IS there any wildlife close to where you live? Maybe an owl or an unexpected flower hidden away somewhere. Local charity Lancaster Green Spaces wants to raise awareness about the wealth of wildlife in the city by charting a special 'map.' The charity has joined forces with artist Hester Reeve to map out the city's green spaces and places of natural interest.

And they need the help of the local people to highlight the city's 'undiscovered' wildlife oasis.

"We want to challenge general assumptions about wildlife and show that's it's all around us," said Hester.

"Even in backyards you can find certain insects, flowers or animals. For example, certain bee species are dying out because lots of meadow flowers have been destroyed by intensive farming.

"There's no correct way to map nature in the city, but we hope what we do will raise awareness and also appeal to people who are visually impaired."

This Saturday, June 6, there will be a workshop at the White Cross in which the "Other Life Map' will begin to take shape and, on June 13, local school children are invited to get involved in the project.

"Whether people get actively involved or drop me a line with their places of interest - we need the help of people from across the city.

We hope the map will also introduce the idea of 'green corridors,' passageways used by animals to move around. These are very important yet we're largely unaware of them," added Hester.

The preliminary drawings of the map will go on show at Sun Street Studios for two days on Wednesday, June 17, and it is expected to be fully finished in September, where it will eventually be housed in a room at Lancaster Castle.

To find out about the project and other workshops organised for July, call Hester on 389093.

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