Beetle Field Recorder Day

Join fellow nature enthusiasts for a day dedicated to discovering, identifying, and recording beetles in a relaxed and supportive setting. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced naturalist, this event offers a great opportunity to share knowledge, build confidence in biological recording, and refine your identification skills — all with guidance from beetle specialist Connor Butler.

What will the day involve?

• Hands-on experience using different methods to collect and record a variety of beetle families.
• Practical training in specimen collection and preservation.
• Guidance on identifying beetles in the field and understanding which specimens require further examination under a microscope.
• A chance to connect with like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds who share an interest in entomology and wildlife recording.

What do I need to know in advance?

• This event is aimed at adults only.
• It’s free to attend and beetle recorders of all abilities are welcome, but booking is essential.
• Identification will take place in the field whenever possible, but some specimens may need to be collected and preserved for accurate identification.
• We'll be outside for the whole day so please bring suitable clothing for all types of weather and please bring your lunch and any snacks you will require with you on the day.

Recording London's Wildlife

All records collected will be added to the iRecord in order to share our findings with the site managers, Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL), London Natural History Society (LNHS) and relevant national recording schemes and societies.

Beetle Specialist: Connor Butler

Connor Butler is an entomologist specialising in beetles and deadwood invertebrates. He has previously conducted a dung beetle inventory of Bushy Park and is currently leading a Biodiversity Audit at Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanic garden. He also leads nature walks across London, with over 1,000 people coming on his tours to date. Check out Connor on Instagram: @connor_the_ecologist

Lesnes Abbey Wood

This course will take place at Lesnes Abbey Wood. Situated in South East London, this unique site offers 88 hectares of ancient woodland, a park and a ruined abbey.

The nearest railway station is Abbey Wood Station and Lesnes Abbey Lodge is a roughly 10 minutes walk from the station. there is no parking on site. Details for getting to the site can be found on the Lesnes Abbey wood website: https://www.lesnesabbeywoods.org/plan-your-visit/directions-contact/

This event is being run as a collaboration between the Biological Recording Company and Lesnes Abbey Woods as part of the Lesnes 500 project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.