This project will produce a step change in volunteering opportunities, both in the field and office based, monitoring Quantock heritage. Covering survey and recording of both natural and historic heritage, the added capacity will assist the National Landscape to conserve the area long after the LPS has finished.

This project builds on the existing volunteer monitoring programmes at the Quantock Hills National Landscape. It will include;

• Farmstead and historic buildings recording.
• LiDAR interpretation, using the LiDAR data set from 3.5 Understanding the Landscape.
• Assisting with archaeological fieldwork such as fieldwalking, test pitting and excavation.
• Survey and recording of parkland and hedgerow trees. This fieldwork will target effort on estate landscapes and areas jointly identified with project 3.1 Trees in the Landscape, which will be researching historical tree records.
• As part of the hedgerow and parkland tree work, there will also be capacity for providing specialist ecological and arboricultural advice where required.
• Butterfly monitoring; 2 new transects at promising sites in the fringing areas outside the National Landscape.
• More reptile and amphibian monitoring; data is lacking from “non typical” sites within the National Landscape as well as the surrounding farmland fringe.
• Bird monitoring; better and more systematic monitoring of owls, nightjars, wood warblers, pied flycatchers, and other important species in the woodlands surrounding the (relatively well monitored) heathland areas will assist in management planning for the future.
• The project includes a significant volunteer training budget.

Wildlife Monitoring

Over spring and summer 2022 a broad range of wildlife monitoring took place.
During March – May, several teams of surveyors were out searching for adders. Not a lot is known about the adder populations on the Quantock Hills, they are very well camouflaged and hide easily amongst the brass and bracken on the heath. Nevertheless, our fastidious surveyors were able to record several adder sightings across the hills as well as many sightings of lizards and slow worms! The 2022 survey results are now available. QLPS will continue to run the annual Quantock Adder Survey in 2023 & 24.

At Alfoxton Park in Holford we have been monitoring beetles, moths and other invertebrates associated with very old trees. Incredibly we have had several new species recorded for the Quantocks and the county of Somerset. The report is available here.

In 2023, the wildlife survey team will be continuing to survey for an interesting range of wildlife. We started 2023 by contributing to the national Harvest Mouse survey. Our volunteers braved the cold January mornings in search of nests hiding amongst the brash. We have many exciting opportunities coming this year, you can find all our volunteering roles here.

In partnership with Friends of the Quantocks, Quantocks Wildlife Watch is the biggest Quantocks wildlife survey ever undertaken.  We are asking everyone to get involved in this long term citizen science project. We held an introduction to iNaturalist in Nether Stowey, with ID walks led by local nature enthusiasts.

We have also support Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Shoresearch surveys on the Quantock Coast.

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