B10 EVENT Woolacombe BioBlitz. Entertainment, education and activities for all.

North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve has joined forces with Coastwise North Devon and a group of dedicated partners to make Woolacombe BioBlitz the flagship event of the B10 programme, celebrating ten years of North Devon’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.Thanks to The Big Lottery Fund, Coastwise North Devon has put together this wonderful BioBlitz event in Woolacombe on Saturday 7 September 2013. Working with a group of dedicated partners including the National Trust, the Marine Biological Association and the Devon Wildlife Trust BioBlitz organisers, volunteers and visitors will spend the day surveying the natural world of Woolacombe. BioBlitz will be fun, factual and produce valuable research into the natural environment in this one small area of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.Bioblitz Project Manager, Coastwise North Devon’s Jim Monroe says: “Planning the Bioblitz is proving to be an amazing collaboration between naturalist groups and individuals from across Devon. Working together we want to provide a fun day out for the public whilst collating important scientific data for future reference. This will be North Devon’s first BioBlitz and we hope that it will engage everyone interested in this beautiful area.” BioBlitz Base Camp will be on the Greensward in Woolacombe, above the beach, and will house the Biosphere inflatable dome classroom alongside informative displays and activities provided by the contributing partners.A full programme of public events will run throughout the day (see list below) to identify and record the plants and animals discovered. The resulting data will be submitted to national databases and form part of the pack of learning material which will be developed from the event. As a flagship event for the B10 programme BioBlitz concludes a summer of diverse entertainment, education and activities with an accessible day of fun science for all.

Woolacombe BioBlitz Saturday 7 September 2013 
Guided Activities throughout the BioBlitz - Start Times and Activity Leaders as follows

• 10.00 Sea Mammal Watch Morte Point Dave Jenkins & John Broomhead
• 10.30 Seine Netting from the beach Doug Herdson
• 10.30 Birds and their Habitats Rob Jutsum
• 11.00 Strandline Hunt Baz Payne
• 11.30 Seeking Butterflies in the Dunes Jenny Evans & Matthew Oates
• 12.00 Seashore Safari at Woolacombe Jack Sewell
• 12.30 Seashore Safari at Barricane Trudy Russell
• 12.30 Dune Plants, Lichens and Fungi Janet Lister, Bob Hodgson & Patrick Watt-Mabbot
• 13.00 Seaweed Search Esther Hughes & Sarah Hotchkiss
• 13.00 Seal Survey from Morte Point Dave Jenkins
• 13.30 Seine Netting from the Beach Doug Herdson
• 13.30 Insect Hunt Tony Barber & Richard Comont
• 14.30 Coombesgate’s Rocks &Lichens Maxine Putnam, Paul Madgett & Tony Holwill
• 15.00 Sea Mammal Watch Morte Point Dave Jenkins
• 15.00 Stream Life Pete Jolands & John Hickson
• 16.30 Sand Dunes for Beginners Pete Jollands & John Hickson