London National Park City is built on a simple idea: nature is not “over there”. It’s on your street, in your planter, in the cracks of the pavement, and in the tiny, extraordinary lives of insects doing the day shift and the night shift for our whole city.
That’s why we’re excited to share The Buzz Club, a citizen science community run from the University of Sussex, directed by Professor Dave Goulson, led by Issy Sexton and powered by hundreds of volunteers who are helping answer a deceptively big question: what actually works for insects in the places we live?
The Buzz Club designs simple, accessible experiments, sends you clear instructions, and asks you to collect a little bit of data from your outdoor space (no prior expertise needed). Your observations are then rolled into real research, with results shared back to the community.
Last year Issy hosted a wonderful Habitat creation training day for the ecoACTIVE team and volunteers at Leaside in Hackney. Issy taught us how to conduct four citizen science experiments: The Big Bee Hotel Experiment, Hoverfly Lagoons, the Insect ID Quiz, and Bug Bunkers. We created and carried out each experiment using household materials that can be easily replicated in any educational or citizen science setting
If you’re interested in getting involved in these Buzz Club projects (and more) then read on!
The Buzz Club projects to join in 2026
1) The Big Bee Hotel Experiment (March to September)
If you’ve ever wondered whether bee hotels are helping, or accidentally becoming an “insect B&B with mould problems”, this is the project for you.
The goal: work out what makes a bee hotel genuinely effective for cavity nesting solitary bees, and what designs are less helpful.
What you do: register your hotel, then send one photo of the front of your bee hotel each month so the team can track who’s moved in.
2) Pet Waste Watch (starts April 2026)
This one is brave, important, and slightly hilarious in a “science has no ego” way.
The goal: explore whether veterinary parasite treatments (flea and tick treatments) affect the breakdown of dog waste outdoors, and what that might mean for the invertebrates doing the decomposing.
What you do: if you have a dog, you’ll register your dog as a citizen scientist, then track the degradation of one poo weekly, noting what invertebrates you see. There might also be a “Dogs as Scientists” photo competition.
Link: Pet Waste Watch
3) Hoverfly Lagoons (May to October)
Hoverflies are often overlooked, but they’re brilliant pollinators and many have larvae that need wet, mucky micro habitats.
The goal: test and improve tiny DIY “lagoons” that support hoverflies with an aquatic life stage.
What you do: create small homemade lagoons (the project uses simple, low cost materials), place them in your outdoor space, and do monthly surveys.
Link: Hoverfly Lagoons
4) Insect ID Quiz (August to mid-September)
Want to get better at identifying insects, and help design better citizen science training at the same time?
The goal: test how well training helps people identify insects, and how well that knowledge “sticks”.
What you do: complete two 10 minute quizzes and attend a training webinar, with the second quiz happening later to test retention.
Link: Insect ID Quiz
5) Bug Bunkers (October 2026 to February 2027)
Winter can look quiet, but it’s teeming if you know where to look.
The goal: find out how well simple bug bunkers support invertebrates through winter, and how location affects occupancy.
What you do: build a bug bunker, then survey it through the colder months, using the Buzz Club’s ID guides if you want to go deeper.
Link: Bug Bunkers
Volunteer groups: help grow the Buzz Club in London
If you want to get more involved than “just” joining a project, the Buzz Club has three practical ways to plug in:
- Member’s Working Group – help steer how the Buzz Club supports and interacts with volunteers (quarterly online meetings).
- Local Facilitators – ideal if you run a community group and want to deliver projects together, with training and a project pack.
- Engagement Volunteers – help “Spread the Buzz” by sharing flyers, running a stall, or giving a talk at a school or local event.
Link: Volunteer Groups
Partnerships, including Chelsea Flower Show 2026
In 2026, the Buzz Club will be part of a Chelsea Flower Show Balcony Garden, Hedgerow in the Sky, showcasing Buzz Club experiments and championing the power of small spaces for wildlife.
Memberships, sponsorships and donations
Buzz Club projects are free to take part in, and membership is free too. If you’re able to support, there are options to sponsor, donate, or explore corporate sponsorship.
Link: Join, sponsor or donate
Webinars and events
The Buzz Club is all about getting everyone involved in their local wildlife, learning more about it and making a difference to garden wildlife conservation.
Check out the latest Buzz Club Events
A quick London call-to-action
If you’re a London National Park City Ranger, a community gardener, a school, a residents’ association, or simply someone with a windowsill and curiosity:
- Pick one project that fits your season and your space
- Join the next webinar to get the bigger picture
- If you run activities already, consider becoming a Local Facilitator so your group can take part together
This is how London becomes more liveable for insects, and in turn, more liveable for all of us.
Quick links to join:
