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Press Releases - March/April 2008
Item 5
No. 2008/03/10
March 2008
Discover Glasgow’s Really Wild
Side
We’re used to seeing films of
wildlife out on the African savannas, and we may have seen wildlife
on our nature reserves, but the Biodiversity in Glasgow project
is encouraging people to look in the local parks of Scotland's biggest
city.
Anyone can take part in recording birds and butterflies in Glasgow’s
green spaces. The information collected by volunteers will have
a very real use that should be of practical benefit to the ‘dear
green places’. Volunteers’ findings will be used to
inform those managing Glasgow's green spaces, such as Glasgow City
Council, to help improve the city's urban wildlife.
It’s not only Glasgow’s wildlife that stands to benefit.
In addition to the surveys on birds and butterflies conducted by
members of the public in Glasgow, information collected by people
taking part in Garden BirdWatch in Scotland will be analysed.
Jacqui Kaye, Promotions Officer for BTO Scotland said, “Anyone
who takes weekly records of the birds and other wildlife seen in
their gardens as part of BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch in Scotland will
help us to learn more about wildlife in urban areas throughout the
whole of the country.”
BTO Scotland and Butterfly Conservation Scotland hope to encourage
a whole new range of people to take part in the BIG project. Participants
don’t have to be experts and may not have taken part in any
surveys before.
BIG Volunteer, Jo Davis, said, “Glasgow has such a lot
of green spaces, so I thought it was an excellent idea to see who
lives in them. When I heard of the plan of asking Glasgow’s
citizen’s to take part in a survey, I instantly signed up
for it.”
Many people don’t realise how easy, rewarding and fun it can
be to collect information for a genuine scientific survey. BTO Scotland
and Butterfly Conservation Scotland are actively recruiting volunteers
for the BIG Project. All those who sign up to a site can be provided,
on request, with a training pack for bird surveying, including a
full colour guide to the butterflies and day-flying moths of Glasgow
and free CD of bird calls.
Please see over for Notes for Editors
Notes for Editors
- The BIG project is funded by Scottish Natural
Heritage, Biodiversity Action Grants Scheme, Glasgow City Council
and the Robertson Trust. It is also supported by members of the
Glasgow Biodiversity Partnership. It is a partnership project
between BTO Scotland and Butterfly Conservation Scotland.
- Butterfly Conservation is the UK charity taking
action to save butterflies and moths. Butterfly Conservation staff
and volunteers manage habitats to ensure their survival, with
particular attention being given to threatened species. Butterfly
Conservation has 13,000 members is the largest organisation of
its kind in Europe. For more info visit www.butterfly-conservation.org
- The BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch is the only nationwide
survey of garden birds and other garden wildlife to run weekly
throughout the year. It provides important information on how
birds and other wildlife use gardens and how this use changes
over time. Currently, some 16,500 people take part in the project.
The scheme is funded by participants’ contributions and
supported by CJ WildBird Foods Ltd. For more information see www.bto.org/gbw.
- CJ WildBird Foods Ltd is Europe’s leading
supplier of bird food and bird feeding products. The company has
been responsible for a number of significant developments within
the bird food and feeding industry, including the introduction
of black sunflower seeds to the UK as a major new bird food and
the development of specialist seed mixes for use in tubular feeders.
CJ WildBird Foods Ltd has also been supporting research into the
changing fortunes of garden bird populations, most notably through
its association with the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch.
- Bird and butterfly photographs are available
for use with this News Release. Contact
for electronic bird images. Please quote 2008/03/10.
For butterfly images please contact
or
- The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews.
For further information please contact:
BTO Scotland
Jacqui Kaye on 01786 466560 or e-mail:
(during office hours)
Liz Humphreys on 01786 466560 or e-mail:
(during office hours)
Butterfly Conservation Scotland
Dr Tom Prescott on 015400 661469 (office hours)
Paul Kirkland on 01786 447753 (office hours)
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