Seeing Small: Bugs, Data, and Making It All Make Sense

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Recording & Photography

I spend time in the field identifying species, tracking what’s present, what’s changing, and what most people walk straight past. It’s slow, detailed work, but over time it starts to reveal patterns, what thrives where, what appears seasonally, and what might be quietly disappearing. And you get to learn the behaviour and personalities of each insect. All this feeds into a story.

I photograph everything I find. Not just because insects are very photogenic, but because good images make records far more useful, and sometimes the common species are overlooked. A clear photo can turn “some tiny brown thing” into something recognisable, and gives it a name which matters when sharing information with others, whether that’s specialists or complete beginners.

This same idea led me to create an image-led book about my local park (insectinside: life in the bushes of a small Peckham park (2017)), designed to help people identify the insects they’re likely to find there. It’s practical, visual, and something you can flick through and actually match to what’s in front of you, rather than guess from a dense text description. Accompanied with text that is easy to understand makes it an approachable entry-level introduction to invertebrates.

I turn surveys into clean, easy-to-read PDF guides – no clutter and strong images, creates a clear story of what’s been found. Good design makes a difference here; it helps people navigate information quickly and understand it without effort. The aim is simple: make the data accessible, not just to specialists, but to anyone curious about the natural world.

This worked well when I held mini bioblitzes for the Wild Cookham, and Wild Wootton Courtenay Weekend. Being able to have good photographs of the insects found leaves a lasting impression and inspires people to keep looking in the bushes. Guiding them to useful resources for identification also adds to the ‘ownership’ of their knowledge. At the same time people are more able to understand the importance of biological recording and to keep adding to the count.

Biological recording is essential for understanding and protecting wildlife. Without consistent, detailed records, it’s difficult to know what’s changing or where to focus conservation efforts. My role is to support that process, not just by collecting data, but by presenting it in a way that people can actually engage with and use.

In the end, I’m not just recording insects, I’m making them harder to ignore.

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Working with James Allen’s Girls’ School

I have recently been asked to survey invertebrates at James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) in London, where Dr Lilian Clarke (1866 – 1934), a trailblazing botanist and educator, created one of the first botanical gardens at a school, giving students the chance to actually get their hands in the soil and learn by doing. Her passion was contagious, and her work inspired generations of young women to take science seriously and explore it on their own terms, something that wasn’t always encouraged back then.

In 2022, JAGS breathed new life into the Botany Garden. Under the guidance and dedication of Botany Garden Manager Sally Rendel, the garden is being thoughtfully redeveloped in line with Dr Clarke’s original vision. It incorporates a range of features designed to reflect natural habitats, including a pond, dry stone wall, microhabitats, and beds planted with vegetables and medicinal species, alongside a dedicated composting area, with clear signage throughout to help students understand the purpose and ecology of each space. The original trees planted by Dr Clarke all those years ago form a small woodland. It provides students with valuable opportunities to explore biodiversity and gain a deeper understanding of plant life cycles through direct, hands-on experience.

The school has adopted a clear “who, what, where, when” approach to recording wildlife. I’ve been brought in as an entomologist to survey the insect life in the garden, while students carry out regular bird surveys, helping to build a clearer picture of the biodiversity the site supports.

I carry out surveys up to three times a year, enabling seasonal changes to be tracked and patterns in species present to be observed over time. The surveys cover the entire school site, including formal planting areas, perimeter boundaries such as hedgerows and trees, playing fields and car parks. The data gathered is used to inform planting decisions, for instance introducing food plants for butterflies, helping ensure the landscape better supports the wildlife already present.

Currently, much of the wider school grounds provides limited diverse habitat for insects, with only the Botany Garden showing that this is the place they like to hang out. As with any managed environment, a balance must be maintained between aesthetic priorities, budget considerations, and the ecological needs of the site. Continued surveying will help identify further opportunities for targeted planting that enhances biodiversity while working within these constraints.