Saturday, 22nd June 2019 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Gatwick Greenspace – Free Family Event
Fancy yourself a nature detective? Join the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership team and experienced local naturalists on our annual outing to find and identify as many different species of birds, bugs, plants and beasties as we can in a day.
You can drop in at any time through the day and one of our team will direct you to the welcome tent where you can pick up a sweep net and a hand lens and start exploring, try your luck at “bioblitz bingo”, or create a crafty creature at our forest school stand.
Drop-in activities will be running all day but for those who really want to delve deeper into your local wildlife you can be guided by our expert staff:
- 7 – 8 am – Early Bird Survey
Is it a bird or is it a plane? Hopefully we will learn to distinguish between them! Join us to get a snapshot of the varied species of feathered friends that are sharing this airspace. - 8-9am – Mammal trapping
Small mammal trapping is the name of the game. In a variation of the TV show Deal or no Deal, we will set off in two teams to see what’s in the box, before setting them free to roam again. - 9-10am – Moth trap reveal (drop-in)
Lured by the light of the moon (courtesy of a large bulb and generator), moths will hunker down in our cosy trap for the night. Join us to meet the moths and find out about the amazing variety of winged creatures that fly via Gatwick, after dark. - 1pm – 2pm – Butterflies
Keep your fingers on the nature pulse by joining us in counting butterflies at Gatwick. The sensitivity of these creatures make them excellent biodiversity indicators, so let’s hope see many flutterby!
After our day exploring the wetlands, hedgerows and mature oaks around the Gatwick Aviation Museum, we will tally up our results. Staff from the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre will enter our findings into their database to help monitor, understand and better protect our local wildlife.
Meet at Gatwick Aviation Museum, Vallance By-Ways, Lowfield Heath Rd, Charlwood RH6 0BT.
