Get involved in mini bioblitz in Blairgowrie and Rattray

Date: Friday 21 July

Volunteers from Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust’s (BRDT) Biodiversity Blair project, working with Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, are carrying out a ‘mini bioblitz’ in the town this summer.

The mini bioblitz, which got under way on Friday, July 21st, with a special fun event in Davie Park, aims to improve understanding of what plants and wildlife there are in the Blairgowrie and Rattray area.

Those involved are encouraging local residents to record where and when they spot 10 species of plants, animals and insects between now and August 13th.

The information that is collected can then either be recorded online in the Blairgowrie bioblitz section of the iNaturalist website or handed into the BaRI Building at 53-55 High Street, Blairgowrie, where it will be uploaded by Biodiversity Blair volunteers.

The ten species that people are being asked to look out for include hedgehogs, slow worms, house sparrows, song thrush, brown hare, Red Admiral butterflies, the common carder bumblebee, harebells, ox-eye daisies and ragged robins.

Lesley McDonald is responsible for project development for BRDT and is part of the Biodiversity Blair group. She explained: “A bioblitz is a biological inventory or census, which is basically aiming to count which species we are looking for and will inform levels of species at that time to see where we can improve and what is helping our wildlife.

“They can be done over a 24-hour period, a weekend or as long as you want.

“This is our first bioblitz and we are delighted to be working with Tayside Biodiversity Partnership between now and August 13 on this initiative.

“We know that Blairgowrie and Rattray has an exceptional local environment and, along with others, BRDT is keen to promote and protect that and support improvements to the environmental sustainability of the town.

“Thanks to work done by local groups involved in BRDT’s Open Spaces initiative around developing a biodiversity action plan for the town which sees local volunteers working towards enhancing the local environment and becoming more nature friendly in a way that fits in with local preferences, Blairgowrie and Rattray is now Scotland’s first biodiversity town.

“However, it is important to improve our understanding of the overall biodiversity picture, and this bioblitz is the first step in achieving that.

“We need your help to see how well 10 species are doing in our area. Everyone can get involved and we would love to hear from anyone who would like to be part of this initiative.”

For further information, email Lesley McDonald on lesley@discoverblairgowrie.co.uk Sheets with images of the species are available in BRDT’s community larders around the town, and can also be downloaded online at www.biodiversityblair.scot

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