Biological records are the cornerstone of wildlife
conservation. A comprehensive database of records allows us to understand
species distribution and identify species which may be present at specific
locations. This level of understanding facilitates conservation work and
supports biodiversity planning. It allows us to ensure that species at threat
from development are identified and action taken.
I once heard the manager of a local record centre say that,
if the records held by his centre were anything to go by, the rarest mammals in
their county were Rabbits, Moles and Grey Squirrels! Most recorders focus on
rare or interesting species and overlook the everyday. Yet the decline of the
once ubiquitous House Sparrow is a reminder that we need distribution data for
all species.
I used to keep a notebook in my car, so whenever I saw a
roadkill Fox, a Badger running out of the headlights or field signs whilst walking
the dog I could make a note of it, to submit to a record centre. But the
sticking point was recording an accurate location: getting a grid reference
meant finding my location on a map or getting a GPS out and waiting for it to
get a fix. With the best will in the world if a record takes several minutes to
make then I am less likely to make it: I'm only human!
The Mammal Society recently launched a project to create a
new atlas of mammal distribution in the UK. This long overdue project will give
us distribution data of a type that was last updated two decades ago. I hope my records will make a
small contribution to this project. If everyone with a smart phone in their
pocket and an interest in natural history did the same the Mammal Society would
have a great deal of extra records to work with, perhaps resulting in better conservation
decisions over the coming decade.
The Record Wildlife app is available for iPhone and Android.
Best of all, both apps are free to download from Android Market and iTunes.
Record Wildlife website: www.recordwildlife.co.uk
National Mammal Atlas Project: www.mammal.org.uk/nmap
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