Hobson's Conduit Trust

Help survey Hobsons’ Conduit ecology at Bioblitz 2023

FRIDAY 2ND JUNE 5.00 pm – 11pm

SATURDAY 3RD JUNE 8.00am – 1pm

By kind permission of the Master and Fellows of Emmanuel College.

To be held at Emmanuel College’s Darien Meadow off Long Road, with cycle access via the busway path:

///what3words decide.pilots.moral

Families welcome!

(All under 16 year olds to be accompanied)

Timetabled events led by enthusiastic experts including small mammal identification, bat detection, moth trapping, bird spotting, butterfly identification, plant identification, examining freshwater invertebrates, guided walks along Hobson’s Brook.

Register on the day. All activities free of charge. Organised by Hobson’s Conduit Trust.

Last year (2022) basing ourselves at Clare College Sports Ground we concentrated on Clare’s North Paddock and woodland between Hobson’s Conduit and Vicar’s Brook.

A dozen experts ran hour-long identification sessions and guided walks. The Bioblitz sessions covered plants, small mammals, birds, bats, moths and other insects and freshwater invertebrates.

211 different taxa were identified, including:

  • 74 different plant species
  • 26 species of birds
  • 12 mammals
  • 3 fish
  • 1 amphibian
  • 95 types of invertebrates, including 
  • 59 kinds of moth

Bioblitz highlights were the Blackcap, Kingfisher, Buzzard and Little Egret, the Brown Oak Tortix Moth and Grass Rivulet Moth, Serotine and Noctule Bats, the Bank Vole and Otter, the Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly, and the Common Spotted Orchid.

These results compare well with the 2019 Bioblitz also at Clare Sports Ground, the 2018 Bioblitz at Hobson’s Park, Trumpington, and the 2017 Bioblitz at Nine Wells and Empty Common. Together they capture the diversity of habitats along the Hobson’s Brook Corridor.

This year the Trustees of Hobson’s Conduit thank the Master and Fellows of Emmanuel College for their kind permission to hold our fifth annual Bioblitz at Darien Meadow, bordered by Hobson’s Brook.

On Friday evening and Saturday morning Trustees will conduct guided walks along Hobson’s Brook and Conduit, while experts lead a programme of mini field expeditions.

Friday evening 2nd June
Trustee Guided Walks5pm onwards
Bird spotting6 – 7pm
Small Mammals7 – 8pm
Bat Detection9 – 10:30pm
Moth trapping10:30 – 11pm
Saturday 3rd June
Trustee Guided Walks 9am – 12 noon
Small Mammals 8 – 9am and until 1pm
Moth trapping 9 – 10am
Bird spotting 9.30 – 10.30am
Butterflies 10 – 11am
Plant identification 11am – 12 noon
Freshwater invertebrates 12 noon – 1pm

Our programme of Bioblitz events has highlighted the biodiversity of green spaces close to the built environment, and shows the importance of the Hobson’s Brook ‘green corridor’ in preserving wildlife in the City of Cambridge. Maintaining a strong flow of high quality water in Hobson’s Brook is clearly essential for the continued success of these ecosystems, which offer considerable benefits to residents and visitors.

The Hobson’s Brook corridor forms part of the Cambridge Nature Network.