A wealth of wildlife discovered at Ilfracombe BioBlitz

The North Devon Coast National Landscape’s Finding Nature’s Footprints team has announced the discovery of a variety of wildlife species during the Ilfracombe BioBlitz held in June. 

The weekend-long event, which also featured the Festival of Nature, saw an impressive turnout of 280 members of the public who recorded over 300 different species.

The BioBlitz, a comprehensive biological survey conducted over a short period, included a variety of public events designed to engage participants in hands-on wildlife exploration. Activities such as rock pooling, minibeast hunting, freshwater invertebrate sampling, moth trapping, and bat detecting were held at numerous locations, including Hillsborough, Cairn Nature Reserve, Cow Green Community Garden, Holy Trinity Church, Larkstone, the Torrs, Hele Bay, Capstone, and Bicclescombe Park.

The BioBlitz hub featured several organisations, including Devon Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Coastwise North Devon, Friends of Hillsborough, Braunton Countryside Centre, and British Divers Marine Life Rescue. 

These groups provided activities and information about their conservation efforts, offering the public a unique opportunity to engage with multiple environmental organisations in one place. 

Local artists displayed their work, and ancient fossils were on exhibit for attendees to explore.

Evie Giblett, Finding Nature’s Footprints Project Assistant said: “It was fantastic to see the people of Ilfracombe getting out and involved with their local wildlife. Seeing everyone roaming around Hillsborough in search of wonderful creatures hiding in the grasses and searching under the quay to find anemones and sea slugs was so encouraging! The benefits of being outdoors in nature and being mindful of what is around you are unmatched not to mention the benefits for the wildlife! Recording the local wildlife can help us to monitor the health of our habitats and build upon local nature recovery plans. We can see changes in populations over time and how our actions are hindering or helping the wildlife around us.

"Understanding what is happening in the environment is the most effective way to see how we can work to help nature recover. If you want to get involved there are various volunteer action groups around Ilfracombe including the Friends of Hillsborough, the Earth Repair Shop, Cairn Conservation Carers and the U3A, or just hop onto the iNaturalist app and start to record the wildlife at your feet! Every record counts. If you want to find out more get in touch”

Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Finding Nature’s Footprints Project plans to host another BioBlitz next year at a yet-to-be-confirmed location along the North Devon coast. 

This event will offer further opportunities for people to engage in nature recording, regardless of their experience or knowledge.

For more information about upcoming Finding Nature’s Footprints events, visit the North Devon Coast National Landscape website at www.northdevoncoast-nl.org.uk/events and follow their Facebook and Instagram pages (@northdevoncoastnl).