Every year the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland runs a new year plant hunt, trying to get people out and about recording local plant life. Any time between Sunday 29th December and Wednesday 1st January, you can take a short walk to find some plants.
Who can plant hunt?
Everyone can go and record plants! You can join a pre-arranged group hunt, set one up yourself, or go solo.
Where to hunt?
Before you go, plan your route. Usually coastal and urban areas are easier to find wild flowers as they protect the plants from frost. But you can hunt for plant life anywhere. Your walk shouldn't be longer than 3 hours, so the data collected can be compared to that from previous years.
How to record what you find?
The easiest way to record the plants you find is to download the BSBI app. If you are unsure of species, you can take pictures and the app will record the species and location. If you are confident with plant ID, print out the BSBI ID guides instead and record your data with pen and paper, then upload the information when you get home.
Why are plant surveys important?
The data collected from all the volunteers helps to show where plants are able to grow and how this is changing with climate change. Having a walk in the natural environment after Christmas is also a good way to reconnect with nature.
If this sounds like something you're interested in, visit the New Year Plant Hunt page here.
