Getting Involved

Lincolnshire 200 Bridges Otter Survey 2009

Can you spare a few days this summer to help survey Lincolnshire's rivers for the presence of otters?

Lincolnshire Biodiversity Partnership and the Environment Agency are looking for volunteers to help survey 200 sites across Lincolnshire (which were last looked at in 1994 and 1999). Ten years on we hope to learn more about the current distribution of otters across the county, and by surveying the same sites we will be able to compare this with past results. The results will also feed into the 2009 National Otter Survey, contributing to our understanding of the status of otters throughout the country.

Otters are elusive creatures that can be difficult to see in the wild, but they mark their territories with droppings, called spraints, often in prominent places such as under bridges. With training, identification of these spraints can be used to determine whether or not otters are using a stretch of watercourse.

Support, guidance and safety equipment will be provided; and training dates have been set for Wednesday June 3rd at 5:30pm and Sunday June 7th at 2pm both at the headquarters of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust – Banovallum House in Horncastle. You would only need to attend one of these sessions.

If you are interested in taking part, are physically fit, and able to commit to surveying at least ten sites (approx two days' work) please contact Catherine Collop at ccollop@lincstrust.co.uk or 01507526667 for more information.

Ponds and Amphibians Survey

The first count of ponds in Britain took place at the beginning of the 20th century and recorded 1.2 million ponds. So many have been lost through drainage, infilling and neglect that it is thought there are now only about 400,000. However, small ponds still make up the majority of waterbodies in the UK and they are of great value to wildlife, supporting considerably more species and more scarce species than rivers and streams. But, little is known about where ponds are or how good they are for wildlife.

The Lincolnshire Biodiversity Partnership has launched a Ponds and Amphibians Survey to gain an understanding of the distribution of small ponds from the Humber to the Wash and their biodiversity value. This is the first step in being able to identify priorities for conservation management. Anyone can take part in the survey - of their own pond or of ponds that are accessible from public rights of way or from public land, such as village ponds.

Further Information

You can find more information about the ponds survey in the Documents section of the Getting Involved menu.