Recording the wildlife you see...

The Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Records Centre (WSBRC) provides a central reference point for environmental information on geology, habitats, sites and species.  Visit WSBRC website.

Sending in your wildlife records to the WSBRC or becoming a volunteer monitor, helps the WSBRC establish accurate records of the distribution of different species throughout Wiltshire and Swindon.  This is particularly important when it comes to BAP species, which by their very nature are rare or suffering population decline. By establishing their distribution, conservation efforts can be best targeted, and progress can be measured.

Your Records!
All environmental records are important, from the most common to the rare, from flocks of birds in the air, to fish in a river – all of these encompass what Biodiversity Swindon is all about – Biodiversity!

The WSBRC would love to hear about the wildlife that you’ve seen – whether it be the robin that you see every day in your garden, the Peacock butterfly that you see on your afternoon walk, or the squirrel in your local park.  The case of the house sparrow illustrates how important it is to record those species which may appear common…(see HP for her stats)

There are four essentials to remember in order to provide the WSBRC with really useful records
- What is the species? Give its Latin name if you know it, but the English name (if it has one) will be sufficient
- Where did you see it – give as precise a location as you can, a six figure grid reference, postcode, or precisely described location. Click here for information on how to work out a grid reference.
- When did you see it – day, month, year
- Who saw it – the name of the recorder

Records can be sent to the WSBRC by post, email, or by using the online recording form.
Post – WSBRC, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Elm Tree Court, Long Street, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1NJ
Email: brc@wiltshirewildlife.org 

Link to online wildlife recording form – opens in new window
Download an Excel spreadsheet to use for multiple recordings - ***kb

As well as giving your detailed records to the W&SBRC, tell us your highlights from this month for our bulletin board!

Visit the featured species pages to find out what wildlife is out and about this month in Swindon!

Volunteer monitoring schemes
Recording the wildlife and ecology of the same site over a number of years (monitoring) helps us to understand how that environment is changing. If enough sites are regularly monitored, we can begin to build up a picture of the changing face of Wiltshire. This is where you could make a real contribution!

- River monitoring
- Protected road verges
- Hedgerow recording
- Living churchyards and cemeteries
- County recorders

Joining the Wroughton volunteer hedgerow survey scheme will help us towards meeting the Swindon BAP target of 30km of hedgerow surveyed (Hedgerow Action Plan, target HG2).

Tree recording

Veterans
One of the key priorities of the Swindon BAP Veteran Trees and Parkland Action Plan is that there should be no loss of parkland and veteran trees within Swindon Borough.  So that this can be achieved, the WSBRC needs to know the type and location of veteran trees in Swindon – we need your records!

Veteran trees: trees which because of their great age, size and condition, are of great value in the landscape or for wildlife.

Many parkland sites have strong associations with veteran trees, and such trees are important for a whole host of wildlife. 
- Hundreds of different species of insects and spiders depend totally on very old trees, feeding on decaying wood, fungi and each other
- An oak tree starts to become really good for bugs and beetles at around 250 years old!
- Fungi play an essential part in the lives of our ancient trees.  They cause the tree to decay, producing the hollows and holes that are so important to wildlife.  Ancient trees often have rare mosses and lichens growing on their bark.

Fill in the special ancient tree recording form online here and send it in to the WSBRC.  If you aren’t sure if the tree you have found is ancient, collect some information about it and we should be able to tell you the answer – a picture will help us identify it as well!

For more information on veteran trees see:
The Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Hunt website and the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Forum.
http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/ancient-tree-hunt/index.htm
http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/ancient-tree-forum/

Natives
In order for appropriate action to be taken to ensure the protection and management of areas where native tree species exist, the WSBRC needs to know where these trees are. Your records will directly help us to meet targets set out under the Swindon BAP Woodland Action Plan.  Examples of native tree species that are at risk and which support BAP priority species, are Black Poplar and Wild Service.
Investigating this part with the BRC

Water Vole Recovery Project
Another scheme you could join to help monitor Swindon’s wildlife, is the Water Vole Recovery Project at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.  After receiving training, volunteers go out in pairs to survey Swindon’s rivers and streams, looking for signs of this elusive creature.  If you are interested in becoming a water vole surveyor, the next set of training days will be held in April-time.  Contact the Swindon Volunteers Officer at the Wildlife Trust to put your name on the list by using the email box below.
By becoming a volunteer water vole surveyor, you can help towards Swindon BAP target: WL7 – Wetland target number 7 – To monitor water vole populations using a network of volunteers.