Citizen science - things to do during lockdown and beyond

Rosie Ward has sent this list of activities that came from New Forest National Park 


General species monitoring with Seek by iNaturalist Use this handy app to help identify the species around you in your gardens.

Living Record – join this web based recording system that is accessed the various Hampshire county recorders for flora, butterflies etc

Blooms for Bees Bumblebees are really starting to get going with this warm weather. If you have five minutes, why not spend some time watching a bee friendly garden plant and recording the visitors that arrive with this useful recording app for bumblebees

RSPB #BreakfastBirdwatch The Breakfast Birdwatch takes place daily between 8 am and 9 am – at a time when, normally, many people would have been commuting to work, on the school run or otherwise engaged. Using #BreakfastBirdwatch on social media, they hope to create a friendly, supportive and engaged community who are able to share what they can see in their gardens, on their balconies, rooftops and spaces from their own homes, all the while keeping within government guidelines in relation to COVID-19.

Garden Wildflower Hunt a citizen science project set up by the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland with two aims: to help find out more about the wild plants growing in our gardens; and to give people a way to improve their plant identification skills under lockdown. 

Botanical Society Activities the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland has come up with a list of 10 activities and projects on a botanical theme which volunteers can take part in without leaving their homes, gardens or balconies.  

Seabird Watch is a citizen science project set up by Oxford University to find solutions to the present research gaps using cameras as a monitoring network for Arctic seabird conservation. They need your help counting birds, nests and eggs in our thousands of photos to turn them into data.

Penguin Watch is a citizen science project set up by Oxford University to find solutions to the present research gaps using cameras as a monitoring network for penguin conservation. They need your help counting penguins, chicks, nests and eggs in our thousands of photos to turn them into data. 

Naturehood A citizen science project focused on taking action for wildlife in private gardens, this project encourages the implementation and recording of wildlife friendly actions in communities. Take simple surveys to record changes in your garden wildlife. 

Living with Mammals survey PTES is calling for volunteers to take part in spring’s survey of wild mammals in gardens and local green spaces. Choose a site close to home or place of work, and spend a short time each week looking out for wild mammals or the signs they leave behind. To receive a survey pack contact PTES. 

Garden Butterfly count The Garden Butterfly Survey allows you to record and report the butterflies that visit your garden over the course of a year. Create a free account, submit your sightings and help us learn more about how butterflies are faring in UK gardens.

Join in with Bee-fly Watch 2020  Bee-fly Watch is now into its fifth year. These distinctive furry flies are usually on the wing from March to June, often hovering over flowers and using their long 'nose' (proboscis) to feed on nectar. Once again we are asking people to look out for bee-flies and add your records online.

RHS Cellar Slug Survey This survey asks members of the public to submit records of Yellow Cellar Slug and Green Cellar Slug in UK gardens, along with information about your garden so we can establish any links between habitat features and where these species occur. 

Rainfall Rescue Before 1961 there were actually thousands of rain gauges but the rainfall data has not been transferred from the original hand-written paper records to something digital so that it can be used in data sets. Aiming to fill in the gaps Zooniverse show you images of rainfall data and ask you to transcribe the values. 

MammalWeb is a citizen science project that enlists members of the public to upload camera trap data they capture, to help with classifying the animals pictured in camera trap footage, or both. You don’t need a camera trap to take part, and you can help to build up a picture of the state of our wild mammals in the UK and beyond.

Nature's Calendar What effect has recent weather had on wildlife? Does climate change affect timings in nature? Take part in the Nature’s Calendar citizen science project and help scientists discover answers to these questions. Simply record the signs of spring that you can see from your window or garden: naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Field Studies Council ID kits If you are spending more time getting to know our garden but want extra help with identification check out this online identification kits with the Fields Studies Council.

Heritage Quest Help archaeologists discover traces from our past on high-resolution elevation maps created using lasers mounted on aircrafts (LiDAR) (based in The Netherlands)

Useful links
Here are some more useful links - the Heritage Fund has included many useful tips which includes free virtual tours of galleries and museums, including the Painted Hall at Greenwich.

If you would like to listen to a dawn chorus recorded in the New Forest, visit newforestsounds.co.uk for this and many other recordings.