Insects are all too often overlooked. Their relatively small size makes them seem insignificant compared to larger fauna, furthermore,
 the ones most often seen are often vilified as pests. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, insects are not insignificant in any way. They represent unbelievable diversity, making up 9/10ths of all animal species. Their contribution to our world is substantial, providing numerous ecosystem services including pollination, pest control, waste recycling (decomposing) and creating products (e.g. honey, silk).

Insects are suffering from a myriad of problems, habitat loss and fragmentation, widespread pesticide use and a changing and unpredictable climate have resulted in extinctions (local, national and global) and at the least will mean the distributions and ranges of insects will change.  

That's where you come in! 

Interested people such as yourself can make a real difference when it comes to tracking the presence of insect species, which can be used to map changes to populations and ranges. 

There are a number of ways you can help:

• Identify an Invertebrate: Send us your sightings (see below), remember to make photographs as clear as possible and include as much information as you can about the location and habitat it was found in. and we will try to identify it for you!
• EcoRecord: Report your sightings to EcoRecord, the local wildlife recording office. 
• Take part in a Bio-Blitz: Attend a local Bio-Blitz event
• iNaturalist: Photograph insects you see and upload them to the app. The app often helps you identify what you are looking at!

Identify An Invertebrate

Any records you send help us understand the site. Your record could be a new-to-site species or help us update the records so we know it is still present. This can in turn inform our management practices. 

If you liked using this service and would like to see more like this why not support Warley Woods Community Trust by making a donation? We are a community-run park and rely on donations to be able to help maintain our Warley Woods!