The table shows the number of adults and children who took part in a wildlife survey in Britain in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.
Overall, total participation rose sharply over the period, despite a slight fall in 2007. Adults made up the larger group in every year except 2009, when the figures for the two groups were equal.
In 2001, 48,000 people took part in the survey, including 36,000 adults and 12,000 children. By 2003, the total had increased markedly to 248,000, driven mainly by a rise in adult participation to 212,000, while the number of children also grew to 36,000. The upward trend continued in 2005, when total participation reached 364,000, as the number of adults peaked at 332,000, although the figure for children fell slightly to 32,000.
In 2007, the total number of participants decreased marginally to 362,000. This was due to small declines in both groups, with adults falling to 331,000 and children to 31,000. By 2009, however, total participation rose significantly to 540,000. Notably, the number of children increased sharply to 270,000, matching the figure for adults, which had declined to the same level.