Bath City Farm has reached a special milestone after recording more than 1,000 species on its 37-acre site in Whiteway.
Photo © Bath City Farm
The news comes as the charity launches a new campaign to encourage visitors to reconnect with nature at the Farm and do their bit for the natural world at home.
Bath City Farm was recently featured in this year’s Springwatch programme on BBC2. Local artist Marian Hill and ecologist Mike Williams were filmed at the site talking about their collaboration on a spotters guide, part of a Buzz and Scuttle project to promote a connection with nature.
Farm Trustee and ecologist Mike Williams has spent the last seven years surveying the different species found across the Farm. A total of 1,094 species have now been recorded.
Highlights from the survey, which includes recording the different trees, birds and beetles, include:
- 55 species of birds including Red Kite and Firecrest;
- The ponds have Great Crested Newt, Palmate Newt and Common Frogs, and Slow Worms are abundant in the wider site;
- Nearly 250 species of plants and fungi growing wild on the farm. Highlights include Pyramidal Orchid, Ivy Broomrape and Veiled Oyster Mushroom;
- Almost 750 species of invertebrates, including 21 species of butterflies, 53 species of hoverflies and nearly 200 species of beetles.
Finds also include the rare and tiny Horseshoe Ladybird and a small rove beetle not seen in the area for over 100 years.
The Wasp Spider, which has only recently arrived in Bath, and the Scarce Chaser Dragonflies have also been recorded.
Mike Williams, said: “As far as I’m aware, no other site in the Bath area has had this many species recorded on it.”
“The Farm has a lovely mix of habitats, including woodland, meadows, ponds and hedgerows.
“It has been farmland since at least the Domesday Book in 1086, and probably before that; and many of the fields have retained their names of the last few hundred years, including Lower Lamb Sleight and Maiden Furlong.
“It’s nice to think that some of the wildlife we have here today descends directly from what was present back then, nearly a thousand years ago.
“All of the information from the survey will be used to inform the site management and future conservation measures. It also means that biodiversity hotspots and places where rare or protected species are present are safeguarded, now that we know that they are there.”
The Back to Nature campaign, which will run through the spring and summer months, aims to encourage visitors to explore the different habitats across the city farm.
It is also encouraging people to think about what action they can take at home to help provide homes for nature and to also connect with nature where they live.
Sarah Davies, Mental Health and Volunteer Lead, who has worked at the Farm for the last 6 months, said: “What I love about the farm is how it helps you to reconnect with nature – when you’re here it’s all around you, whether it’s the Blue Tits nesting on the main office building, the Orange Tip butterflies fluttering or just seeing the wildflowers in the Meadows.
“We even have a brilliant 1-mile nature trail that takes you into a beautiful green space right in the heart of the city.”
Visitors can follow the footpaths around the farm to get closer to nature. There is a trail map and nature finding guide for sale at the farm’s office for £1 per booklet.
