Plant hunters from Alton found 22 wild flowering plants in bloom on January 2.

Inspired by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s New Year’s Plant Hunt – a survey to see how wild flowers are responding to climate change – ten members of Alton Climate Action Network’s nature group AVLAN were joined by Alton Natural History Society members who provided plant identification expertise.

They met in Alton town centre and went through streets, alleyways, churchyards and parks including the Flood Meadows. Plants flowering included groundsel, winter heliotrope, shepherd’s purse, trailing bellflower, daisy, annual mercury, snowdrop, aconite and hazel flower.