‘Wild Watch’ Camera Scheme Loaning Free Wildlife Cameras

Ever wondered what lurks at the end of your garden during the night, or rustles in the trees whilst your out at work? Well, one British organisation is handing out wildlife cameras to people, for free, to uncover nature’s local wonders.

The Broads Authority is a conservation authority which holds the legal responsibility to manage and care for the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, Britain’s largest protected wetland that is home to a bounty of wildlife – including many of the UK’s rarest plants and animals. With Winter approaching, the authority is offering members of the public to rent their “wild watch” cameras for no cost, in the hope of documenting some of the area’s fascinating species.

Available from four centres located in the Broads National Park area, including Whiltingham Couty Park, Wheat Fen Nature Reserve, Suffolk Wildlife Trust at Carlton Marshes, and Earsham Wetland Centre, the cameras can be booked using an online booking system. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the scheme is part of the Broads Authority’s larger Water, Mills and Marshes project.

So if you live in the area and have a love for local wildlife, be sure to book out one of the wild watch cameras and set it up in a potential hotspot in your garden. Whether close to a bird feeder, or placed before a hedgehog feeder, getting a glimpse into the lives of your area’s different animals has never been easier.

After footage has been captured, the Broads Authority then picks out some of the best photos and videos to be featured on their official Wild Watch Flickr page. Already the page is packed with fabulous insights, such as fox cubs underground, and a Muntjack deer nestled in long grass.

“Winter can be an excellent time of year to see birds and other wildlife visiting your garden in search of food, water and shelter,” said Broads Authority Ecologist Erica Murray.

“Look out for birds that are only here in the winter months such as Redwings, Fieldfares Waxwings and Bramblings which migrate to the UK and come in search of food such as fruit, berries and seeds.”

For more information, visit their website, and follow the Flickr page.