How SxBRC can help your biological recording event

Biological recording events and bioblitzes can be a great way to involve the public in recording wildlife and collecting records for under recorded sites.

For general information on running these events you can find information on the UK bioblitz website.

SxBRC standard support

Examining the moth trap at a bioblitz event at Gatwick Airport
Photo:Rachel Bicker

SxBRC offers the following services free of charge to non-profit environment groups and organisations to support biological recording events in Sussex:

• Request a data search through our data request service. This will provide you with all of the biodiversity records for the site that have been shared with SxBRC. This can be helpful for identifying recording gaps to help boost the site species list on the day, and give an idea of species to look out for if there are good records for the site. If a site has no records, we can take a look at what’s been recorded nearby to give an idea of what species groups you might look for. Please be sure to let us know that you’re running an event when submitting the request.
• Maps of the site boundary with grid references. Useful for events where sites cover a large area, or where people are invited to record on their own.
• Event recording sheets - Sheets for both events and individual recorders to use on the day. Following the event you are welcome (and strongly encouraged!) to return any recording sheets to us for entry into the SxBRC database.
• Add your event to our online calendar/newsletter If the event is also open to the public, you are welcome to add it to our events calendar which is visible on the front page of our website and goes out in our email newsletter. We can also promote the event through our social media.
• Identification support - If you’re looking for help on the day with identification or running certain events, where appropriate we can put you in touch with local recorders who might be willing to assist you.
• General advice - if you have a basic outline for the day and what you are hoping to achieve, SxBRC can take a look and make some suggestions, or if it’s early in the planning stages we can offer some general guidance on what kind of event would work for the site and target audience.

Please ensure you give us plenty of time to put any of the above together before your event.

SxBRC enhanced support

On occasion, we have also supplied the services listed below, staff time is charged at our standard daily rate. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any of these.

• Co-ordination of records on the day - Usually events will have a ‘hub’ where all the species data gets collated and give ‘live updates’ on how many records and species are being recorded, how many records are new, what’s rare and so on, which provides some motivation to increase the number of records and a general place for ID. SxBRC can help manage the information.
• iRecord training - if the organisers are interested in learning about online recording, SxBRC can run an introduction to using iRecord through the desktop site and mobile apps. This more appropriate for local groups who want to encourage more people to submit records for the site than for family-focussed events.
• Talks - for a more general introduction to biological recording before or during the event, SxBRC can give a presentation on biological recording.

If you have any questions or would like to speak in more detail about the services SxBRC can provide, please get in touch: loismayhew@sussexwt.org.uk