PEOPLE in Dorset are being urged to take part in the world's largest wildlife survey – RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch.

The annual survey, being held this weekend, sees participants donate a hour of their time to count bird numbers in their garden or local green space.

A whole host of groups and organisations get involved in Dorset including schoolchildren.

One place taking part is the RSPB Arne nature reserve, near Wareham, and it is inviting people to join them.

On Saturday and Sunday, January 25 and 26 from 11am to 2.30pm, RSPB Arne will be be equipping people with the skills they need to create a bird haven in their gardens - from tips on attracting birds, through to preventing the spread of disease and the chance to take away free mini samples of bird food. Taking place on the weekend of the Big Garden Birdwatch, participants can even stay and carry out their survey on the reserve.

Eleanor Sunderland, Visitor Experience Manager at RSPB Arne said: “The purpose of the Big Garden Birdwatch is to record local sightings of birds and other wildlife so that we can get a snapshot of how garden wildlife is doing on a national scale. At RSPB Arne the shop team will be on hand to help people prepare."

Sarah-Jane Buckle, Retail Manager at RSPB Arne said: “An hour with the birds is a wonderful opportunity to sit back, relax and spend time with nature. We will have volunteers on hand to help identify the species we see taking part in the survey too. After the hour is up, tell us what you saw.”

Eleanor added: “You can also take your new-found skills away to take part in your own area. Every count is important, even if you don’t see anything. Observing which birds aren’t around is as important as seeing the ones that are. With over half a million people now regularly taking part, Big Garden Birdwatch allows us to monitor trends and helps us understand how birds are doing. Your results help us spot problems, but more importantly, it's also the first step in putting things right.”

The Big Garden Bird Watch runs from January 25-27. For more information on spotting birds and taking part go to www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch