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Erica ciliaris
Photo: Bryan Edwards |
2004 sees the end of the SW Pilot for the National Biodiversity Network. This
three year project has provided the impetus for DERC to look at and review a number
of our policies and procedures. Much of the work has been aimed at formalising and
streamlining the flow of data from recorders to users, and common standards across
organisations. Some of the ideas have been very valid and we shall be looking at
these again in the future.
The highlight will be the formal launch of the NBN Gateway in the Spring.
Due to our involvement there are a number of data sets for Dorset already on the Gateway
for subjects as diverse as Hawkmoths, invasive aliens, Dorset Heath
(Erica ciliaris) and Ross Coral. In addition Priority habitats maps for Dorset
and the other counties in the south-west will be on line. The advantage to the Gateway
is that it will allow people to see data (sometimes your data) either in a Dorset
context, against other data about the county, or as part of a regional/national data
set. To find the Gateway follow this link:
www.searchnbn.net.
Spring is also a time for new publications. Data for the Dorset Rare Plant
Register is currently being collated. Thank you to everyone who contributed.
It will be available in time for the new recording season. We are also editing the next
Recording Dorset, which will include articles and updates on recording across
the county. All publications will be advertised on this web-site as soon as they are
available.
In this newsletter I am very pleased to include an article by Tony Allen. Tony is
a beetle expert who has worked with DERC for many years. Here he highlights two new
species for Britain. If there are any other recorders who would like to contribute
to the DERC newsletter, I would be pleased to hear from you.
Carolyn Steele (Record Centre Manager)
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Dorset Environmental Records Centre
