Conservation quest to identify Leicesters wildlife and protect wild hedgehogs

Staff and students will be embarking on a quest - along with eager members of the public - to identify a wide range of wildlife in Leicestershire as part of Leicester’s annual wildlife survey from Friday 12 May, as Bioblitz returns for its eighth year.

Visitors to the event will be playing their part in trying to record the hundreds of different species of wildlife living in the area, while local nature groups, experts from our University and staff from Leicester City Council’s parks and conservation teams will be on-hand to offer advice and guidance to budding nature detectives.

Visitors will be invited to help identify and record as many different species of plants, birds, insects, fungi, mammals and amphibians as possible through the day and night. Organisers have set an ambitious target of recording 500 different species.

Findings from the event will help future planning and management of the park both for wildlife and for visitors. 

Along with charting the various wildlife inhabitants on the award-winning park, there will be a range of activities running throughout the event.

During the event our University will be giving away hedgehog boxes to areas of the local community where there are known hedgehogs in order to help the declining species. Bird boxes will also be available to provide shelter and warm homes. 

Students will also be presenting locally relevant research involving hedgehogs, birds and insects as part of their dissertations and other studies.

Activities run from 7pm until midnight on Friday, and from 7am until 5pm on Saturday. All activities are free, but some must be booked in advance.

Sarah Roberts, Sustainable Projects Officer from the Environment Team, said: “This is more than just an opportunity to support the partnership with the City Council, it’s a chance to share our knowledge with the local community. Our student and staff research has a real-world impact and the Bioblitz represents a ‘living laboratory’ experience to help others enjoy learning about nature and wildlife.”