All About Grid References

Much historic species data from prior to 1950 is still available in old natural history society journals but all of this data gives rather vague ideas of where the animal or plant was actually seen (e.g. 'Warrington', or even 'Cheshire').  Now it is possible to be much more accurate in the placement of records.  In fact, using a hand-held GPS, it is possible to generate OS grid-references down to a couple of square metres accuracy.  This improved accuracy increases the value of the data for a wide range of uses.

Information on the distribution of our animals and plants is extremely valuable in determining how we use our available space both for these organisms and for ourselves.  The most accurate method of showing where these animals and plants have been seen/observed is by the use of an Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference. 

For those who have never come across this before it sounds very complicated but it is in fact an easy concept to grasp - a grid reference gives an exact point on a map and is the only point with that set of letters and numbers in the whole of Britain - this makes it easy to find exactly where the sighting was made.  Below is given a 'beginners guide' to reading map references - if you have never used them before this is a good place to start before preparing your records and sightings for submission.  If you can provide a grid reference with your observations of the animals and plants which you send in as records it will help greatly in plotting the various organisms on distribution maps in the future.

Thank you.