This year at the Big Rock Pool Challenge: Community BioBlitz Festival 2025, we are excited to gather together from 19-20 September, for a jam-packed 24 hours of wildlife recording and celebrating our stunning coastline in the UK.
Our theme for this year is ‘Our Coast. Our Climate. Our Future.’ We want to focus on climate-sensitive species and generate vital biodiversity data to support scientific research, conservation efforts, and regional climate resilience planning.
Thanks to the generous support of the ScottishPower Foundation, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Duke of Cornwall’s Marine Environment Fund, this immersive 24-hour biodiversity challenge is FREE to attend. It will bring together local communities, organisations, and nature enthusiasts to celebrate biodiversity, encourage wildlife recording, and promote climate and environmental awareness.
The BioBlitz is designed to be inclusive, engaging, and educational, empowering local communities to become long-term stewards of the coastal environment.
Full event rundown:
Click here to download the event rundown.
We love to offer a rich and diverse mix of activities at the Community BioBlitz Festival, covering as many habitats as possible. From woodlands and meadows to rivers, fungi and freshwater invertebrates. But this 24-hourBioBlitz is more than just discovering and counting species! It is also a space to explore the local impacts of climate change and inspire action.
All of our data are collected via iNaturalist through our BioBlitz Battle App. If you are planning to attend the event, please follow the steps below to get set up.
Prior to the event:
1) Please download the iNaturalist App
Available here.
2) Open our BioBlitz Battle App and follow the prompts (therockpoolproject.co.uk/bioblitz).
The app will prompt you to link your iNaturalist account (or create one if you don't already have one), and sign up to The Rock Pool Project.
3) Use the menu to select the event "Community BioBlitz Festival" and create/ join a team
Happy BioBlitzing!
We have an amazing array of prizes up for grabs throughout the festival thanks to generous donations by local businesses.
Want to win one? Record data and attend activities during the event and you could be eligible for one the following prize categories listed below:
Best species of the hour
Prize: Rock Pool Project Badge
Donated by: The Rock Pool Project
Opening times
The event is from Friday 5:00 pm to Saturday 5:00 pm.
Participants can check-in starting at 4:30 pm on Friday, or 8:30 am on Saturday.
Site Map
The event is being held at Porthpean Outdoor Education Centre, St Austell. Activities will be taking place on site and in the surrounding area, including Porthpean Beach. Find site maps, including event locations, below.
Getting there
Address: Porthpean Outdoor Education Centre, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6AZ
Driving: Parking on site is free. Additional free parking is also available at the field next to Porthpean Outdoor Education Centre.
Shuttle bus: Shuttle bus service will be operated approximately every 20 minutes between St Austell Railway Station and Porthpean Outdoor Education Centre from 8:30 am on Saturday. Please note that seating is limited (16-seater) and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
*Scheduled times are for reference only and may be subject to delays due to traffic or other unforeseen road conditions.
Food
Brought to you by the wonderful Philleigh Way Cookery School & Culinary Experiences (@philleighway), an on-site food van serving delicious food made with local produce will be available on Saturday until 3:00 pm.
Participants are also welcome to bring their own food; however, please note that cooking on-site is not permitted.
Pre-booked Activities
A variety of pre-booked activities are available (additional fees may apply). Spaces are limited, so be sure to grab your spot soon by purchasing the add-on items on our event registration page!
This week’s Species in Focus is the Cornish Sucker. This unique looking fish may be little but packs a powerful ability to latch on to rocky surfaces using its adapted pelvic fins.
The Rock Pool Project Team pick out their top Rock Pooling Books
The broad-clawed porcelain crab is a charismatic little rock poolers favourite. It is the most common species of porcelain crab found in the UK and can often be found clinging tightly to the underside of rocks below mid tide level.
