East Dorset village wildlife breaks the records

The Corfe Mullen BioBlitz on bank holiday Saturday has exceeded all expectations, with more than 500 wildlife species recorded on just one day, and many records still coming in. The event, organised by Corfe Mullen Nature Watch and Dorset Wildlife Trust, brought local residents, families and experts together to find as much wildlife as they could over 12 hours.

What happened on the day?

Jane Adams, Co-ordinator of Corfe Mullen Nature Watch, said: “This was a chance to look closely at the varied habitats so close to our homes, some of which have never been surveyed before, and the results are extraordinary, even from seemingly ordinary places. There were orchids found at nearly every site, including a surprise single common spotted orchid on the Recreation Ground, so you don’t have to go to a nature reserve to find special wildlife.”

Sites targeted on the day included Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Upton Heath reserve, private land on the banks of the River Stour and at the home of TV’s wildlife film-maker Hugh Miles, as well as many other gardens, the Village Hall and Recreation Grounds.

What was found on the day?

Highlights of the wildlife spotted included roe deer, a heather ladybird, sundews, clouded buff moths, scarce chaser dragonflies and white legged damselflies. So far, organisers have recorded 214 different species of flowering plant, 47 different moths and 14 mammal species. Some wildlife is still being identified by experts and all the results will be sent to the Dorset Environmental Records Centre.

Nikkii Hesketh-Roberts, Conservation Assistant at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “This was not just an enjoyable day for wildlife fans but very valuable in increasing our knowledge about sites and species. The data coming from this event will help in the task of protecting the wildlife and habitats of Dorset.”

To see the latest species count, click here!

-ENDS-
Notes to Editor

For more information please contact Nicky Hoar at Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01305 264620.

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About Dorset Wildlife Trust www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Working for a secure future for Dorset’s wildlife enriching the quality of life Dorset Wildlife Trust works to champion wildlife and natural places, to engage and inspire people and to promote sustainable living. Founded in 1961, DWT is now the largest voluntary nature conservation organisation in Dorset, with over 25,000 members and over 40 nature reserves. Most are open daily and there are visitor centres providing a wealth of wildlife information at Brooklands Farm, Lorton Meadows, Kingcombe Meadows and Brownsea Island Nature Reserves, The Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve and the Urban Wildlife Centre at Upton Heath Nature Reserve. DWT plays a key role in dealing with local environmental issues and leads the way in establishing the practices of sustainable development and engaging new audiences in conservation, particularly in the urban areas.

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The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) www.wildlifetrusts.org

There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. All are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. We have more than 800,000 members including 150,000 members of our junior branch Wildlife Watch. Our vision is to create A Living Landscape and secure Living Seas. We manage around 2,300 nature reserves and every year we advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. We also run marine conservation projects around the UK, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating our amazing marine wildlife. Every year we work with thousands of schools and our nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors. Each Wildlife Trust is working within its local communities to inspire people about the future of their area: their own Living Landscapes and Living Seas.

Scarce chaser dragonfly female - Jane Adams

 Common Spotted Orchid - Jane Adams