Butterfly Conservation's annual Big Butterfly Count (a UK wide survey to help assess the health of our environment simply by counting butterflies) has started and Michael Blencowe from the Lost Woods team has been out supporting community groups to survey their local butterflies.

Michael Blencowe from Action in Rural Sussex shares highlights from a recent overnight moth survey at Parkwood Scout Campsite where our Lost Woods Moth Champions discovered a fascinating variety of moths!

This spring, the Lost Woods team and volunteers have been supporting the Woodpecker Network on an innovative survey to search for the declining Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Sussex. Building on last year’s community observations, the 2026 survey uses new passive audio recording techniques developed by Sussex birdwatchers Ken and Linda Smith. Small recorders are fixed to trees and left to capture woodland sounds over several days, with specialist software helping to identify potential woodpecker calls and drumming for expert verification. After weeks of surveying some of the wettest woodlands in the area and listening through plenty of false alarms, the team made an exciting discovery: recordings of the distinctive drumming of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at a site near Ditchling.