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Step out from your front door and count creatures great and small!

Mother and daughter walking through park, UK - Ben Hall/2020VISION

Our Great Yorkshire Creature Count challenges folk in every corner of Yorkshire to record as how many different wildlife species as they can from their own doorsteps in 24 hours. This mission for all the family can also be completed on a local walk. As you pop to the shop, stretch your legs around the block or take your four-legged friend for a walk, we’re sharing our top tips on how and where to spot as much wildlife as your can from your front door.

As you head outside and count your daily steps, you can count wildlife too! Simply making a note of the creepy crawlies, birds and wildflowers that you spot on a local stroll can help to create a picture of Yorkshire’s incredible and diverse wildlife. Did you know that our collective outdoor spaces cover a bigger area than all the nature reserves combined?!

Our yards, gardens and local green patches are important lifelines for wildlife, from tiny bugs to snuffling hedgehogs.  Taking part in Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Great Yorkshire Creature Count records this vital information, providing a detailed picture of not only the certain types of creatures that call our homes ‘home’ but how common they are too.

Our wildlife counting challenge is back from midday on Saturday 19th June to midday on Sunday 20th June 2021! You have 24 hours in search of the wildlife on your doorstep… Collectively, how many different wildlife species can we record? 

It doesn’t matter whether you live in a flat, a back-to-back, or a house with a garden, you can count wildlife from wherever you are. You can even combine the challenge with a walk, counting steps on your hike or amble on your day out, taking note of what buzzes, flies or hops past you!

As you step out from your doorstep, here are some top wildlife watching tips:

  • Poke your nose around in long grass – who’s crawling around?!
  • Examine walls, roofs and paving – you never know who might be lurking between the cracks!
  • Take a peek under large stones or rocks! (But don’t forget to put them back!)

Hood or brolly up! Get creature spotting come rain or shine…

  • Look into the skies for birds of all shapes and sizes 
  • Keep an eye out for butterflies in the sunshine 
  • If it's raining, spot snails, slugs and worms

Why not go for a midnight stroll or garden look about:

  • Turn your lights off and listen out for bats!
  •  Look out for hedgehogs crawling out from dark corners at dusk
  • Shine your torch on flowers to look for moths!

How to join in our 'wild Yorkshire census' now and get counting!

Sign up on our website today.  There are two ways you can take part: either use our handy downloadable checklist of 20 species or delve into wildlife recording app iNaturalist. Information and instructions will be provided once you join in the challenge!
 

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