The Biodiversity in Glasgow Project

The Importance of Urban Biodiversity

Many of the green spaces found within our towns and cities, such as parks and gardens, are wonderful havens for wildlife. Sadly, however, some green spaces are poorly managed for biodiversity and under utilised by local communities. Others are disappearing, together with the wildlife that they once held. Consequently, there is huge scope to improve the biodiversity value of many urban sites, to protect existing sites that are of high conservation value and to encourage people to make greater use of their local green spaces.

The BIG project

Following on from the highly successful London Bird Project BTO Scotland and Butterfly Conservation have recently launched the Biodiversity in Glasgow (BIG) project. Volunteers will be invited to record the breeding birds and butterflies, along with their associated habitats, found within Glasgow’s green spaces in 2007 and 2008. Glasgow is an ideal place in which to explore the urban diversity as over one fifth of the city is made up of green space including parks, river corridors, woodlands, cemeteries and communal gardens. The information collected by volunteers through the BIG project will be complemented by the analysis of long term data from urban habitats recorded through the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch and the BTO /JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey schemes for the whole of Scotland. This will help us to learn about urban wildlife in other parts of the country.

What will the BIG project do?

• Provide data on the birds, butterflies and habitats found within Glasgow’s green spaces.
• Generate information on how habitat type and structure affects the birds and butterflies found in green spaces.
• Encourage greater interaction of local communities with urban biodiversity.
• Provide guidance on the management of the green spaces in Glasgow and other cities in order to promote and enhance Scottish biodiversity.

How can you get involved?

Within Glasgow: We are recruiting volunteers for 2008 so please do get in touch with us. Volunteers make three visits to their bird survey site, after a preliminary visit to assess the habitat, between April and July and can expect to spend two hours each time on the survey. For the butterfly survey volunteers make four visits between May and September spending a similar amount of time. If you feel you have these hours to spare then contact us using the details below.

Within Scotland: You can also take part in the project by joining Garden BirdWatch, as all data received from Scottish gardens will be included in the analysis. Click here to find out more.

Anybody interested in taking part in any of these surveys should contact: The BIG Project, BTO Scotland, SBES, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA. Phone: 01786 466560. Email: .

Information on other national butterfly and moth surveys is also available from Butterfly Conservation.

If you would like to read more about the BIG Project, you can download your newsletter here

Spring 2008
Autumn 2007

Glasgow City Council is also looking for any records of any plants and animals that you may have seen
around Glasgow. Please go to www.glasgowmuseums.com/wildaboutglasgow
for further details.

Acknowledgements:
This project is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Biodiversity Action Grants Scheme. It is also supported by Glasgow City Council and members of the Glasgow Biodiversity Partnership.