SLUGS AND SNAILS AND THRUSHES ANVILS - CHILDRENS SURVEYS OF SLUGS ANDSNAILS

In order to interest children in their native malacofauna and study th e potential of gardens as refugia for native species, two surveys have been carried out in gardens by school children and another by natural ists. The Greater Manchester schools' survey covered 369 gardens, and children scored 9 snail and 8 slug species. Slugs were found in 98% of gardens and snails in 30%. Identifications were checked and found to be 71% accurate to genus. The naturalists' NW England survey of 97 sit es showed slugs were more frequent in gardens and snails more frequent elsewhere. Boettgerilla pallens seas recorded from 21 new sites. Juni or members of RSPB surveyed song thrushes, snails and slugs in 653 gar dens. Only five large snail species were scored. Although thrush numbe rs altered little between 1994 and 1995, this was a dynamic equilibriu m - a loss from 21% of gardens balanced by gains elsewhere. Thrushes w ere more frequent where slugs or snails were found. Cepaea and Arianta tended to occur together, but Trichia striolata and Helix aspersa ten ded to occur apart. The presence of thrushes showed only an insignific ant negative association with the use of slug pellets. These projects show that school children can contribute to mapping schemes if the tas ks are simple and quick to do. Slugs and snails are a valuable educati onal resource which younger children enjoy Their wider use in educatio n could improve their image and favour their chances of conservation i n their own right rather than under an umbrella of habitat conservatio n.