Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is calling on residents to take part in a 'BioBlitz' community event to help build ecological data to support conservation in the county and beyond.

The world's largest BioBlitz - a community science event where people work together to identify species of plants, animals, and fungiis - called the 'City Nature Challenge' will take place from Friday 24 to Monday 27 April.

The trust is encouraging people across Staffordshire to take part by taking photographs on their phone.

Staffordshire Ecological Records, who are hosting the event locally, will use then use the information to track wildlife in Staffordshire.  

Ecological Data Officer, Fern Brown says "By putting on your scientist hat once a year, you can help get a lot of nature information fast, and make a big difference. Last year Staffordshire made more than 12,000 records in four days.

"These records help us learn a lot about how wildlife is doing. It lets us track where species are thriving, or where some wildlife may need help. It can give us clues about seasonal weather patterns in relation to plants. And sometimes we even discover rare bugs that we haven't seen in the county before." 

Participants can take part for free by taking photographs on their phone using a free app called iNaturalist, or they can take photos on a camera and submit their sightings through the iNaturalist website. 

Anyone can join in the event and become a community scientist. There is no expert knowledge or specialist equipment required.

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Fern Brown added: "It's also a lot of fun. You don't need a lot of time, just a casual photo on your daily dog walk helps a lot. Or, if you're looking for an excuse to get outside and explore, you can rise to the challenge and take part each day during the event.

"There are lots of beautiful places in the county to discover. We hope you'll join us in this fun, but necessary, research for wildlife." 

To sign up - and get advice on how to download the app, free ID sheets and a digital bee poster - visit the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust website here.