Hampshire volunteers sought to help protect endangered stag beetles

Between June and July, wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is asking families, individuals or groups of friends to record sightings of stag beetles on six summer evenings.

It’s part of the on-going European study into the endangered beetles.

People keen to take part in the project are being asked to walk 500m six times between June and July on warm summer evenings, counting and recording any stag beetles they see.

Laura Bower, conservation officer at PTES, said: ‘Loss of habitat and lack of dead or decaying wood are just two of the reasons why stag beetles need our help. Stag beetles are completely reliant on dead wood and are part of the process of recycling nutrients back into the soil, making them a very important part of the ecosystem.’

To take part in the effort, see stagbeetlemonitoring.org