Transcript Local Records Centres - National Biodiversity Network

NBN Conference 2012
Complex Mosaic
or Patchy Mess?
The current picture of Local Records
Centre data
Tom Hunt – ALERC National Coordinator
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
Who are ALERC?
• The Association of Local
Environmental Records Centres
• A CIC, formed in 2009, to represent
LRCs and share knowledge and best
practice amongst them
• 12 Directors, all working for LRCs
• 1 Member of staff, the National
Coordinator
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
What are LRCs?
• Local Environmental Records Centres, or just
Local Records Centres
• Collate species and habitat records from local
sources (e.g. recording groups) and submit data
to NBN Gateway
• Interpret data for local authorities and developers
• Connect wildlife recorders to local, regional and
national wildlife organisations
• Hosted by WTs, LAs or completely independent
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
The Role of the National Coordinator
• Supporting LRC engagement in
projects led by the NBN Trust and
Natural England
• Managing the ALERC Accreditation
System
• Facilitating communication between
LRCs and their stakeholders
• Funded mostly from Defra – NBN
contract
• In post since January 2012 – moving
from RECORD, the LRC for Cheshire
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
Working with NBN and NE
• “Adoption of tools to improve the provision of
ecological data products to end users”
• “Raising awareness for the wider adoption of online recording by LRCs and ecological
consultants”
• “Exploring the integration of existing on-line
recording systems as part of a wider national
system”
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
Working with NBN and NE
• Communicating with LRCs to ensure a
smooth transition to the new data access
controls on the Gateway
• This means
• Providing feedback from LRCs on the
new interface
• Making sure LRCs know what is
required to ensure continued full
access to data by large clients such as
NE
• Making sure LRCs can continue to
access Gateway data at full access
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
Working with LRCs to improve standards and
consistency
The problem:
• LRCs have been set up over a long period of
time and to different models
• LRCs have different levels of support from local
partners
• Local recorders have differing attitudes to data
sharing
• All this can lead to LRCs of different sizes and
with different levels of expertise
• This in turn means that not every LRC can
meet expectations all of the time
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
For example…
Picture courtesy of James Lindsey at Ecology of Commanster
It’s not always easy to persuade badger
groups to share data, but some LRCs have
managed
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
• This situation undoubtedly results in patchy
coverage of the badger data available to
ecological consultancies and planners
• ALERC are able to work with consultants,
LRCs and species groups to find areas of best
practise and spread them
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
What might a typical LRC database look
like?
Data courtesy of RECORD, the Biodiversity Information System for Cheshire, Halton, Warrington and
Wirral
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
Working with consultancies
Consultancy questionnaire provides a snapshot of
LRC service provision
Variability
•
•
Data holdings appear variable within LRCs and between LRCs
Service provision appears moderately variable
LRCs have evolved over different time scales and with different levels of
support, so variability should be expected
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
ALERC - Working towards best practice
• Accreditation
• Minimum standards for organisation,
• For data custodianship,
• For service provision
Two accredited LRCs so far, more in 2012
• Sharing tools and ways of working
• Website section devoted to tools database
• ALERC Conference
• For the first time there is someone dedicated to
coordinating this
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
ALERC - Working towards best practice
• Working with NBNT
• Advocacy of online recording a web services
• Ensuring LRC attendance at NBNT workshops
• Working on IEEM workshops with NBNT on
biodiversity data
Working with other organisations
A single point of contact for Government and public
bodies
• Providing representation on behalf of LRCs
• Inputting on consultations
• Providing an LRC point of view at steering
groups, meetings and seminars
Advocating LRCs
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
Conclusions
• By interfacing between LRCs, and by interfacing
between the LRC community and its stakeholders,
the ALERC National Coordinator post is able to
develop the LRC network and help individual LRCs
develop themselves.
When viewed in
isolation…
A series of individual points that make a
blurred and incomplete impression
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
When
viewed as a
complete
entity
A clear picture for people working at local,
regional and national level.
Complex mosaic or patchy mess?
The current picture of LRC data.
www.alerc.org.uk
[email protected]
@ALERC_NC