This week, I´ve been at Bog Meadows Nature Reserve taking part on moths, wood and hedgehog's activities! 

The other day, I had the opportunity to join an activity at Bog Meadows conducted by Alexey Janes, Project Coordinator for the the Grassroots Challenge project, about wood craft. We’ve learned how to use a shave horse and woodworking tools, and made our own pencils, spatulas and gypsy flowers! I always thought that working with wood was an art and it has been quite an experience to try it.  

I’ve been with Deborah and Aoife – 'Our People, Our Places' Project trainee –  identifying moths in Bog Meadows. Every morning we checked the moth trap, we were in for a surprise! I would never have thought that there were so many different types of species in one single place. I also did not know that there was such a variety of them; different colours, shapes, and sizes.  

After taking photos and trying to identify them, we set them free again. Here are just a few of the ones that we found in the trap.  

Katy Bell, Senior Conservation Officer with Ulster Wildlife, joined us this week for a hedgehog workshop. She showed us how to do a hedgehog survey using the footprint tunnel method and we started the local area hedgehog survey. We placed ten footprint tunnels in a 1km square around Bog Meadows and in the following five days we will be checking them for footprints and signs of hedgehogs. The aim of this survey is to get a better idea of the status of the Irish hedgehog population.  Find out more and sign up.

To end this week´s blog, here's some wildlife that the other ESC volunteers have found. 

The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) scheme offers young volunteers from European countries the opportunity to work with Ulster Wildlife for 12 months, with placements within our Nature Reserves, Living Landscapes and Fundraising and Communications teams.