Walk away the blues, amongst Britain’s prettiest flowers

This April -  June, why not put a spring in your step by joining the Ramblers ‘Bluetiful’  bluebell strolls season. The walks will help gather info on one of our best loved flowers; the under-threat British bluebell (1).

The bluebell walks season will take place across the country in 100+ locations, from April to June 2010. It is part of an ongoing campaign with the Natural History Museum (2) to better understand one of our most iconic and threatened spring flowers and discover more about our changing climate and countryside. Walkers are encouraged to join a bluebell walk, help ‘spot’ different types of bluebells, and enter their findings into a Natural History Museum online survey www.nhm.ac.uk/bluebells when they get home. Experts will use this crucial data to build a map of where the different types of bluebell are flowering. This is the 5th year running that the Ramblers have helped to contribute to research on British bluebells.

The Ramblers-led walks are free, open to all, and offer a chance to see Britain’s beautiful woodland and countryside at its loveliest. Although the walks vary in length and difficulty – from family friendly 5, to 14 mile walks – all contain swathes of beautiful bluebells.

Tom Franklin, CEO of the Ramblers, comments: “The deep blue hue and gothic arches of the British bluebell, currently under threat from hybridisation, have brought immeasurable pleasure to walkers throughout history. What better way to help preserve these flowers, than putting on your boots and joining a led bluebell walk through Britain’s loveliest countryside this Spring?”

‘For many the bluebell is Britain’s favourite flower and an important sign of the start of spring’ said Dr Fred Rumsey, botanist at the Natural History Museum. ‘We’re now keen to know when our Bluebells start flowering to help decide whether the genes within the hybrids between Spanish Bluebells and native British bluebells have altered their flowering time, or is spring just starting earlier? ’

For details of Ramblers led bluebell walks visit www.ramblers.org.uk/walkthemes/Bluebells
IMPT: Walks will be continually added to this page before/ during the season.

For details of the Natural History Museum led campaign and online survey www.nhm.ac.uk/bluebells