13 Feb BSG Ecology submits 61,038 Records to Local Environmental Records Centres
We have just finished our annual record submission to Local Environmental Records Centres (LERCs). The result is the highest number submitted to date; a total of 61,038 records to 35 different LERCs ranging in geographical spread from north-east Scotland to west Wales and Cornwall. We have now submitted 109,505 records to LERCs in the past two years alone.
To be able to submit records at scale has required innovation in data management protocols. Almost all of our survey data is now collected digitally. Our GIS team has developed code that attributes all records to LERC recording areas and allows data to be exported in a format compatible with that required by LERCs for straightforward data upload. This gets around the traditional consultancy challenge of finding the (non-chargeable) time to compile, check and issue data and is in line with the mission of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) which encourages members to “make scientific data and information publicly available whenever possible.” As ecologists, assisting the LERCs in building regionally representative species data sets that can be used to inform both development planning and conservation initiatives is very important to us. Hopefully other consultancies will be inspired to do the same.
“High-quality environmental data collected by ecological consultants is invaluable, not only for the specific project it was gathered for but also in understanding species distributions, ecological associations, and guiding future surveys. While some of this data is made available through the local planning system, it is often in a format that can’t be easily re-purposed. The data provided by BSG Ecology however can be quickly validated and integrated with our existing data holdings allowing it to inform future work almost immediately.” Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership
“The Derbyshire Biological Records Centre seldom receives records from consultants, so we truly appreciate it. Ecological consultants are the vital eyes on the ground, often accessing sites and habitats otherwise inaccessible. Consultants’ data submissions to the DBRC are important in building a comprehensive understanding of Derbyshire’s biodiversity. These records not only inform planning decisions and conservation strategies but also help track environmental changes and assess the impacts of development. The act of sharing your sightings with your LERC can lead to significant benefits in protecting our precious ecosystems. As we say at the DBRC, ‘If you don’t count it, it won’t count’.” Derbyshire Biological Records Centre
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