Budding botanists needed - beginners welcome!
We can only hope to survey the 789km (490 miles) of roads in the Wolds that are still unexplored with help from volunteers. No-one knows more about your local roads than you do! It is very likely that volunteers, even without any previous experience, could discover some locations of regional importance. If you can spare a few hours over the coming summer, you could make a vital contribution to the information we need in order to focus conservation management to best effect in your local area.

Each road section only needs to be surveyed once. It will take about 1-2 hours to survey both verges of approximately 1km of road. Where a verge is not present or no wider than 1 metre (3ft), this part need not be surveyed in detail and general notes only are sufficient.

You do not need experience in identifying plants. Help is available in the form of a Life on the Verge Wild Flower ID Guide aimed at non-experts. You can download it from our 'Downloads' page or request a printed copy from the Project Officer. It includes a handy checklist of those wild flowers that are characteristic of grassland in the Wolds and so indicate important verges. It also includes species that indicate 'poor' verges. 'Ruling-out' verges where restoration is unlikely to succeed is almost as important as learning about the best verges, so that attention can be focused on the places of highest conservation value.

Free wildflower identification field days!
See below for the dates and venues of the 12 Wildflower Identification Field Classes running throughout June and July this summer. Each class will be an opportunity to explore a ‘showcase’ example of wildflower-rich habitat with an expert from the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Each is a similar day out designed to boost the confidence of beginners and improvers alike in identifying local wildflowers. The first two sessions will be run as part of the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival.

Monday 4th June		Badger Farm & Red Hill Nature Reserve near Stenigot 2-5pm (Part of Lincs. Wolds Walking Festival)	FULLY BOOKED
Saturday 9th June		Badger Farm & Red Hill Nature Reserve near Stenigot 2-5pm (Part of Lincs. Wolds Walking Festival)	Joining Instructions
Wednesday 13th June		Elsham Village Hall & Elsham Pastures 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Saturday 16th June		Hemingby Village Hall & Road Verges 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Tuesday 19th June		Hemingby Village Hall & Road Verges 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Saturday 23rd June		Elsham Village Hall & Elsham Pastures 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Thursday 28th June		Willoughby Village Hall & Mill Hill Quarry Nature Reserve 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Sunday 1st July		Willoughby Village Hall & Mill Hill Quarry Nature Reserve 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Wednesday 4th July		Badger Farm & Red Hill Nature Reserve near Stenigot 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Sunday 8th July		Elsham Village Hall & Elsham Pastures 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Wednesday 11th July		Elsham Village Hall & Elsham Pastures 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions
Sunday 15th July		Badger Farm & Red Hill Nature Reserve near Stenigot 10am-4pm	Joining Instructions

		For all sessions, bring a packed lunch and stout footwear. Each day will start with a brief indoor talk after which the group will spend the majority of the time outdoors. Tea, coffee, biscuits and toilet facilities will be provided throughout each day at no charge. More information on each event is available from the ‘Downloads’ page. Places will be limited so bookings need to be made in all cases.

To book a place on one of these days, contact the Project Officer

Please Note: You do not need to attend a field class in order to start surveying. The Wildflower Identification Guide and associated survey documents should be all you need to find important wildflowers on your local verges.

How your survey will help
By taking part in this roadside verge survey, you will contribute vital information to help secure a future for wildlife. The project aims to identify the most important roadside verges for grassland species throughout the Lincolnshire Wolds National Character Area by surveying as much road verge as possible. Once those verges that still retain many wildflowers have been identified, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust will work with local authorities, highways maintenance contractors and landowners to try to ensure they are managed appropriately. It is also important to know which verges lack important wildlife, so that resources can be focused on those of greatest value.

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Click here to find out what Life on the Verge is doing in the

Lincolnshire and Rutland Limestone Natural Area.

Life on the Verge is a 'Living Landscape' project that aims to identify the most important roadside verges for species-rich grassland throughout the Lincolnshire Wolds.   See the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust website for more information on the 'Living Landscape' approach and details on other Living Landscape projects in the county.

Six-spot Burnet Moth
Photograph: Matt Cole