Wild flower walk and survey

Ever wondered how our wild flowers are faring across the countryside?

Every year Plantlife relies on a team of volunteers to tell us just that. Our Common Plants Survey is the only one of its kind in the UK and provides an invaluable insight into the state of our floral friends.

This year we are trialling a new way of recording plants - which is where you can help!

By printing out our simple survey sheet and taking it on a walk, you can help us create a better survey - one that is rewarding for you as well as the plants!

What do I do ?

All we ask is that you take a 1km walk, wherever you like, and record the flowers that you see using our special recording sheet (downloadable to print here).

You could walk along a river, through a wood, over the fields or even record what you see on your way to work or school. We need to know where you walked so please draw a simple map for us in the space provided on the sheet.

Please post it back to:

Plantlife
14 Rollestone Street
Salisbury
Wilts
SP1 1DX

The survey finishes in October so please make sure yours is returned by end of September at the latest.

How do I know which flowers are which?

Just download our easy-to-use Wild plant identification guide (click here). This has 65 common plants found in a variety of habitats across the UK - from woodlands to bogs and the coast (so don't worry if you don't see all of them!)

What if I see a plant that's not listed?

If you want to record plants that you see that are not in the list, please add them in the blank boxes at the end of the sheet. Don't worry if you don't know their Latin names - a common name is fine or even a brief description.

Please take the time to download and read the Health and Safety guidelines here.

COMING IN 2010!

We will be launching a number of fun activities next year that won’t require any prior botanical knowledge. So even if you find this survey is not for you, do keep an eye out for news of our new activities. If you would like to get involved in any other of our surveys, check out what else is running here.

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