Members of the public are being invited to sign up to a citizen science project, organised by the Mission: Invertebrate project.
The ‘Spiny Supper Survey’ will ask participants surveying different areas of Regent’s Park to identify the invertebrates they see and record their abundance.
Regent’s Park is home to the last breeding population of hedgehogs in central London.
“We expect to find species including earthworms, slugs and snails, to beetles and insect larvae,” says Dr Alice Laughton, Mission: Invertebrate project manager.
“Volunteers will receive training before the survey starts and be accompanied by expert scientists throughout the day who will help them carry out the research.”
The samples found during the survey will be analysed by ecological consultants, and the results will help the park managers gain a better understanding of invertebrate and hedgehog distribution within the park.
Applications to be a survey volunteer close on 18 August 2017.
Three questions the Spiny Supper Survey will be answering:
- Is there a difference in the distribution of grassland invertebrates across the park?
- Does this match with where the hedgehogs live?
- Do park management practices, such as using different types of mulch, have an effect on the invertebrate population?
Main image: Hedgehog in Regent's Park. © Penny Dixie/Royal Parks Foundation
