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LOG IT – DON’T LOSE IT!
Most
of us know that our wildlife is under pressure from modern-day
development. Even without
reading a newspaper, many people will tell you that hedgehogs, sparrows,
newts, slow-worms, etc., were more common a few years back.
The UK government and EU have begun to tackle the threats
to our wildlife and countryside with new legislation but can the rest of
us do anything to help?
During
the last two decades, a network of biological record centres has
gradually spread across the country.
With one record centre per county, their aim is to collect and
store information on local wildlife
and habitats. The status of
the local wildlife and any changes in populations can then be
determined and the information used by decision-makers and other people
with an interest.
The
information is readily available to local authorities, planners,
conservation organizations, academics, local naturalists and the general
public.
In
order to provide up-to-date information, each record centre needs a
constant stream of wildlife information going in.
Simply put, how can a species be protected if they don’t know
where it is or if it is in decline?
This
is where we can all help by taking note of the wildlife we see, either
out in the countryside or in and around our gardens.
All records of wildlife will be welcomed by record centres, not
just those of rare and threatened species.
Showing the health of different habitats and changes in
populations is important for focusing conservation efforts.
The
new Kent & Medway Biological Records Centre (KMBRC) recently opened at Tyland Barn, near Maidstone, and is
rapidly building up a database for Kent’s wildlife and habitats.
Everyone in the county can now help to safeguard local wildlife
simply by passing on any biological records to KMBRC.
But
what is a biological record? Basically,
it consists of the four ‘w’s: who, what, where and when.
Who
– the person who made the observation, preferably with contact details
in case further information is needed.
What
– the bird, plant or animal that was seen with as much detail as
possible, e.g. ‘a thrush’ is acceptable but ‘a song thrush nesting
in a hedge’ is better.
When
– the exact date if possible but it can be as vague as month, season
or year.
Where
– the location of the species. The
address and postcode if it was in a garden or the nearest location if
not, i.e. the name of a road, wood, or park.
KMBRC
would like records of all wildlife in Kent, including foxes,
butterflies, fungi, grass snakes, etc., but the centre appreciates that
it’s not always practical to make a note of everything you see, (just
think about how many birds you see in a week!)
So to keep it simple, you could limit the records to summer
visitors in your garden or just to sightings that particularly interest
you, such as seeing a water vole, common darter dragonfly or a kestrel.
If
you would like to find out more about biological recording and help to
protect Kent’s wildlife, visit the KMBRC website at www.kmbrc.org.uk
or contact the record centre on 01622 685646 or info@kmbrc.org.uk.
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