Holyrood wildlife to be 'blitzed'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8202180.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Experts and volunteers are to survey as much of an Edinburgh park's wildlife as they can in 24 hours.

Dubbed a BioBlitz, the event will be led by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers Scotland and Historic Scotland.

The effort will start from 1500 BST on Saturday. It will be open to the public on Sunday from 1100-1600 BST.

Scotland's only previous BioBlitz recorded 478 species on the Dalzell Estate, Lanarkshire, in 2007.

Expert wildlife recorders will be carrying out scientific studies over the 24 hours.

John McFarlane, BTCV Scotland's environment development officer, said: "By wildlife we mean the full monty - birds, mammals, plants, invertebrates, amphibians and lichens; if it grows, flowers, flies, flutters, crawls, swims, runs or blinks then we want to record it."

Stuart Rivers, of the Holyrood Park Ranger Service, said the park was home to bats, birds, bumblebees and a range of plant life.

Members of BTCV Natural Talent Apprentices - a scheme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund - will also be involved.