Get Involved

Help nature by getting involved

Taking part in citizen science projects and joining organised events are great ways to support nature in Guernsey, or keep up-to-date by subscribing to the Nature Commission newsletter.

Sunday 8th November - Fungi walk with Nature Commission

Event: Hunting for fungi and then having a go at identification.

Time: 10am-12pm

Location: Cambridge Park, Les Cotils and Beau Sejour. Meet at the car park at the bottom of Cambridge Park W3W/// grocers.bonkers.village.

See the Facebook event for more information https://www.facebook.com/events/1772749504012655

 

Thursday 12th November - Monthly wellbeing beach clean with Clean Earth Trust and Guernsey Mind

Event: Removing litter from the beach and analyzing finds afterwards

Time: 1-2pm

Location: Meet on the beach below Grandes Roques Kiosk W3W ///trailer.guitar.pepper

See the Facebook event for more information https://www.facebook.com/events/981610891211675 


Thursday 21st November - Guided bird walk with La Société Guernesiaise Ornithology Section 

Event: Guided bird walk with La Société Guernesiaise Ornithology Section around Silbe Nature Reserve.

Time: 9am-11am

Location: Meet at the Silbe nature reserve

For more information check out the website: https://societe.org.gg/wp/event/birding-la-societes-reserves-silbe-ornithology-section/ 

Find out more about La Société Guernesiaise events here: https://societe.org.gg/wp/events/ 


 

Join our mailing list and be updated on our activities and events.

Join our team of dedicated volunteers today! Whether you have a few hours a week/ month or can contribute on a one-time basis, we have opportunities for everyone.

When you volunteer with us, you help:

  • Care for Nature and reduce pressures on our natural environment 
  • Connect Others with Nature, improving their, and your, health and well-being
  • Improve knowledge about Nature by building the evidence-base for informed decision-making
  • Inspire the Community through educating and engaging others to care for our island's environment

Your involvement can be tailored to your interests, whether that is being out and about gathering biological data through citizen science; helping to progress conservation and educational projects; communicating with the public; or a little bit of everything!

To find out how you can volunteer with the Nature Commission, email office@naturecommission.gg.

The Nature Commission's purpose is to enhance the Island's natural environment within a generation, and we need your support. By joining us as a sponsor, you will play a pivotal role in establishing and communicating a benchmark for biodiversity that will guide conservation efforts for years to come.

In simple terms: if we don't measure it, we can't manage it

The benefits go beyond brand exposure. It's a tangible way to show your stakeholders and customers that your business is not just about profit but about making a positive impact on our planet.

     

Your sponsorship will directly support progress on the above UN Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, your support will indirectly enable progress on these UN Sustainable Development Goals:

     

There are also links between a healthy natural environment and the other SDGs, including quality education and clean water and sanitation.

Contact us to help set and communicate the standard for biodiversity and let's create a legacy of environmental stewardship together.

Check out our work programme, or get in touch for further information, including what we can offer you in return for your support.

There are many environmental organisations in Guernsey:

La Societe Guernesiaise

The National Trust of Guernsey

Guernsey Conservation Volunteers

Guernsey Trees for Life

Guernsey Biological Records Centre

The Clean Earth Trust

The Pollinator Project

Information on how to enhance your garden and other areas for wildlife are available below. But it is recommended that you understand what you have in your garden before making any changes - your garden may be perfect for wildlife just as it is!

For any development you may be planning, it is recommended that a Preliminary Ecological Assessment is conducted as a first step in the process. This assessment provides valuable insights into the ecological characteristics of a site and will help developers make informed, evidence-based decisions. The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) provides a Registered Practice Directory, available here. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of available consultants, as there may be organisations in your area not registered with CIEEM who can provide this service.

Citizen Science Projects

Citizen science is for everyone! The Nature Commission encourages our island community to connect with nature by taking part in national surveys that support important research in the British Isles. If you would like to take part in any of the below citizen science projects with the Nature Commission, please email office@naturecommission.gg to find out how, or check out the Species Spotter Sheets below to start recording!

Damselflies and dragonflies are predatory flying insects, found in freshwater habitats. They are an important part of the food web, controlling pest species and providing food for lots of birds.

Damsels and Dragons is a citizen science project which aims to help learn more about our damselfly and dragonfly species. It involves visiting a pond either once or monthly through the peak season of May- September, spotting and recording the damselflies and dragonflies seen.

A guide to the project method can be found here Damsels And Dragons Project Information Sheet along with project survey forms Damsels And Dragons Recording Forms. There is also a species spotter sheet to help with identification Damsels And Dragons Spotter Sheet.

Please email us with your findings office@naturecommission.gg.If you'd like some advice on how to improve your pond to attract damselflies and dragonflies, check out our advice sheet Improving Your Pond For Damselflies And Dragonflies.

Garden Paws is a fun, family-friendly citizen science project designed to help you discover the small mammals living in your garden or local green space. Using easy-to-make footprint tunnels, you can track nocturnal visitors like hedgehogs, voles, mice, and more without disturbing them.

Here is a guide to building your footprint tunnel Garden Paws Tunnel Guide and an identification sheet to identify your footprints Garden Paws Footprint Identification Guide

There is a lack of records for small mammals locally. Please email us with your findings (office@naturecommission.gg) including information on the date the tunnel was placed, the tunnel locations and photos of your footprints.

Start spotting those pawprints today!

Freshwater invertebrates are under recorded locally and not much is known about them. Pond dipping is a great way to understand more about our freshwater invertebrates and the value of ponds and other waterbodies for wildlife.

Many freshwater invertebrate species are hard to identify down to species level without in-depth identification guides. The species in this accompanying instruction and species spotter sheet have been included to family level and should be easier to recognise than the individual species.

Freshwater Critter Count Instructions & Species Spotter Sheet

More information on pond dipping is available here.

Please submit the records of the freshwater critter you find to iRecord. If you aren't able to set up an iRecord account, please email your findings to the Nature Commission (office@naturecommission.gg)

The Big Seaweed Search - This project is a partnership between The Natural History Museum and the Marine Conservation Society. The Big Seaweed Search first launched in 2009. Hundreds of people have taken part and the data gathered, alongside other research, show that the distribution of seaweeds around the UK is changing.

The Nature Commission is looking for volunteers to record seaweeds on Guernsey’s coastline to support research on three key environmental issues:

  • rising sea temperature
  • the arrival and spread of non-native species of seaweeds
  • ocean acidification (the sea becoming more acidic because of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air)

 

The Great Eggcase Hunt - This project helps The Shark Trust learn more about sharks, skates and rays by finding and recording eggcases. The Great Eggcase Hunt began in 2003 following a chance find on a beach in Devon. The project quickly developed with the aim of getting as many people as possible out hunting for eggcases and recording their finds. Empty eggcases can help indicate species presence and diversity. 

The Nature Commission is looking for volunteers to help us record eggcases. By being involved in this project, you will be helping to discover more about egglaying species in our waters.

UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme - The United Kingdom Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) is one of the longest running insect monitoring schemes in the world. The scheme began in 1976 and now records data on over 2,000 sites per year. The mission of UKBMS is to assess the status and trends of UK butterfly populations for conservation, research and quality of life.

The Nature Commission is looking for volunteers to help us monitor butterfly transects across Guernsey on a weekly basis between April and September. The data collected will form part of this national project. 

BeeWalk is a national recording scheme run by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to monitor the abundance of bumblebees on transects across the country, including Guernsey.

 The Nature Commission is looking for volunteers to help us monitor bumblebee transects across Guernsey on a monthly basis between March and October. The data collected will form part of this national project. 

Garden BirdWatch is a year-round scheme which has been run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) since 1995.

Gardens are really important habitats for wildlife, and we need to understand how and why populations of garden birds and other wildlife are changing, and how we can help them. The more we understand about how birds and other animals use our gardens, the more we can improve our island for wildlife.

The Nature Commission is looking for volunteers to help us monitor garden birds each week throughout the year. The data collected will form part of this national project.

Plant Alert is a citizen science project for gardeners. The Nature Commission will raise awareness of this project with local gardeners and gardening groups to encourage them to look out for plants which might go on to endanger habitats outside gardens. Gardeners can help protect the natural environment by warning about invasive plants before they become a problem.

Carry out a flower-insect timed (FIT) count as part of Pollinator Monitoring & Research Partnership.

For more details and how to get started, visit FIT Counts: help us monitor pollinators | PoMS

Also available is a Natural England Guide that covered the different types of pollinator monitoring, which has a boarder approach to pollinator monitoring: Pollinator Monitoring and Citizen Science: A practical guide for project organisers and participants. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, UK.

Species Spotter Sheets

The Nature Commission have created a variety of 'spotter sheets' to encourage more recording of species that are often overlooked and under recorded. 

If you are able to identify species out in the field then please submit the record to iRecord, a free biological recording app. For simple instructions on how to use iRecord, check out this instruction sheet: How To Use iRecord. For more in-depth instructions, see this iRecord User Guide.

There are lots of apps available which use artificial intelligence to help identify species. We recommend using ObsIdentify and simple instructions on how to use ObsIdentify can be found here How To Use ObsIdentify. Please note these types of app are a tool to aid identification and provide a starting point for further research - they are not always accurate. 

Fungi are very under recorded, and this may sometimes be due to difficulty in identification. Some fungi don’t look like the ‘classic’ mushroom shape, rather they look like a ‘shelf’ growing on the side of the tree. Other species look different altogether but are also found on dead and living trees. Some of these species are easy to identify, due to their shape, colour, smell or texture. We’ve created a spotter sheet of some of these bracket and other tree-associated species that you might find on island.

Bracket And Other Tree Fungi Spotter Sheet

For additional fungi identification help, please use the Guernsey Fungi and Lichen Facebook page, where they will be happy to assist.

Fungi are very under recorded, and this may sometimes be due to difficulty in identification. Some fungi are very distinctive and as such are easy to identify, due to their shape, colour, smell or texture. We’ve created a spotter sheet of some of these distinctive species that you might find on island. 

Distinctive Fungi Spotter Sheet

For additional fungi identification help, please use the Guernsey Fungi and Lichen Facebook page, where they will be happy to assist.

Fungi are very under recorded, and this may sometimes be due to difficulty in identification. Amanita is a genus (group) of mushrooms that share similar features, including warty patches on the cap and a ring/skirt on the stem. We’ve created a spotter sheet of some of the Amanita species that you might find on island.

Amanita Spotter Sheet

For additional fungi identification help, please use the Guernsey Fungi and Lichen Facebook page, where they will be happy to assist.

Fungi are very under recorded, and this may sometimes be due to difficulty in identification. Waxcaps are some of the easier species to identify as they are brightly coloured with a waxy or slippery cap. We’ve created a spotter sheet of some of the waxcap species that you might find on island. 

Waxcap Spotter Sheet

For additional fungi identification help, please use the Guernsey Fungi and Lichen Facebook page, where they will be happy to assist.

Invasive non-native species are plants or animals, introduced to an area by humans, which they can then thrive in, to the detriment of local species and habitats, the economy or public health. They are a significant threat to biodiversity.

Invasive non-native species can out-compete native species, predate natives, bring in disease, hybridise with native species, alter and degrade habitats and negatively alter the balance of ecosystems.

This spotter sheet includes 8 invasive non-native species already present in Guernsey and 4 species that have yet to establish but could do so in future. Recording your sightings of invasive non-native species on iRecord is really important. It helps to understand more about where these species are present on island. In terms of species not yet established here, early detection is key, to help protect the island.

INNS Spotter Sheet

Shieldbugs are a type of ‘true bug’ and are named due to their distinctive shield shape. Many species have unique markings and colours and also have specific host plants that they are found on. These bright colours and markings help to ward off predators as well as the strong-smelling chemicals they secrete when disturbed. 

Shieldbugs are under recorded locally despite several species being easy to identify. Please remember that colours and markings may vary between individuals. Shield bug nymphs (juveniles) can also look markedly different to adults so take care that it is an adult you are identifying.

Shieldbug Spotter Sheet

For additional identification help please use the Guernsey Wildlife or Insects of the Channel Islands Facebook pages, where they will be happy to assist.

There are many types of bugs found in Guernsey, with examples including shieldbugs, squash bugs and leafhoppers. All bugs are distinguished by their piercing mouthparts, overlapping wing covers and segmented antennae. This helps tell them apart from beetles which are a different group of insects.

Flies are one of the major insect groups and their main identification feature is that they have a single pair of wings. Flies play many important roles in the natural environment from pollination to predation of pests. Familiar examples include hoverflies, craneflies, house flies, bluebottles and mosquitos.

There are several species of bugs and flies which are easy to identify but under recorded locally. These species have been included in this spotter sheet.

Bugs And Flies Spotter Sheet

For additional identification help please use the Guernsey Wildlife or Insects of the Channel Islands Facebook pages, where they will be happy to assist.

Damselflies and dragonflies are predatory flying insects, found in freshwater, woodland and hedgerow habitats. They are an important part of the food web, controlling pest species and providing food for lots of birds.  

Damselflies and dragonflies can be fast flying and small, so unless they land can sometimes be hard to identify. All the species regularly seen in Guernsey and some additional migrant species have been included in the spotter sheet.

Damsels And Dragons Spotter Sheet

For additional identification help please use the Guernsey Wildlife or Insects of the Channel Islands Facebook pages, where they will be happy to assist.

Gardens support many species of minibeast, as they are usually made up of lots of microhabitats, such as flowerbeds, lawns, compost heaps and ponds.

Some minibeast species tend to be more recorded than others, such as butterflies which are very recognisable. However, there are lots of other species of minibeast that are just as distinct but are much more under recorded. This spotter sheet includes a wide variety of minibeasts that could be found in your garden.

Garden Minibeast Spotter Sheet

For additional identification help please use the Guernsey Wildlife or Insects of the Channel Islands Facebook pages, where they will be happy to assist.

Ladybirds are brightly coloured beetles with characteristic spot patterns. The number of spots can vary, and many species are identified by the number, shape and colour of the spots. Ladybirds play an important role in the natural environment as they prey on pest species such as aphids.

Ladybirds are under recorded locally despite several species being easy to identify. 12 species that are easy to identify have been included in the spotter sheet. Please note that colour and number of spots can vary with individual ladybirds.

Ladybird Spotter Sheet

For additional identification help please use the Guernsey Wildlife or Insects of the Channel Islands Facebook pages, where they will be happy to assist.

Slugs are a species of terrestrial mollusc. They have evolved from snails, with most slug species losing their external shell in the process. Slugs can be found in damp places, and gardens are a good place to look. They are an important food source for many species and help to decompose organic matter.

Slugs are under recorded locally, even though there are several species which are recognisable and easy to identify. These species have been included in this spotter sheet along with some information on slug anatomy. Please remember that sometimes it is not always possible to identify all slugs down to species level. Even if you can only identify to genus level that is fine.

Slug Spotter Sheet

Fungi are a fascinating species group and are actually not plants. They live underground or on a host, and the visible parts we see above ground i.e. mushrooms, are the fruiting body. The fruiting body is responsible for dispersal of spores for reproduction. Fungi help with decomposition, recycle nutrients, are a food source for wildlife, are used in medicines and have the potential to break down plastic.

Fungi are very under recorded locally, possibly due to difficulty in identification. However, there are some species that are easy to identify! They have been included in this spotter sheet alongside fungi terminology and advice on how to identify. Please remember that sometimes it is not always possible to identify fungi down to species level. Even if you can only identify to genus or family level that is fine.

Fungi Spotter Sheet

Fungi Spotter Sheet for Le Foulon Cemetery

Fungi Spotter Sheet for Saumarez Park

Fungi Spotter Sheet for Reservoir

For additional fungi identification help, please use the Guernsey Fungi and Lichen Facebook page, where they will be happy to assist.

Lichens are not a single organism but consist of a special relationship between a fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. The fungi part needs food which is provided by their algae /cyanobacteria partner, which photosynthesise. Both the fungi and their partners benefit from this relationship. Lichens come in lots of different forms and are excellent indicators of air pollution. They are found on trees, stones, walls, pavements, fenceposts, gravestones and even rocks on the beach.

Lichens are under-recorded because they are hard to identify, especially in the field. This spotter sheet looks at the terminology used for lichens and gives examples of some of the easier species to look for. Please bear in mind that it is not possible to identify all species of lichen without expertise. 

Lichen Spotter Sheet

For additional lichen identification help, please use the Guernsey Fungi and Lichen Facebook page, where they will be happy to assist.

Mosses are non-flowering plants, that do not have true roots, stems, or leaves, instead, absorbing water and nutrients directly through their tiny leaf-like structures. Mosses reproduce using spores rather than seeds, and their soft cushions and mats help retain moisture, prevent soil erosion, and create important micro-habitats for insects and other small organisms.

Mosses are everywhere and thrive in damp, shaded places such as woodland floors, walls, tree trunks, and even rooftops. They are often under-recorded because their small size and subtle differences can make identification challenging. However, there are some common species with distinctive growth forms that are easier to recognise, and these are included in the links below alongside useful terminology and tips. Remember that it’s not always possible to identify mosses to species level in the field - identifying to genus is absolutely fine.

Moss Introduction

Moss Spotter Sheet

The Nature Commission also support and promote citizen science projects let by other organisations

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