Joanne Gilbert is founder and chair of WildChiswick. The not-for-profit community group was established in 2021 with the aims of making residents aware of the wildlife around them and why other species are important for biodiversity. They encourage people to protect green spaces, maintain wildlife habitats and help to create new ones. They work with local schools to enable children to learn more about nature, develop and maintain a wildlife allotment, host specialist nature talks, bat walks and run a hedgehog highway campaign. The group work with other organisations such as Zoological Society of London, The Mammal Society and GiGL to develop and promote ways to encourage people to record species. Joanne was recently awarded the ZSL Stamford Raffles Medal for her volunteer work as an amateur conservationist.
One of WildChiswick’s first projects was the recording of hedgehogs across Chiswick. This work was done with London Hogwatch and has been ongoing for the past 5 years. We knew this work was vital to our gaining knowledge of where this endangered mammal could be found and provided focussed areas for our hedgehog highway campaign and drilling.
It was only two years ago, when I met someone from GiGL at a meeting, that we realised the importance of sharing WildChiswick’s records with GiGL. Prior to this, we were unaware that GiGL created and managed the database used by local councils, planners and ecologists to make environmental and planning decisions. We immediately acted, and have been happily working with Victoria, GiGL’s Senior Community Officer, ever since.
One of the key initiatives we undertook was collaborating to develop a species recording form, which we embedded on our website. The simple webform allows residents to easily log sightings of local fauna, from birds and butterflies to mammals and insects and so that the data can flow periodically to GiGL, complete with all necessary information for a valid species record. Recorders upload a photograph of their observation and then fill out the details of where the species was seen, with many local green space reference points already installed as a drop-down menu. Recorders can enter a species ID themselves or leave the identifying to WildChiswick members or GiGL and their verifiers.
We worked with GiGL to remove barriers to newcomers to wildlife recording by removing the requirement to download an app like iNaturalist and using pre-programmed grid references and site names. Without the help from GiGL we would not have been able to open this new avenue for species recording because none of our volunteers had the required expertise. After working through different iterations of the form with GiGL we reached one that is easy to find by being embedded in the WildChiswick website, straightforward for recorders to complete and simple for GiGL to extract all the data they need. WildChiswick volunteers have even been able to add in extra functionality so that species lists for each site are visible to users of the form, spurring them on to explore more.
Last year, we ran a species recording survey competition, which proved popular, and the webform came into its own. The competition was mainly aimed at allotment holders, yet with a bit of encouragement, other residents joined in. Participants were encouraged to submit as many species records as possible within a set period, fostering both a sense of community and friendly competition. Many residents discovered that their local parks, gardens, and street verges were home to a surprising variety of wildlife. Some reported species they had never noticed before whilst others took it upon themselves to ID species and became quite involved!
It is now up to WildChiswick to continue encouraging residents to record species. During events and via social media we explain how biodiversity plays a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, even in areas dominated by human activity. How trees, hedges, ponds, and green spaces provide essential habitats, while insects, birds, and mammals contribute to pollination, seed dispersal, and natural pest control. Tracking these species helps us understand how they are faring in urban environments, where challenges such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change can have significant impacts.
We explain how Citizen science initiatives such as our collaboration with GiGL provide invaluable data for conservationists and local authorities; when residents record their observations, they contribute to a growing database that informs decisions about urban planning, green space management, and biodiversity conservation. Every record submitted by a local resident adds a piece to the puzzle of understanding and protecting urban wildlife. Their input has real value.
As a community group we are also keen to encourage community engagement and connection in an increasingly busy world. Recording species is an activity that enables people to slow down and observe their surroundings and discover amazing creatures they never knew shared the same urban space. For children and families, it can be an engaging way to learn about ecology, biology, and environmental stewardship.
Looking ahead, we are excited to continue this work with GiGL. Over the coming year, we will be encouraging species recording once again, with another survey competition with a broader community reach. By encouraging more people to participate, we hope to grow local understanding of urban biodiversity, uncover new species sightings, encourage the protection of green spaces no matter how small, and foster a stronger connection between the community and the natural world that surrounds us.
