We had a fascinating talk about the work of the BTO and especially the Big Garden Birdwatch

Many think the BTO is complex because the word Ornithology sounds difficult, but the truth could not be further from the perception as we all learned

From their website

"The BTO is an independent charitable research institute combining professional and citizen science aimed at using evidence of change in wildlife populations, particularly birds, to inform the public, opinion-formers and environmental policy- and decision-makers. Our impartiality enables our data and information to be used both by Government and NGO campaigners"

It's easier than you think

"BTO Garden BirdWatch enables you to collect this information in a standardised way alongside similar information from many thousands of other garden birdwatchers. In effect, you are a 'citizen scientist' "

"Continuity of recording effort is more important than the quantity of recording, since this is a relative measure of garden use changing from week to week. "

And it's not just birds

"we work with partner organisations to monitor everything from butterflies to badgers."

To read more about it visit their site http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw and about the BTO http://www.bto.org/about-bto