The Great Yorkshire Creature Count is back - your chance to take part in a 'wildlife safari' on your doorstep, and help experts gather the information they need to protect Yorkshire's wild creatures.

From midday on Saturday June 18 until midday on Sunday June 19, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will be asking as many people as possible to spot, count and record the creatures in their gardens and nearby outdoor spaces – starting with its checklist of 30 creatures great and small.

To make it easy, the Trust has produced a 'checklist' of 30 creatures to look out for, ranging from moths, butterflies, beetles and black ants, to frogs, newts, songbirds and foxes.

It is the third time the Trust has held the creature count. Blackbird, woodpigeon and house sparrow were the top three most-recorded species in last year’s count, with robin (5th), starling (7th), blue tit (8th) and dunnock (10th) joining them in the top ten. Garden snails (4th), buff-tailed bumblebees (6th) and honey bees (9th) represented the invertebrates among the most-recorded creatures.

With their habitats destroyed and the pressures of the climate emergency increasing, even once-widespread creatures such as the common frog or the garden bumblebee are declining, the Trust says.

A proper survey of the wild creatures around us is therefore vital to see which species are doing well, which are struggling - and what we can do to help.

There are more gardens than nature reserves in the UK, the Trust says. And they provide crucial corridors, nesting areas and places to shelter for many of our much-loved creatures. But exactly how wildlife-friendly are they?

The Trust says it has a vision of a 'wilder Yorkshire where our towns, cities and countryside are connected and rich in wildlife'. The Great Yorkshire Creature Count aims to help it achieve that.

Trust chief executive Rachael Bice said: “The Great Yorkshire Creature Count is getting bigger and better each year, and anyone can join in.

"Every single garden, yard, window box and scrubby patch of grass harbours wildlife – you’ll be surprised by what you see when you start looking. Last year, more than 4,200 people headed outside to stealthily spot, count and record wildlife, and reported nearly 15,000 Yorkshire creatures!”

Dr Amir Khan, Vice President of The Wildlife Trusts, added: “The Great Yorkshire Creature Count will be great fun – everyone can take part. Our outdoor spaces are a lifeline for wildlife and also vital for improving our own health and wellbeing. By noticing and recording the wildlife where you live you will be helping nature and our vision of creating a wilder Yorkshire.”

Sign up for this year's Great Yorkshire Creature Count and get your downloadable checklist, tips and advice at ywt.org.uk/great-yorkshire-creature-count