Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre

🍄 Celebrate UK Fungus Day this Saturday at Harcourt Arboretum!

Join the Fungus Survey of Oxfordshire to learn more about the rich diversity of fungi native to our countryside and gardens: www.obga.ox.ac.uk/ev...

#UKFungusDay #fungi #mushrooms

Butterfly Conservation's Butterflies and Moths to see in October: Speckled Wood, Brimstone moth, Comma, Frosted Orange, Peacock, Angle Shades, Red Admiral, Light Emerald, and Wall.

Hello October! Or should that be Moth-tober? 🎃🦋

With autumn well underway, keep an eye out for these butterflies and moths in your gardens and local green spaces.

🦇 What is a roost? Here are some bat roost facts:

🪹 Bats do not make nests, but choose various places throughout the year to shelter, live and sleep in.
🦇 Where bats choose to roost varies between species and the time of the year.
📍 They don't stay in the same roost the whole year.

Wildlife, maps, and meaningful chats — thanks for stopping by the TVERC stand at the Newbury Show! 🌿🦋

We had a fantastic weekend connecting with the community, sharing our passion for wildlife recording and showcasing the breadth of what TVERC offers.

#DataForNature

To finish up this year's Autumn Recorder's Conference, Robin Scagell from the UK Glow Worm Survey has given us the A to Z of glow worms and how their recording surveys work. A great chance to join a survey if you tend on the nocturnal side! #TVERCconf

Our second round of speed updates at the #TVERCconf has brought another great group of speakers together, covering current projects such as Mend the Gap and the Churches Nature Count Initiative. Thank you to everyone who stepped up with an update! 🍂

Those of us in Pangbourne today for the #TVERCconf were treated to 2 fantastic workshops from local experts - a crash course in mammal tracks and signs and an overview of a versatile & free mapping tool. Whether you work in the field or behind a desk, our conferences will have something for you!

We've had a great selection of speed updates in the first half of our conference, covering topics from Berkshire's geodiversity and free mapping software, to a report from #TVERC 's most recent student intern on deadwood invertebrates. A huge thank you to all our #TVERCConf speakers! 🍂

Number 1 way to get people's attention? Cute animal photos of course! Stuart Croft has joined the #TVERCconf to give a presentation on supporting barn owl populations in Wokingham 🦉 #birdlovers

Our Recorder's Conferences are great opportunities to network and meet fellow experts and enthusiasts! Keep an eye on our socials or sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about our Spring Conference. #TVERCconf

We're excited to welcome Catriona Bass to the Autumn #TVERCconf to speak about the Long Mead Wildlife Site and the power of community engagement to restore and protect nature. The first step is to get involved! #NatureLovers

View of a presenter speaking in front of a screen, seen from behind a seated crowd of conference-goers

Our next talk here at the #TVERCconf is from Ellen Lee, giving a major update on TVERC's species database. Even with more than 5 million species records, there can be gaps in the data. It's our job to identify and fill those gaps where possible. #LocalRecords #SpeciesData #TVERC

View from the back of a conference crowd, seated for a presentation on Local Wildlife Sites

Our first #TVERCconf talk of the day is courtesy of Rob Curtis with plenty of updates from TVERC's Local Wildlife Site surveys this field season. Did you know 8% of Berkshire's land has been designated as #LWS? #TVERC

A group of people at a conference registration desk

A group of people chatting on a village hall

Our Autumn Recorder's Conference in Pangbourne is about to kick off! We’ve got a variety of speakers lined up to share their experience and knowledge. We look forward to seeing you here! #TVERC #TVERCconf #AutumnConference #NatureLovers

Photo of a violet-coloured fungus (called the Amethyst Deceiver) with the text: "Find-a-Fungus. Find and photograph our favourite 20 fungi, upload to the UK Fungus Day Find a Fungus project on iNaturalist. Open 29th September to 10th October 2025." With the web address "ukfungusday.co.uk"

Find-a-Fungus - new citizen science initiative for #UKFungusDay. From 29 September to 10 October 2025, join others across the UK in spotting, photographing and recording fungi - helping build real scientific data & having fun outdoors! 👉How to join in: www.ukfungusday.co.uk/findafungus

In #Lyevalley #fen our insectivorous Butterworts, having feasted on midges & built up food reserves, are getting ready to go to sleep for the winter. Hard green little 'resting buds' like bulbs have formed & will persist under the peat whilst the visible leaves rot away @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC) Autumn Conference 2025 Join us at the TVERC Autumn Recorders Conference 2025 to learn, connect, and share about environmental records in Berkshire and Oxfordshire!

At our Autumn Recorders’ Conference, our biodiversity officer, Rob Curtis, will be telling us about this year's Local Wildlife Site survey season in #Berkshire.

Book your place: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thames-val...

#TVERCconf #LocalWildlifeSites #Biodiversity #WildlifeSurvey

Common Blue butterfly resting on heather against a dark pink background. Text overlay reads 'the results are in' with Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count logo. Photo credit Matt Berry

The #BigButterflyCount results are in and it's official...

2025 was an average year for butterflies.

See the full results and what can be done to help butterflies and moths 👇
https://butterfly-conservation.org/big-butterfly-count-results-2025

🌳Have you spotted any strange-looking bulbous blotches in oak trees recently? These are #leafgalls, a growth on a plant that is made of plant tissue but caused by (and controlled by!) another organism, such as insects.

🍂Now is the the perfect time to spot them like the Oak Spangle Gall! Seen any?

Sites in Berkshire & Oxfordshire are waiting for you! Learn more and get involved👇

Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC) Autumn Conference 2025 Join us at the TVERC Autumn Recorders Conference 2025 to learn, connect, and share about environmental records in Berkshire and Oxfordshire!

🦉 Talk: “Boosting Barn Owls in Wokingham Borough” with Stuart Croft and Finn Rothery

Catch their talk at the #TVERCconf this September. 🦉 Conservation in action you won’t want to miss: www.eventbrite.co.uk...

#BarnOwls #WildlifeRecording #BerkshireNature

Wild Angelica is a wetland plant that is brilliant for flies (and other insects..) late hoverflies love it. Mostly in #LyeValley it comes in white, but occasionally in attractive pinky-maroon versions. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social

Earlier this month, our team spotted Marsh Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustris) during a #LocalWildlifeSite survey near Crawley. While not particularly rare, this species can be tricky to identify until it flowers or fruits — making this a lovely find!

tverc.org/data-hub/l...

Sunset Survey - Getting started - Bat Conservation Trust Are you looking for something to do with your friends and family in your local area this spring/summer/autumn? The Sunset Survey (April - October) brin...

🦇This weekend is #InternationalBatNight 🌙

Here in the UK, we’re lucky to have 18 species of bat, and the TVERC database holds over 65,000 records of these fascinating mammals.

🌇 New to bat surveying? Join the Sunset Survey by @BatConservation:

⏳ Just 1 month to go!

🌟 Join us for a day of inspiration, learning, and community at #TVERCconf! 🌿

Get inspired by local experts and their incredible fieldwork!

🎟️ Full programme & tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk...

The NBMP Waterway Survey may not lead to great social media content, but we did see quite a few Daubenton’s!

🎤“A Connected Community Approach to Protecting and Restoring Local Landscapes”

Discover how community-led conservation is transforming local landscapes!
Join Catriona Bass at #TVERCconf as she shares insights from Long Mead #LocalWildlifeSite

🎟️Book now www.eventbrite.co.uk...

😍

This striking black beetle with orange wing patches was found living in a wall, fitting its Latin name. It’s a parasite of the Hairy-footed Flower-bee, which nests in old walls.

⚠️ Don’t touch—its defensive chemical can cause skin blisters. 📸 Seen one? shorturl.at/hWbGW

Rare Beetle Spotted in Oxfordshire!
We’ve recorded a flame-shouldered blister beetle (Sitaris muralis)—only the third ever in the county!

📷 Bridget Henderson

#WildlifeSpotting #OxfordshireNature #BlisterBeetle #SitarisMuralis