(a species of owlet moth (Noctuid)) Some caterpillars, after they emerge from their egg, can increase their weight by 25,000 times.

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Get involved

To help with scientific research you don't have to work in a lab. Just visit your garden, local wood or the seashore and you can take part in a national survey, like the Museum’s bluebell survey or the Big Seaweed Search.

Your results will help scientists to find out more about UK species and their distribution, so they can be conserved for future generations.

  • Trees in Edinburgh
    Urban tree survey

    Help us learn more about the diversity and distribution of trees growing in urban areas by telling us about the trees in your streets, parks and gardens.

  • Bladder wrack, Fucus vesiculosus
    Big Seaweed Search

    Take a walk along the coast and help us monitor the effects of climate change and invasive species on the UK's seaweeds.

  • Bluebell - Hyacinthoides non-scripta
    Exploring British wildlife: bluebells

    Are bluebells flowering earlier than they used to? Help us find out by taking part in the Museum's bluebell survey. Discover what past surveys have revealed about the spread of non-native bluebells.

  • A child examining a flower
    OPAL Open Air Laboratories Network

    The Open Air Laboratories Network (OPAL) has been created to inspire people to become more involved with the natural world around them.

  • Cowslips, Primula veris, growing in the Museum's Wildlife Garden
    Other public surveys

    Whether you are interested in insects, birds, reptiles or amphibians, find out how you can help the UK's experts to map the biodiversity of the UK.

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