Monitoring
We are running a number of monitoring surveys on the Meadow to learn more about the state of its environment and how it is changing. We would like everyone to get involved!
| Some surveys are developed by the Natural History Museum for the the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network. Look for their magnifying glass logo. Results of these surveys are submitted into the National data base. |
 OPAL |
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| Some surveys are developed by the Woodland Trust. Look for the oak tree leaves logo. Results of these surveys are submitted into the Woodland Trust data base which goes back to 1753. |
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| Some surveys are unique for the Meadow and developed by our volunteers. Look for our fish logo. Results of these surveys are kept on the Meadow web site. We are just starting our monitoring activities, please help us to create unique Meadow data base! |
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| Newt survey | |
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Do we have a famous Great Crested newt in the Meadow ponds?
An aquatic ecologist, who lives in Whitchurch and is licenced to carry out a Great Crested Newt survey, set up 22 traps to investigate what species of newts can be found on the Meadow. Read about the results here. |
| OPAL Air survey | |
 Discover lichens |
Discover what lichens found on trees can tell us about air pollution in Whitchurch.
Everybody can get involved – all ages and abilities. You’ll learn new skills and help our scientists answer important questions about the impacts of air quality across England. |
| OPAL Soil and earthworm survey | |
 Discover earthworms |
Discover more about earthworms and the soils they live in.
Contribute to important scientific research and help update our national record on earthworm distribution. There are 26 different species of earthworms in Britain. Some are common and found in lots of places whilst others are rare. Earthworms are sensitive to many environmental factors, and these will influence where they live. If you find lots of earthworms in your soil it can be a sign of good soil quality. |
| Water temperature survey (coming soon) | |
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The meadow is full of various ponds, ditches and streams. Did you know that their temperature vary quite significantly? For example, during the “Big Freeze” of winter 2010 all of the ponds except one were covered by ice.
Which one was the “odd one out” and why? Contact us with your guess! |
| Aquatic biodiversity survey (coming soon) | |
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Who lives in the stream and ponds? Do we have blood sucking leeches? Can you find a famous Great Crested newt?
Join us in compiling our list of species and establishing our pond and ditches “Health Score”. |
| Water chemistry survey (coming soon) | |
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To understand how the ecosystem in the ponds works, we measure five most important water quality parameters: dissolved oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, pH and ammonium.
How healthy is the environment and what processes are occurring in the ecosystem? Water is getting murky and there is “green slime” floating around: what is happening, are the tadpoles safe? |
