Background

The Cheshire Lines Path used to be a railway line running between Liverpool and Southport. Axed by Beeching, its main use was for blackberry picking in the Autumn. Eventually, it was transformed by Sustrans (a contraction of Sustainable Transport) to provide a route for cyclists and pedestrians. The path is now part of the National Cycle Network.

I grew up in the countryside in a small hamlet called Lunt which is in West Lancashire. Mostly I remember climbing trees and exploring Back Lane and Sefton Meadows, but wild flower and bird identification were an important part of growing up there.

Following a career in Information Technology, I now feel the need to get out of the office and back, almost literally, to my roots.

In possession of a digital camera and a web site, and in need of a project to organise my time, it seems like a good idea to perform a photographic survey of one small part of the natural environment.

Objectives

• To create a website that records my observations, month by month, of the wildlife that can be found within a mile or two of home on the Cheshire Lines Path.
• To refresh my memory of the wildlife I once knew so well, and to learn much more. This project could be the starting point of more formal study and investigation in the fields of ecology and conservation.
• To develop skills in digital photography, image manipulation, and web publishing.

Scope

• The project will be limited to recording what can be seen on the approaches to the Cheshire Lines Path, which means the section of Green Lane between my home and Maghull Brook, and on the path itself between Maghull Brook and the North West Ecological Trust site at Cabin Lane.
• All life that is encountered is a candidate for inclusion, whether 'wild' or escaped from gardens.

Constraints

• Every attempt should be made not to disturb the wildlife. No samples will be taken and no animal will be trapped or captured. If this means, for example, that full identification of a mushroom is not possible because it would need to be picked and dissected, then so be it.
• The images selected for display on the website will be constrained by the amount of disk space available.

Assumptions

• No specific assumptions were made.

Risks

• The greatest risk is infection. Working close to the ground, there is a danger of contact with canine faecal matter. Precautions need to be taken and care taken when consuming food. Hands should be washed thoroughly on return home.

Issues

• There are no specific issues.