Work alongside Natural History Museum’s specialist scientists and become a citizen scientist yourself.
The Natural History Museum (NHM) are undertaking ground-breaking environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys across Brilliant Butterflies project sites, investigating the communities of insects on these beautiful chalk grassland habitats. The acquired knowledge from these surveys will inform conservation practice for invertebrate communities.
Get involved
Join ‘Grassland Heroes’ training courses
Brilliant Butterflies volunteers have the exciting opportunity to learn from a diverse team of ecologists and scientists working to restore this rare habitat. The NHM’s team will train volunteers to identify key groups of chalk grassland invertebrates on the ‘Grassland Heroes’ science training course. The course is aimed at beginner invertebrate identification and will teach volunteers the main groups of invertebrates and then focus on key chalk grassland specialists species that may be found. Volunteers on this course will get to use a new identification guide developed by the team in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity.
Put you ID skills to test on Big Bug Hunts
Volunteers will put their ID skills to test on ‘Big Bug Hunts’ and participate in biological recording, helping the museum scientists with eDNA surveys in the field, learning how to record species using different eDNA survey methods. These will take place across the six London Wildlife Trust nature reserves included in the Brilliant Butterflies project.
Grassland Heroes’ and Big Bug Hunt dates 2021:
- Grassland Heroes’: 25th – 27th May.
- Big Bug Hunts: 8th and 9th May.
To find out more about Brilliant Butterflies training opportunities with the NHM, sign up to our news letter below or contact k.potts@nhm.ac.uk.
