Citizen (Community) Science

There are lots of wildlife surveys to get involved with either as a group, with friends & family or alone. The ones outlined below do not need expert identification skills and involve getting outside to enjoy nature.

Here is a list of those you can join in with Citizen science projects in the UK: volunteer to help nature - Earthwatch Europe and a few of them in more detail below.

Every year, people take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch by counting the birds you see in your patch.

Big Garden Birdwatch

  Record the birds you see and hear in public green spaces. The project is open to people of all ages and experience levels and we want as many people as possible to get out into their local greenspace and learn about and connect with the wildlife there.

Birds in Greenspaces | BTO

  Spend ten minutes watching flowers and insects in good weather! This simple survey collects data on the total number of insects that visit a particular flower, ideally chosen from our list of 14 target flowers. FIT Counts can be done anywhere, including gardens and parks, in warm, dry weather during daylight hours from 1 April to 30 September.

FIT Counts: help us monitor pollinators | PoMS

  See where in your area has hedgehog sightings and add yours to the national map.

BIG Hedgehog Map

  Whether you’re in a garden, park, field, or even your balcony, spend just 15 minutes recording butterflies and moths you spot. It’s fun, free, and helps monitor the health of our environment.

Big Butterfly Count

  Observe and record bats and other wildlife during twilight hours, April to October each year

Sunset Survey - Getting started - Bat Conservation Trust

Help map amphibian breeding across the UK with the PondNet Spawn Survey

Freshwater Habitats Trust is looking for sightings of common frog and common toad spawn. 

Log your mistletoe sightings.

Mistletoe research - The Tree Council