Highland naturalists lead the way despite crisis
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A recent analysis of wildlife records across Britain has shown the importance of recording by Highland Biological Recording Group.
A holiday company has commissioned an analysis showing what species have been recorded in all local authorities across the country: (https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/biodiversity-in-britain/).
A whopping 16,273 distinct types of plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms have been recorded in Highland - 2,052 more than second-placed Gwynedd in Wales.
It's largely due to the efforts of a small, but enthusiastic, group of naturalists in the Highland Biological Recording Group, who are amongst the most active in the whole of the country.
All their data are available through the NBN atlas, which allows public access to wildlife observations across Britain, and is used by scientists, naturalists, students, developers and government agencies.
Indeed, HBRG have now contributed around 250,000 records to the national database, a testament to the skills and effort of amateur naturalists in the demanding environment of the Highlands. HBRG works with two similar neighbouring voluntary groups, ABRec (covering Argyll and Bute) and OHBR (covering the Western Isles) to document nearly half of Scotland’s land mass.
Together they record not only what is already present but also the spread of recent newcomers to the area, such as the Saxon Wasp (pictured) and the Tree Bumblebee.
Whilst current restrictions are limiting recreation in the countryside, this has not stopped local naturalists, although they are now concentrating on recording closer to home. Murdo Macdonald, the HBRG database manager, said: “The Highlands offer a huge opportunity for anyone interested in wildlife to make new and exciting discoveries, sometimes in their own back gardens. Even in the current difficult times, valuable data can be gathered, often without even leaving the house. Visit our website to find out how you can help”.
Stephen Moran, chair of HBRG, said: “It’s great to see how much use people are making of our data. We’re grateful for the funding that the three groups have received from SNH since 2004, which has enabled us to make this rich information source available to everyone”.
The Highland Biological Recording Group was established in 1986 to:
stimulate public interest and involvement in biological recording;
collect data on Highland wildlife through surveys;
publish the results in an annual newsletter and special publications;
maintain a directory of local specialists and recorders;
transfer data to and from National Recording Schemes.
The National Biodiversity Network, collaborative partnership created to exchange biodiversity
information, oversees and facilitates the development of the Network, has a membership including many UK wildlife conservation organisations, government, country agencies,
environmental agencies, local environmental records centres and many voluntary groups.
The NBN Atlas is an online tool that provides a platform to engage, educate and inform people about the natural world. It will help improve biodiversity knowledge, open up research possibilities and change the way environmental management is carried out in the UK: the combination of the multiple sources of information about UK species and habitats, and the ability to interrogate, combine, and analyse these data – in a single location – has never been done on this scale.
