Get Involved

There are many opportunities to get involved with species recording both locally, here on the Island and nationally in wider campaigns

Species of the Month (iWatchWildlife)
We run a programme of selected a species most months that we’d like to know more about to boost our current, local records. We ask users on Social Media to share their observations. We then capture those observations and convert them into permanent species records.

We welcome all species records at any time of year. You can download a basic wildlife form below to get you started. If you need any help with ID, we can help or put you in touch with a local expert.

We also feature one species as our ‘Species of the Year and for 2024 it’s Frogs and Toads, find out more below…

Follow us on Facebook @iWatchWildlife and Instagram #iWatchWildlife

Downloadable basic wildlife recording form

 

‘Species of the Month’ – February to December 2024

Feb – Frogs, Toads & Spawn / March – Brown Hare  /  April –  Adder  /  May – Hedgehogs  /  June – Stag Beetle  /  July – Great Green Bush Cricket  /  August – Tiger Moths /  September – Kingfisher / October – Curlew / November – Wax Caps / December – Mistletoe

 

Frogs (Melanie Parr) , Toad (Ian Whitmore), Spawn (Keith Marston) / March – Hare by Nick Edwards / April – Adder by Mike Cotterill / May – Hedgehog by Graham Hendy / June – Stag Beetles PTES / July – Great Green Bush Cricket by Allan Jackson / August – Tiger Moths / Sept – Kingfisher by Keith Marston / October – Curlew by Jim Baldwin / November – Wax Caps / Dec – Mistletoe

 

Species of the Year  2024  – Frogs & Toads

Throughout 2024, we’ll be asking for your Frog and Toad sightings across the Island.

Both species can be seen across the year in a wide range of habitats. They are most active during the breeding season – late winter / early spring, however we have surprisingly few records of them in the IW Species Database.

Contact us with your records this year:
email: [email protected] or Social Media @iWatchWildlife / #iwatchwildlife or on paper sent to IWNHAS HQ

We will require a date, location, the Recorders’ name (and photo ideally) to create a species record please.

 

         

Common Toad by Mike Cotterill (top)  /   Common Frog (below)

Other ways to get involved with wildlife recording

If you enjoy using Social Media, then Facebook is a good place to start. There are a number of local general wildlife groups which are a fantastic resource for getting to know local species and what’s about when. They can help put you in touch with experts if you need help with identification (though pictures are essential).

Isle of Wight Nature
Isle of Wight Flora and Fauna
Island Insects
IOW Dragonflies and Damselflies
Isle of Wight Birding
Isle of Wight Butterflies and Moths
Isle of Wight Bat Group
Isle of Wight Fungi
Wight Swifts
Isle of Wight Marine Conservation Hub

Here are links to other local surveys that you may wish to get involved with:

Red Squirrel sightings (Wight Squirrels)

Bird Recording (British Trust for Ornithology) – there are many bird surveys including Wetland, Farmland and Garden birds run by the BTO that need your help. For further info, contact our BTO IW Representative Jim Baldwin on [email protected].

*Hants & IW Amphibian Survey – Hampshire Amphibian and Reptile Recording Network (HARRN) is producing a new atlas mapping out species across our two counties, and would really appreciate your records.

The Great Egg Case Hunt – You can become a citizen scientist by helping find and record shark eggcases.

Spot a Tiger – share your observations of Tiger Moths with us / [email protected]

Seagrass Spotter – a downloadable app where you can become a citizen scientist contributing to marine conservation with just a few taps of your phone.

* if submitting your observations to a regional or national survey, please make sure you also send your records to our local recorders to ensure your records are also captured locally in the Isle of Wight Species Database.