Beetle Field Recorder Day

Beetles are vitally important insects that contribute significantly to biodiversity and ecosystem health. Many species help recycle nutrients by breaking down leaf litter and deadwood, while others control pests in gardens and parks, and others are pollinators. London’s brownfield sites, green spaces, and waterways provide refuges for specialist and rare beetles that are declining elsewhere, and the city is also often an entry point for species new to Britain. Recording beetle species enables site managers to identify and protect important habitats and maintain the ecological balance of our green spaces.

On this Field Recorder Day, we invite you to join fellow nature enthusiasts for a day dedicated to finding, identifying, and recording beetles in a relaxed and supportive setting. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced naturalist, this event offers a great opportunity to share knowledge, build confidence in biological recording, and refine your identification skills – all with guidance from beetle specialist Connor Butler.

• Hands-on experience using different methods to collect and record a variety of beetle families.
• Practical training in specimen collection and preservation.
• Guidance on identifying beetles in the field and understanding which specimens require further examination under a microscope.
• A chance to connect with like-minded individuals who share an interest in entomology and wildlife recording.

• This event is aimed at adults only.
• Attendance is free but booking is essential.
• Invertebrate recorders of all abilities are welcome.
• Identification will take place in the field whenever possible, but some invertebrate specimens may need to be collected and preserved for accurate identification with a microscope.
• We'll be outside for the whole day so please bring suitable clothing for the weather.
• Please bring food for the day with you (i.e. a packed lunch).
• All records generated will be added to iRecord in order to share our findings with the site managers, Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL), London Natural History Society (LNHS) and relevant national recording schemes and societies.
• Check out our ‘Info for Field Recorder Day Attendees’ website page for more info (including instructions for setting up on iRecord): https://biologicalrecording.co.uk/info-for-field-recorder-day-attendees/

Connor Butler is an entomologist specialising in beetles and deadwood invertebrates. He is the former Head of Learning at Chelsea Physic Garden – London’s oldest botanic garden – and has also studied dung beetles across London’s parks. He, and has encouraged over 10,000 people to take time to appreciate the smallest details in nature and to love the often unloved species of our planet. His recent work focuses on “Queer Ecology“, challenging perceptions of what is considered natural or unnatural and aiming to break down the barriers that minority groups face when accessing nature. You can learn about Connor's work through his Instagram: .

Stave Hill Ecological Park is an urban green space in Southwark managed by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) as a nature reserve, educational facility, research area and place of recreation. The Park has been designed and managed to form a mosaic of grassland, woodland, scrub and wetland habitats which support a wide variety of wildlife. This mosaic of habitats has been created from scratch by sowing and planting the poor soil. In some places it has been improved or altered by the addition of sand, spent mushroom compost and a variety of mulches. The Park is intensively managed to conserve the wide variety of wildlife that colonised the area during the years the docks lay derelict and provide a haven for some of the species that lived here before humans so changed the land. More information about the site can be found on the website here.

This event is being delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with Southwark Council and the London Natural History Society (LNHS).

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