Episode 5

Available for over a year

5/30. The National Trust is hosting a BioBlitz event organised by the Bristol Natural History Consortium on the Tyntesfield Estate near Bristol, and Saving Species will be there. A BioBlitz is a growing phenomenon where local communities get together with naturalists and "blitz" an area with hand lenses and guide books endeavouring to identify all the animals and plants in a given place. Their data is then uploaded to a central data base. Tyntesfield - the former stately home of Lord Wraxall is thought by some to be one of the finest Victorian homes in the country, with Victorian methods being used to manage the estate by Lord Wraxall until his death in recent years. It's likely the BioBlitz will yield great results. One of the benefits of joining a BioBlitz is to gain skills in observation, recording and naming living things. Saving Species asks a panel of experts "where will tomorrow's naturalists come from?" - some believe a loss of connection with nature is eroding this skill. We will have Sue Townsend from the Field Studies Council, Presenter and Naturalist Mike Dilger, Nature Conservation Consultant Doug Hulyer and poet Miles Chambers. And of course an audience of BioBlitzers! Presenter: Brett Westwood Producer: Sheena Duncan Editor: Julian Hector.