Village Wildlife
Since 1996, various plants and creatures have been recorded on a private 2-acre garden and meadow. The recordings gradually expanded to include Footpath 74, Back Lane, the Pond and over the years the number of areas surveyed for their wildlife has steadily increased to currently 16 sites -see Wildlife Habitat sites Map further down the page.
From 2008, four village volunteers have identified and recorded the wildlife assisted by a number of Surrey botanists (including wildflower, grass and fungi experts), ecologists and lepidopterists . In summary, the 507 species identified to date (Spring 2010) are:38 Trees and Shrubs ..and we know there are plenty more not yet identified. Further surveys of the clay of The Common and the chalklands of High Clandon are planned next. Annual Sightings ReportsThe sightings have been recorded by year and by village 'habitat' site on a database: Wildlife Habitats in the VillageSeveral public areas of the village were surveyed (a) to identify the wildlife their support - see the results above and (b) to identify the type of habitat they offer.
With help from Surrey Wildlife Trust's Sue Webber and Dave Williams, most of these public areas have been surveyed and one-page summaries describe their features, current management and suggestions for practices (as at Spring 2008) to potentially enhance the habitat for the benefit of wildlife: Site 1 - The Common Site 2 - Ripley Road verges Site 3 - Sawpit Lane - North Site 4 - Sawpit Lane - South Site 5 - Tunmore Fields Site 6 - Tunmore Triangle Site 7 - The Street/Hatchlands back access road Site 8 - New Road verge Site 9 - The Recreation Ground Site 10 - The Bund - on Old Epsom Road Site 11 - Old Epsom Road - Southern verges Site 12 - Old Epsom Road - Northern verges Site 13 - Footpath 85 from Snelgate Cottages to Back Lane Site 14 - Footpath 74 towards West Clandon Site 15 - The Village Pond Site 16 - Back Lane Soil TypesWith the village encompassing three soil types, the diversity of our wildlife should be quite wide within its relatively small geographical area.
This project is taking a breather in 2010 after a busy 3 years, but we are always most interested to hear of any indigenous species found in the village which have not yet been included in the Village Wildlife Species List. |
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This page is about the 507 species of indigenous wildlife that have so far been identified as living with us here in the village and the habitats in which they have been found.
View the Village Wildlife Species List
