BSBI New Year Plant Hunt, 2024/5
29 December to 1 January
From light-hearted challenge to citizen science project.
Every year the BSBI sets a challenge to record wild plants in open flower during a 3-hour walk, a challenge we have supported from the beginning.
Individual hunts were undertaken by Lesley at Hornsea with 27 records, including a surprisingly late Bush Vetch, Yannah and Andy (who supplied the longest Hull list with 31 records and an unusual find of Japanese Quince) and myself at Sculcoates with 28 records, Jersey Cudweed being the only notable find.
This year only one HNHS group hunt was scheduled for 29 December - a repeat of last year's unforgettable Hullnats in Hessle quest, minus the downpour! Given the recent very cold weather, including frost, the five members taking part were not expecting a large haul but we managed to clock up 58 records from the Sainsbury's area and foreshore, much the same as last year. Notable plants from around Sainsbury's were Bastard Cabbage and White Ramping-fumitory again. To the previous year's highlights at the foreshore of Musk Stork's-bill, naturalised Stinking Hellebore and Spurge-laurel (still there if you look in the right place!) was added Butcher's-broom, which had seeded itself, inaccessibly, inside a thick hedge.
When I came to download the Recording App to my computer, I noticed a shift in emphasis on the website away from light-hearted challenge to serious phenological study. All the photos, fizz and beginners' tips were confined to social media. Rules have been tightened, as one walk to one site only, previous records integrated into the project and a new recording app developed. This app can be used by those registered to send in flower records with photos direct at any time of the year, with provision for recording the stage of development of each plant. It is a massive undertaking.
Gabrielle Jarvis, 7 January 2024
The first Wood Anemone of the year makes its appearance in Burton Bushes.
