Finding and identifying snails - can you help?

[KForsey]

I am loooking for some help in finding and indetifying snails in the beautiful surroundings of The Arboretum Trust, Kew at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire.
I have just joined the trust as Education Development Officer and I would really like to develop a snail based activity for children. Before going too far down this path I would first like to find out if we have any snails here. If there is anyone who can offer advice or help and would like to visit us for the day to help me look for snails then I can offer free entry to the arboretum and plenty of tea and buscuits. More information on the arboretum can be found at www.kewatch.co.uk and I can be reached on [e-mail].

Many thanks, Katherine.

[apple]

If I lived there I would love to help you. But I can give some sort of advice:
Snails are usually more easily found there in Uk when is spring.They seem to be far more numerous when they come out from their resting period, i.e, on the early spring Most european species lives near the soil or on the leaflitter near the big leave plant stems,bushes, mossy surfaces or under stones,logs... They are seen also on the agriculture places, but with no intensive production, only biologic or semi-abandoned ones. They come out when it´s wet and pleasant, I would say a minimum of about 8 celsius, (below that they are more rare to see), it´s enough to see a lot of them crawling.
They love to crawl also on the walls.

Good luck.

[kforsey]

Thanks for your advice Apple. It will come in very usefull if I go looking for the snails without the guidence of an expert!