EXMOOR National Park Authority is calling on people to help rescue conservation projects that have been hit by the coronavirus lockdown, by reporting sightings of important plants and wildlife spotted in their garden or while out walking.

The authority relies on records submitted by volunteers and the general public to help monitor the condition of habitats on Exmoor through its WildWatch scheme. This helps paint a picture of overall ecological health to help target conservation efforts and tackle problem invasive species.

The lockdown has meant many volunteer teams being stood down and far fewer records being submitted – a particular problem for projects with short term funding.

Among those hit was the Exmoor Non-Native Invasive Species (ENNIS) project - a two-year collaboration between Exmoor National Park Authority, the Environment Agency, the National Trust and Natural England that was set to scale up work to control invasive species in the national park.

Ali Hawkins, Exmoor conservation officer, said: “Prior to the lockdown we had a dedicated team of trained volunteers ready to start surveying for invasive species.

“But even with some volunteers now returning to surveying, we have nothing like the numbers needed to for large-scale monitoring.

“Meanwhile the clock is ticking down on our two years of funding and if we don’t find a way to get some records in, it could have a serious impact on the whole project.

“Many of the invasive species that threaten our precious habitats started life as garden plants and it’s surprising how many private gardens still harbour them. Equally we would absolutely love to hear about all the bees, butterflies, songbirds, bats, owls, fungi and wildflowers that signal nature is thriving.

“Now is a good time to look out for the invasive species ‘American skunk cabbage’ (pictured), with its large green fleshy leaves and distinctive yellow flower spikes.

“Sightings of this plant will help us tackle it as part of our ENNIS Project, which is funded by Defra and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. We’d like to hear about Japanese and Himalayan knotweed, Himalayan balsam and montbretia.”

Submitting a record can be done on a mobile phone via the iNaturalist App or at www.inaturalist.org. There is a category for unidentified species, so you people do not need to know the name. Alternatively, submit an online record at www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/wild-watch where a spotter guide can be downloaded.