BioBlitz Event Celebrates Minehead’s Wildlife and Coast - Minehead and Coast Development Trust

Saturday 25th March saw the very first Minehead BioBlitz, a wildlife mapping event that celebrated Minehead’s natural environment and coastline. Having secured funding from Wessex Water, we partnered with Somerset Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park, and the National Trust to deliver a huge range of free activities for all ages on Minehead’s seafront.

A group of people gather around listening to a man in a high viz vest sitting on a rock on Minehead beach. The sky is blue and its a sunny day, however the people are dressed for the cold weather in coats and woolly hats.

We hoped the event would inspire the local community to connect with our beautiful natural environment here in Minehead and encourage people to engage with nature and protect it.

The Somerset Wildlife Trust ran three wildlife surveys along Minehead’s coastline and beach throughout the day, which saw members of the local community involved in citizen science activities using the free iNaturalist app to identify and record all wildlife spotted. Over 25 different species were documented on the day, with data being submitted to the Somerset Environmental Records Centre to help inform local decision-making and conservation efforts.

two people, a man and a woman search a rockpool in a stony part of Minehead Beach. A group of other people can be seen in the background, also looking for something in the rocks.

In addition to the wildlife surveys, a variety of free nature-based activities were held
throughout the day, including seashore safaris run by Rangers from Exmoor National Park, arts and craft activities, and beach sketching workshops delivered by local artists, as well as a guided bird watching walk and a virtual reality tour of the beaver enclosure on the Holnicote Estate.

A child of around 6 years old hands something she has found to a man dressed in outdoor gear. They are on Minehead Beach where the sun is shining and people in the background search rockpools.

A young boy of around ten years old is wearing a VR headset while a man in a branded 360 fleece leans over instructing the boy on how to use the headset.

A woman in a white fleece and woolly headband, sits on the beach writing observations on a clipboard.

A forest school practitioner supports a child of around 5 to chop wood with an axe, while the child's mother watches on. They are on Minehead beach, the town can be seen in the background.

A young woman in a bright orange jumper and woolly hat helps two children paint onto a colorful piece of artwork. they are on the beach and the sea is far out in the background.

four people look out to sea from the flood defence wall on Minehead esplanade. One of the four, a middle aged woman holds a pair of binoculars.

As part of the event, Plastic Free Minehead and Exmoor ran a full-day litter pick, collecting six sacks of rubbish from around the town, and a photography exhibition was held in the Beach Hotel, showcasing nature-based artwork and photography from students at West Somerset College.

Picture of a man in a woolly hat, fleece jumper and hi vis vest holds out a shell.

Our Project Coordinator, Zara Aitken, said, “We were delighted to see people of all ages getting involved in the various activities and feeling excited about wildlife in Minehead, with one family even travelling from Bristol for the event. Now more than ever, it is vital that we protect and celebrate our beautiful natural environment, conserving it for future generations and ensuring nature prospers in West Somerset. We are planning two more BioBlitz events this year, centred around seasonal themes. A summer BioBlitz will be held on 17th June, focusing on plants and insects, while an autumn event, being held on 28th October, will focus on fungi and lichens, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.”

For more information on upcoming events and how you can get involved, follow us on Facebook or Instagram.