Springwatch 2019 launches biggest ever citizen wildlife project, Gardenwatch

From Country Living

The much-loved wildlife programme Springwatch returned for 2019 on Monday 27th May at 7.30pm on BBC Two. The first episode on the May Bank Holiday kicked off a series of 90 minute episodes which will run over two weeks (Monday to Thursday), tracking the development of nature in the UK countryside throughout spring. It also launched the team's biggest ever citizen science project, Gardenwatch.

Locations for Springwatch 2019

The show will be broadcast live from the Dell of Abernathy in the Cairngorms, Scotland.

Other locations include:

• Cornwall, various locations

• Glenfeshie Estate

• Brighton

Who will present Springwatch 2019?

The well-known faces of Chris Packham, Iolo Williams and Michaela Strachan will return this year, live from the studio.

Gillian Burke will also host wildlife segments from around the UK and Kate Bradbury will appear in Episode Two.

What is Gardenwatch?

The team will launch the largest Springwatch citizen science project ever attempted during Episode One. It's called Gardenwatch.

Working with the British Trust for Ornithology the presenters will ask people to survey the wildlife living in their own gardens to help scientists build a comprehensive report of exactly what lives on the nation’s doorsteps.

The team want to track which species are thriving and which are declining in our local areas in order to learn more about what needs to be done to protect them.

"Gardenwatch is so important – we can really make a difference by attracting wildlife to our gardens, especially as across the UK they make up an area the size of Suffolk!" says Springwatch presenter, Chris Packham. "Most importantly, the things we engage with the most are those who we share our space with- you can enjoy the wildlife that comes to you garden, ultimately improving your quality of life and theirs."

How to get involved in Gardenwatch

All you have to do is record as much information about your local wildlife as possible, be that in your private garden, communal garden, roof terrace, balcony, allotment – any outdoor space.

There are four Gardenwatch missions throughout the Springwatch series: Beyond the Backdoor, Worm Detective, Bird Detective and Mammal Detective.

You can take part in all four missions or just one but the aim here is to gather as much information as possible.

Mission 1: Beyond the Backdoor – This aims to get a sense of how British gardens look now and what people are already doing to encourage wildlife. GO TO SURVEY

Mission 2: Worm Detective – This will take a deeper look at what's going on underneath your soil. GO TO SURVEY

Mission 3: Bird Detective – This mission is all about what's in the sky and what the birds in your garden eat. GO TO SURVEY

Mission 4: Mammal Detective – Finally, the team wants to know about the bigger things in our gardens like hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. GO TO SURVEY

What will we see in Springwatch 2019?

There is lots to look forward to throughout the two-week series. Some highlights include:

• Updates from the wildlife cameras in the Cairngorms.

• Gillian Burke bringing topical reports on the state of our coastal wildlife.

• Gillian Burke goes wild camping in heart of the Glenfeshie estate.

• Wildlife gardener Kate Bradbury transforms her small outdoor space in Brighton into a haven for wildlife.

• A surprising tale of life living in a bed of nettles in Cornwall.

• A look at the tiny miracle workers living in our compost heaps.

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