Nature lovers across Burnley, Pendle and Ribble Valley invited to take part in wildlife count at popular beauty spot

The Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership is calling on local naturalists and the public to help them carry out a 'Big Wildlife Count' at Spring Wood near Whalley.
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Spring Wood is well known for its amazing springtime woodland flowers, with wood anemones, bluebells and wild garlic carpeting the ground in April and May.

But you can help record what other wildlife lives there throughout the year by getting involved with the count which is taking place from now until March next year.

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This can be done at your own leisure, either on your own, with family and friends, or with your local naturalist group. Simply download the iNaturalist app, create your own log in, and record the species you find at Spring Wood. This can include anything from fungi, flora and fauna, trees or insects.

The public have been invited to take part in a wildlife and nature count at a Ribble Valley beauty spotThe public have been invited to take part in a wildlife and nature count at a Ribble Valley beauty spot
The public have been invited to take part in a wildlife and nature count at a Ribble Valley beauty spot

Speaking about the project, Sarah Robinson, who is the Farming and Wildlife Officer for the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership and Forest Of Bowland AONB, said: "We are really hoping that people can jump on board and help us collect as much data about the wildlife in Spring Wood as possible.

"People have recently made stronger connections than ever to nature, and it really is a fantastic way of reducing stress levels and gaining a sense of wonder.

"Taking the time to notice and record our local nature and wildlife can have huge benefits to our mental health and wellbeing, so this is a great project to get involved with."

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The Pendle Hill Lancashire Partnership covers 120 square kilometres, stretching from Gisburn down to Whalley, and from Clitheroe across to Nelson and Padiham.

iNaturalist is an app which enables you to share pictures of your findings with a global network of like-minded people, and with scientists who study biodiversity. By recording and sharing what you see, you are creating valuable scientific data in the process, learning more about nature and playing a key role in this local study.

For more information on how to get involved, please visit the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnerships' website Spring Wood Big Wildlife Count | Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership (pendlehillproject.com) where you can also find more information on how to download and use the iNaturalist app.

Alternatively you can email [email protected] for more information on how to get involved.