THE Barn owl Trust at Ashburton needs you! It is looking for volunteers to help check sites known to be occupied by barn owls to find out about the population in Devon.

Ten years ago the trust established many sites where the owls live and hunt and enabled subsequent conservation work to be done.

Since the 1930s, the barn owl population has dwindled by 70 per cent, but Mark Green, conservation officer for the trust, is optimistic. But he stressed that volunteers were vital in helping the trust with the 2003 census.

Anyone who wants to get involved should contact the Barn Owl Trust on 01364 653026 or e-mail at [email protected]">[email protected].