involves a recce visit and two early-morning spring visits to an allocated 1-km square, to count all the birds you see or hear while walking two 1-km lines across the square and record any nest counts for colonial nesting birds in the square.
Skill required: Able to identify UK breeding birds by sight, song and call. If you don’t have these skills yet but are eager to learn, BTO offers a range of training courses.
All the information: www.bto.org/our-science/projects/breeding-bird-survey
What: The world’s largest garden wildlife survey!
When: 24 – 26 January 2025. Registration to take part opens in mid-December.
How: Watch your garden birds for an hour and let RSPB know what you see.
All the information and register: www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch
What: Record butterflies as and when you see them where ever you are.
How: Submit your sightings on a computer through BNM Online or smartphone using the free iRecord Butterflies app. Use whichever suits you best – the records will reach Butterfly Conservation either way.
When: Year-round.
All the information and register: www.butterflyrecording.org
What: Regularly record butterflies in your garden throughout the year.
How: Sign up and register your garden, then add your butterfly records throughout the year.
When: Year-round
All the information: www.gardenbutterflysurvey.org
What: The Big Butterfly Count is an annual nationwide citizen science survey. Launched in 2010, it has become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies.
How: Count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather during the period of the Big Butterfly Count (specific dates during summer). You can do it from your garden or while out and about.
When: Specific period during the summer
All the information: www.bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org
What: Record any moth species you see and can identify, at any stage of its life cycle. Add to the over 34 million current and historical sightings recorded through the scheme so far.
How: Spot and identify your moth. Write down the essential details to make a record (species, date, number seen, location name and grid reference), then submit the record. You can send your records to the appropriate County Moth Recorder or submit them through the NMRS Online recording system.
When: Year-round
All the information: www.butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/recording-and-monitoring/national-moth-recording-scheme
What: BeeWalk is the national recording scheme which monitors the abundance of bumblebees across Britain.
How: BeeWalkers identify and count the bumblebees that they see on a fixed walking route of around 1 to 2km. Each BeeWalk route is walked at least once a month from March to October. Sightings are then submitted to the BeeWalk website.
When: March to October
All the information: www.beewalk.org.uk
What: This monitoring scheme focuses on a range of flower-visiting insects and can measure trends in wider pollinator populations across the UK.
How: You can contribute data to the scheme the scheme either by carrying out short Flower-Insect Timed Counts (watch a patch of flowers for 10 minutes and see what turns up) or by monitoring a 1km square.
When: April – September
All the information: www.ukpoms.org.uk
What: The National Oil Beetle Recording Scheme collates records for oil beetles and allies in the family Meloidae, of which there are 11 UK species.
How: No prior knowledge is needed to take part; anyone and everyone is encouraged to submit records either through the iRecord website, through the iRecord app, or via email. Buglife have produced a handy identification guide to help.
When: March – July
All the information: www.buglife.org.uk/scottish-oil-beetle-hunt
What: The National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS) aims to survey plant species across different habitats in the UK. The data collected from the survey allow us to look at the abundance and diversity of plants and help us to understand the health of different habitats.
How: NPMS volunteers, from beginners to experienced botanists, are asked to survey 5 small plots within their allocated 1km survey square twice a year, with the first surveys kicking off in April. They can do this at one of 3 different survey levels depending on their experience and confidence. The beginner level surveys for example ask volunteers to record around just 10-15 common and easily identifiable species at each plot. Volunteers have full access to their own data and the whole NPMS data set, along with a raft of guidance and free training materials and opportunities.
When: Year-round
All the information: www.npms.org.uk
What: The National Bat Monitoring Scheme (NPMS) includes several surveys that people can take part in to monitor the UK’s bats.
How: Most surveys involve visiting a roost or potential foraging site on two evenings in the summer. There are different types of surveys which cater to different levels of experience and knowledge. Bat Conservation Trust runs training for volunteers and there are lots of online resources and training materials for traditional and passive acoustic monitoring to help you get started with bat monitoring.
All the information: www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme/surveys
What: The National Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Programme is made up of a selection of surveys and projects that generate data to inform the conservation of amphibians and reptiles. Projects include: Garden Dragon Watch; National Amphibian Survey; National Reptile Survey; Natterjack Toad Programme.
How: There are opportunities to take part throughout the UK, with survey options suitable for everyone from beginners to experts. Explore the website to find a survey suitable to you.
All the information: www.monitoring.arc-trust.org
NatureScot have produced a comprehensive guide to Citizen Science which features a large range of opportunities to get involved. View the full guide on the NatureScot website.
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