Get Involved

Why not lend a hand and help us spot otters or wading birds

 

Surveying And Monitoring

Otters

Otter (c) Mike TaylorOtters were known to be in the River Severn flood plain, as various surveys had shown. However, for the purposes of improving habitat for them, we needed to know where they were and where they were not present.

Over 80 survey points were set up, where you would be most likely to see signs if they were present (spraint, footprints, slides etc).

Volunteers were recruited through the GWT and Hartpury College and trained in survey techniques to survey and monitor these sites.

The BGMG are always looking for more volunteers! (image credit © Mike Taylor www.seeing.org.uk)

  

Wading Birds

The most difficult species to create/restore habitat for, as habitat work requires management of water levels over large areas.

So far, we have been fortunate in having the skills of an experienced ornithologist and Trustee, Mike Smart.

As the work progresses however, and the area is so large, further ornithologists will be needed to monitor birds in areas where we have restored and created habitat. 


Research

There are sometimes opportunities for research and dissertation projects within the Severn Vale Living Landscape.

Sometimes these come out of events such as the floods of 2007/2008

– Crystal Acquaviva, a student at the University of East Anglia, did an MSc dissertation entitled: 'The density of soil macroinvertebrates and distribution of earthworms at Coombe Hill Nature Reserve, a lowland wet grassland in Gloucestershire: possible repercussions of management techniques after summer flooding'.

The data being collected on otters, wading birds and habitats may support some work involving analysis of combined parameters and suggestions for future methodologies.

 

Visit our Volunteering pages to view opportunities in the Severn Vale and across Gloucestershire