Shropshire springtail 'square bashing' weekend

Come and help 'turn Shropshire pink'! Our Springtail Atlas project has been running for nearly two years and has been hugely successful - and nationally unique. However, we would love to have springtail records from every quadrant (5km square) in Shropshire before Ento Day on 10th December.

Both Saturday and Sunday will follow the same format - we will meet at 9.30am at FSC Preston Montford, then travel in the minibus to various unrecorded 5km squares which we will sample for springtails. We will return to the field centre for lunch (a simple sandwich lunch will be provided) and then spend the afternoon sorting the samples and identifying the springtails. The lab work will cater for all abilities - choose whetehr to help sort the sprigntails from the non-springtails, identify the springtails to family level using a low power microscope, or have a go at species level identification using a high powered microscope. No formal ID training will be given but microscopes, keys and support will be on hand to help you out! The day will end at 4pm.

You are welcome to attend one or both days. There is no charge but booking is essential as we need to know numbers for lunch.  Please email Charlie Bell  if you'd like to come along.