Volunteer Day: Beetle Monitoring at Shiel Farm with the East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative
Shiel Farm
Join the East Ayrshire Coalfield Environment Initiative for some peat bog monitoring work at Shiel Farm.
As part of our peat bog monitoring work CEI have been surveying plants and animals that are ‘indicators’ of bog habitat. These are species that like to grow or live in bog habitat and few if any other places; their presence indicates the quality of the habitat.
This summer CEI are surveying beetles (and spiders and other beasties) using a sampling method called ‘pitfall trapping’. This involves placing a plastic container within the ground to allow invertebrates to fall in and later be collected for identification. With the help of beetle specialist, Bruce Philp, CEI have installed a number of pitfall traps at Shiel Farm and nearby sites that will be emptied once a month over the summer.
On Monday 19th June CEI volunteers will revisit these traps to empty their contents and replace them for a further month. If you would like to volunteer with the CEI to help, it will be an enjoyable day out in peatland habitat where you may see some interesting wildlife and maybe even a shiny yellow thing in the sky! Here’s hoping.
The event will start at 10:00 and should be finished by mid afternoon. Lifts from Kilmarnock or Cumnock Bus Station can be provided – please let CEI know if you plan to attend the event. Wellies and waterproofs are absolutely essential as this site is very wet! Please bring your own packed lunch and tea/coffee and biscuits will be provided.
To register to attend or for more information please get in touch with Daisy Whytock, CEI Project Manager, at daisy.whytock@ea-cei.org.uk or call 01563 553513.