Local residents are being invited to a special event to mark World Bog Day at Lindow Moss on Sunday, 28th July.
Bioblitz, with activities for all ages, has been organised to enable visitors to discover more about the biology of the cut-over peatland area of Lindow Moss.
This special event will see a host of experts along with participating members of the public, recording as many plant, insects, birds and animals as they can in one day. The day is designed to help everyone to enjoy and learn more about this unusual habitat on their doorstep.
There are several events throughout the day, starting with a session at 8.30am where moths will be released from the moth traps. Expert led family nature walks suitable for families with primary school age children will take place at 10.30am and 2.30pm and general sessions, both morning (10am) and afternoon (2.00pm) are open to all who would like to join.
You can meet the experts at 'base camp' and head off to see what you can discover. In these general sessions a variety of expert-led walks will be on offer with a focus on different subjects including plants, invertebrates, birds and ancient woodland.
An extra activity is offered at 11am called 'Trees old and new' in which local experts John Handley and Jonathan Lageard will consider the status of trees on the bog in recent times but also marvel at the stumps of the sub-fossil pine trees and discuss the likely timing and reason for their demise.
Professor Simon Caporn, who has organised the event as part of the Discover Lindow season, said, "We're really looking forward to meeting lots of people on Sunday and encouraging them to have a look more closely at the nature that is all around them on Lindow Moss. With around 20 experts coming to help, we guarantee that everyone will learn something new and have fun exploring this wonderful landscape."
Part of the purpose of the Bioblitz is to record what you see which you can easily do with a pen and paper. For those who would like to get in the habit of recording what they see on the Moss, you can also use i-Naturalist on your Mobile to identify your organisms and record where and when you saw it. For younger families there is also an app called 'Seek' which is part of i- Naturalist. This encourages younger children to identify insects, plants and birds and record them in the app.
Town Mayor, Councillor Tim Higgins, said, "With the Lindow Season well and truly under way, this is a great chance for residents to really discover Lindow. As this important habitat starts to be restored, what better way to spend World Bog Day than learning more about how important this part of our town is? Wilmslow Town Council is proud to fund the Bioblitz day and I am looking forward to meeting the experts on Sunday and seeing what we find."
You can sign up to go along to the Bioblitz and learn more about being a citizen scientist (or just learn about what's on Lindow Moss) via the Discover Lindow Eventbrite. The event is free and everyone is welcome.
For all information about the events that are taking place on Lindow Moss, see discoverlindow.org.
