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6000 species in 2026
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Wednesday, 3 December 2025 11:01
In 2026, I am going to use our fantastic website to 'pan-species year list', with the aim of reaching 6,000 species over the course of 2026. Now you might think that sounds utterly unachievable but looking at my 'blind year listing' efforts in 2023, 2024 and so far this year, it might just be achievable.
There's still lots that I see that I don't record every year, plants and marine groups especially. But even with this in mind, I recorded some 4,419 species in 2023 (and 2024 wasn't that different). Here's my PSL life list, my 2023 year list and a rough suggested target list for 2026 to get me to exactly 6,000 species. My 2025 list is on about 3,300 species, with just over 40,000 records entered this year (last year was over 60,000 records).
Now, I am a bit apprehensive about PSL year listing being a big thing (PSL is really a life long quest to see as much wildlife as you can over the course of your life). Regular year-listing could potentially detract from that - my blind year listing has been a good way of doing this for me. That is, I only know what my total is when everything has been identified at the end of the following financial year. However, I hadn't realised how annoying this must be for people year listing as they go. So, I am going to have one big blow out in 2026 and get it out of my system.
It's also a nice thing to do in the year that my book comes out (should be end of January 2026) as it will no doubt generate lots of stories. I am also going to be fundraising during this time for Sussex Wildlife Trust and there is a Just Giving page here. A target of £6000 seems as bonkers as the challenge itself.
The rules are going to follow the typical PSL approach to natural history. The challenge will not be finished on the 31st December 2026 though, but closer to the end of March 2027 (or whenever I finish all of the specimens I collect over 2026 - which for work alone is a lot of work that takes me all winter to complete). No more specimens will be collected after 31st December 2026 though. One rule that I will stick to is that every species must be recorded in my database. I will stick a new tab on my by blog which will track my progress. I will be itching to get out on the 1st January, so I hope we have good weather. I am so excited to attempt this!
Finally, a few side quests...
In addition to the above, I would like to try to achieve the following (although I might leave some of these 'blind' until the end of the challenge).
- 5,000 of the 6,000 species found and identified by me. I am happy to add things like fungi and other groups that I am going to struggle with but I want the bulk of the list to be of things I have found and identified myself, which reflects my pan-species list.
- 4,000 of the 6,000 species to be in Sussex.
- I am on 9,701 species as I write this, just 299 species away from the mythical 10,000 species mark, so I expect to get there at some point in the second half of 2026.
- Visit Scotland at least once. It will have been 19 years by then!
Could this get any more AuDHD?! I will be having a very quiet year in 2027. Well the last nine months of it.
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