Waterway wildlife needs you

This is the fifth year that British Waterways has conducted its annual survey and last year, despite the wet weather, there were almost 4000 sightings of over 60 different species.

The information gathered in the survey will be added to British Waterways' species database that records biodiversity on the inland waterways and is used to help plan the management of the canals and rivers and the protection of their rich array of wildlife.

Why not download a wildlife survey form and go for a walk along your nearest waterway at lunchtime, after work or at the weekend?

National ecology manager Mark Robinson says: "We want as many people as possible to tell us about the wildlife they see on our waterways so that we can protect it. In particular watch out for dragonflies on sunny days, basking on light coloured surfaces, for example fences and footpaths. As well as herons, kingfishers, swans, coots, moorhens, mallards, bats, foxes, frogs, toads and newts, you may also be lucky enough to see some of the rarer and shier species, including otters, water voles, badgers and grass snakes."

Everyone who fills in a survey form will be entered into a prize draw to win a waterscape.com goody bag.

Fill in British Waterways' 2008 National Wildlife Survey. Alternatively, take part by filling in a freepost reply form, part of a special wildlife guide for families visiting the waterways, downloadable from www.waterscape.com/wildlife or available by calling British Waterways Customer Service Centre on 01923 201120.

Read the 2007 wildlife survey results

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