Thank you to Dr Smriti Safaya from York University for joining us to explain citizen science and help us discover the biodiversity thriving in our immediate surroundings.

"We really enjoyed taking part in the Eco Club bio blitz, and it was an incredible opportunity to discover the wildlife right on our doorstep. It was an insight into how communities can contribute to conservation on a wider scale, and we're looking forward to making a tradition of it!"  -Helena and Anjli (Year 9)

“Being out in the sunshine, and investigating and appreciating the biodiversity around the school was a wonderful experience. We were able to identify and record the wildlife using iNaturalist and it was really interesting hearing peers and teachers sharing their knowledge and experiences of local nature. Our findings included muntjac deer droppings, a confirmed Noble False Widow spider and a disease affecting many Horse Chestnut trees. I think we all left with a greater insight into the wildlife around us, and inspired to keep taking notice of it. It felt great knowing our recordings were contributing to citizen science and could be used in studies and species identification for others.” -Sophie (Year 10).