Guidance and advice for sharing BioBlitz survey data within the UK

The BioBlitz concept has really taken off in this, the International Year of Biodiversity, which means the collection of more valuable species data. To that end, the National Biodiversity Network, Natural History Museum and OPAL have produced the following guidance for anyone involved in a BioBlitz.

The guidance aims to ensure that the wealth of species data resulting from events like BioBlitzes are both useful and used. It will also help BioBlitz organisers to show the route of the wildlife data from collection through to end use. This will be of interest to those taking part, since it will show how their data are incorporated into a national database and hence made available for conservation and related purposes.

Recording wildlife

The OPAL Guide to Running a BioBlitz contains a range of advice on how best to record wildlife during your BioBlitz, but here are some key hints and tips:

 Read the NBN’s Darwin Guide to Recording Wildlife. This gives some simple, straightforward advice to help anyone who has not been involved in recording wildlife before.

 Using a generic recording form will be useful to help standardise the data that are received. Experienced recorders will often have an existing recording system they would like to use, but there is also a standard recording form, which can be used to record any species found.

 If you cannot identify an organism to species level, don’t worry. Just record it at whatever accuracy you are confident of. You can then seek help in its identification (see below for more information).

 Some organisms will need to be dissected to be identified. Think about whether you want this to happen, but don’t shy away from explaining the need for it, or for collecting voucher specimens. Remember to obtain collecting permission first (where relevant).

Are there experts to help with species’ identification?

Identifications made by expert naturalists will be self-verified and reliable. However, since BioBlitzes are aimed at the general public, it is inevitable that the quality of some identifications will be less certain. This is okay as long as a care note is added to such records. Better still, try to get an expert to check them. The best advice is to involve your local environmental record centre, natural history society or recording schemes and ask for their help with the identification of species. These people are experts and will ensure that the species found are correctly identified, which in turn means that the data will be reliable. Involving as many local specialists as possible is a great way to share expertise and inspire participants.

Asking participants to photograph what they find can also help with verifying the species.

The NBN has produced a Guide to Improving Wildlife Data Quality, which will also be of use.

If expert help for the identification of species is not available at your event, then make the most of online forums. As part of OPAL, the Open University has developed iSpot (www.ispot.org.uk), a website to help beginners learn how to identify wildlife. On iSpot, people can upload digital photos or descriptions of the species they’ve seen, and are encouraged to try identification themselves. Others can show agreement with the suggested identification, or add an alternative if it’s not correct. This can be a great resource for a beginner. You can also upload photos to the Natural History Museum’s online identification communities, where they will be identified by Natural History Museum experts and other forum members. This website is particularly good at giving clear advice where you do not have a supporting image.

What should you do with the data collected during the BioBlitz?

It’s important to make the most of the wildlife data that your BioBlitz gathers, both as an end output and as a reason for people to get involved in the first place. You don’t need a complex records database to hold the observations you make during the BioBlitz – an easy-to-use spreadsheet and trained people to enter the information will suffice. See The OPAL Guide to Running a BioBlitz for the types of information that you should capture.

The end point for the data you collect should be the NBN Gateway. Data are shared through the Gateway by many organisations and it makes an easy access point for anyone wishing to view and use the information. Before the data are made publicly available they need to be checked by experts who can verify the accuracy of the identification. It is vital that the records are made available to organisations such as national recording schemes and local environmental records centres to ensure the records are validated, verified and made available for use. The easiest way to get your BioBlitz records stored securely, verified, shared with all relevant organisations and passed on to the NBN Gateway is to enter the records into the wildlife recording site iRecord: www.brc.ac.uk/iRecord. If you have internet access at your BioBlitz site, recorders can enter their records and photos as they go along. If not, the records can be input or uploaded from a spreadsheet after the event. You may wish to set up a data entry form on iRecord especially for your BioBlitz, or you could simply use the standard iRecord form for recording multiple species at a single site. For information on how iRecord can support your BioBlitz, contact [email protected]

The NBN was founded on the belief that wildlife records should be easily accessible to support non- profit decision making, education, research and other public benefit purposes. You may find it useful to read the NBN Data Exchange Principles which provide the foundations for data sharing across the NBN.