The Valley now has equipment to do wildlife surveys

Thanks to a very generous donation of £1715 from the OPAL Grants Scheme (Big Lottery Fund) conservation groups within the Blackwater Valley can now conduct surveys on their sites to identify exactly what they have in terms of moths, butterflies, dragonflies & damselflies, bumblebees, bugs and freshwater life.


Equipment to be purchased includes sweep nets for butterflies and pond nets for pond dipping, a moth trap and generator, various trays pots and tubes, lens / viewers and magnifiers plus relevant identification charts and filed guides and reference books. A GPS system will also enable precise logging of finds for future reference.


The equipment will be managed by the Trust and loaned out to interested groups. We are fortunate that there are some Trust members who can provide expert advice if it is required.


The primary aim of this project is to build up knowledge of what wildlife the Valley actually supports and where and to take steps to ensure that rare and endangered species are afforded the protection they need to survive and prosper.


This is a long term project and will enable conservation groups to get more involved in working with nature on their sites and hopefully providing the habitat to encourage different species to populate the site.