Orchid Observers is a research project investigating how the flowering period of orchids in the UK is being affected by climate change. By gathering photographs of flowering orchids and combining them with data from orchid specimens in the Natural History Museum’s collections, we can plot flowering times against a series of climate variables.

What to do Responsible fieldwork 1. Carefully read these instructions Please follow the guidelines below so you know what information to to ensure the activity is safe for record about the orchids. Print a you and for the environment copy to carry with you if you wish. • never pick or uproot wild orchids – 2. Go for a walk to find one of even common are declining the 29 species of orchids we’re studying in this research. You can • please take care not to trample or go anywhere in the UK, anytime damage any while looking between April and September. for orchids to photograph The Identification Guide shows you • check weather reports in advance which species we are targeting, their of your walk and wear appropriate preferred habitats and the months clothing, waterproofs, sunscreen etc they are likely to be in flower. • supervise young children at all times 3. Once you find a wild orchid , please take one photograph of • take care over uneven ground the flower spike, taken from the and wear suitable footwear side. You can use any camera; • don’t put yourself in danger by SLR, compact, mobile phone walking too close to busy traffic, or tablet. Please ensure the cliff tops, rivers, lakes photo is in focus, using a macro or similar hazards setting if your camera has one. • make sure you know what to 4. Make a note of the following: do in an emergency and can – the date call for help if necessary – the exact location of the orchid (you will pinpoint it using a Google map when If you do not have internet access to you enter your data online) upload your data, you can post your photographs with your name, contact – the common or scientific name details and the information requested of the orchid, if you know it in point 4 above to Orchid Observers, This example shows the kind of photo that is best for our research 5. Look for insects visiting the orchid Angela Marmont Centre for UK and photograph them if you can. Biodiversity, The Natural History - in focus Museum, Cromwell Road, London - from the side 6. Upload your photos at SW7 5BD. Please ensure the location - flower spike fills the frame www.orchidobservers.org to is given as a grid reference contribute your data to the research. or latitude/longitude. 7. (Optional) While online you can also identify your orchid, verify other people’s identifications, Turn to the next page to see Flower a checklist of the orchids spike and annotate Museum specimens collected over three centuries. included in this research All this will gather a time series of orchid flowering dates for climate change research. The following orchid species are included in the Orchid Observers project:

Common spotted-orchid ( fuchsii) Heath spotted-orchid () Early marsh-orchid () Southern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) Northern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella) Common fragrant-orchid () Heath fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia borealis) Marsh fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia densiflora) Early-purple orchid ( mascula) Pyramidal orchid ( pyramidalis) Green-winged orchid () Burnt orchid () Common twayblade ( ovata) Lesser twayblade (Neottia cordata) Bird’s-nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis) Bee orchid ( apifera) orchid () Man orchid (Orchis anthropophora) Frog orchid ( viride) Autumn lady’s-tresses ( spiralis) Creeping lady’s-tresses () Small-white orchid (Pseudorchis albida) White helleborine ( damasonium) Marsh helleborine () Bog orchid (Hammarbya paludosa) Musk orchid (Herminium monorchis) Lesser butterfly-orchid ( bifolia) Greater butterfly-orchid () Coralroot orchid (Corallorhiza trifida)