The Defra fund for biological recording in the voluntary sector (DBRVS) is now underway and attracting a significant amount of interest. The Defra fund is part of a funding programme established to deliver part of the published Government commitment in the Natural Environment White Paper to support the voluntary sector’s role in engaging with the natural environment and contributing to our understanding of its state and trends. The DBRVS part of the programme totals £398,000 over a three year period 2011 – 14 and consists of a series of projects, two of which have now been let.
The first of these projects was advertised in June and pilots structured surveillance of species recording in collaboration between Local Record Centres (LERCs) and National Schemes and Societies (NSSs). Natural England received 7 bids in response to its invitation to tender, of which 2 were successful. The successful bids were both led by LERCs: NBIS (Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service) in the East and GMEU (Greater Manchester Ecology Unit) in the North West. Both projects started in August and will pilot the use of online recording to capture multi-taxa volunteer data relating to key habitats via structured surveillance methods. NBIS will cover arable, lowland dry acid and lowland calcareous grassland habitats. GMEU will focus on Ancient Woodland. Both will provide initial reports at the end of 2012 followed by full field trials in 2013. All information gathered as part of this project will be shared with the NBN.
The second funded project seeks to develop skills and capacity within the recording community. This was advertised in July and was awarded to the Field Studies Council. Their project will involve a combination of face to face training; short residential courses; training in using iSpot for identification and iRecord for online recording and verification; active mentoring and provision of recorder support materials. It is aimed at creating sustainable models for capacity building within the volunteer community and will include a focus on under-recorded and s41 species. Work is due to begin early next month and will conclude in March 2014. As with project 1 all data recorded within the process will be shared with the NBN.
The other two projects are not yet out for tender. These will cover the following:
(i) Support the development and piloting of on-line recording with emphasis on support for validation and verification and migration from existing approaches to on-line recording (Project 3);
(ii) Support capital investment focusing on data capture, improvements to data management, and the adoption of existing tools to deliver ecological data products to users (Project 4).
More information on these projects will be provided in next month’s eNews publication.
Andrew Thompson
Project Manger Biodiversity Recording Fund, Natural England