Ever been out walking after your Sunday lunch, listening to all the birds and admiring the wild flowers? Ever looked out of your window at the woodland up on the hill and wondered what wildlife was hidden from view? Do you love the natural history surrounding the area where you live, and wish to share the knowledge with others?
If the answer to some or all of the above is ‘Yes’ then you may be interested in the Local Patch Initiative, which consists of guidelines developed by BRERC to help guide recorders through the process of gathering wildlife records.
The report takes you through the four main stages required, namely:
1. Identifying a survey area
2. Gaining access permission where necessary
3. What and how to record
4. Submitting your records
The emphasis is on recording the wildlife that you as an individual can easily identify (everything from Bluebells to Blackbirds and Oak Trees to Orange Tips). Explanations are included on the services BRERC can provide to you as a recorder and why it is important to record species at a six-figure grid reference resolution.
The report is written from a personal point of view from my own experiences, and includes a case study that shows the huge gains in knowledge that can be made available from just a couple days of pleasant observing and note taking!