Projects Conducted by RECORD

At RECORD we are always seeking ways to improve the data we hold and to deliver products which are going to be helpful over a wide front - we strongly believe in the fact that sharing information brings far greater benefits than limiting access.

Current Project Links:


Projects Completed or Under Way

The premise of seeking for improvement in the data we hold has meant that we have been involved in a diverse array of projects, some of which have come to fruition and some which have not. Some of those which have been undertaken and completed, or are in the act of being worked towards completion, include:

  • Unlocking the Past - a project to find new sources for, and to bring in to the RECORD database, historic data from the Cheshire region to help put modern and more current data into context.
  • Mammal Atlas - a project where RECORD is working with others in partnership to deliver a Distribution Atlas of Mammals in the Cheshire region. It is expected that the publication of the atlas will stimulate further recording and will have an impact upon mammal conservation within the county.
  • A Cheshire region Gazetteer - this project is looking at delivering a gazetteer of sites and places within the Cheshire region in an attempt to standardise names and centroid grid-references to enable greater precision and accuracy of placement of records by all recorders and also to reduce the likelihood of errors in data due to lapses in reading and.or writing grid references.
  • Lowland Grassland Inventory Project - a project undertaken by RECORD for the NBN and DEFRA to produce a new inventory of quality lowland grasslands in the Cheshire region. These are identified to strict criteria set by the consorium. There has been scope for the identification of new sites.
  • Biodiversity Recorders Course - this project comprised a single, whole years course in biodiversity recording and survey techniques with lots of practical field sessions alongside the classroom teaching. It was run in partnership with Chester University College.
  • Bluebell BAP Report - a project funded by 'WREN' to produce an annual report of the progress of the Bluebell BAP group and their projects relating to the conservation and enhancement of English Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in the Cheshire landscape.
  • Digital Images Bank - a project funded by English Nature which allowed us to purchase a digital camera (Nikon 4500) to begin the development of a photographic library whereby the images could be used by local conservation and recording groups and individuals for the promotion of biodiversity in the Cheshire region. The current library of images have been used on a number of occasions by Local Authorities in the area for biodiversity promotion.
  • The Frodsham Forward Biodiversity Habitats and Species Audit - this project sourced extra information and led to the production of 2 large paper documents decsribing the wildlife habitats and the species within those habitats in the Parishes making up the Frodsham Forward initiative. Frodsham Forward is a North West Development Agency (NWDA) funded project to regenerate market towns in the Cheshire region. The data was also provided in electronic format and a CD / website developed from the information collated.
  • Count Me In! Project - a series of  biodiversity training and awareness sessions run in conjunction with Chester Zoo to bring in new recorders and to raise awareness of nature and wildlife with the younger people in the county.

Projects We Did Not Get Off the Ground:

  • Re-Phase-1 Survey of the whole of the Cheshire region - a dramatic amount of work was put into a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) bid to re-survey the whole of Cheshire (inc. Wirral, Warrington, Halton, etc. - the old pre-1974 boundary) to English Nature's Phase-1 Survey standard methodology. The last survey of the county of Cheshire was in 1984 when it was undertaken by Manpower Services (MSC) people. Sadly, the bid failed, but, we feel strongly that a re-survey using modern equipment to provide accurate placement of species target notes coupled with a digitisation of the previous 1984 survey is vital to see land-use changes over the intervening time period and to place modern species records into a habitat context. We will be re-visiting this project in the future!!

Why Are Projects Important to RECORD?

Projects are important to RECORD for two major reasons:

  • to enable us to improve and extend the data and information we hold about the Cheshire regions wildlife (species) and the habitats in which they live.
  • to bring in money to RECORD to enable us not only to produce the outcomes of the project itself but also to allow us to continue, through careful budgeting, to provide the core services which RECORD offers. It would be most useful if core funding costs could be completely covered by Service Level Agreement (SLA) funding from major partners (e.g. EN, EA, all Local Authorities in the area, etc.) but currently this is not the case despite the importance and value of biodiversity information being stressed in Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS-9) and the importance of LA's supporting the costs of running LRCs being promoted by the National Biodiversity Network (NBN), the Association of Local Government Ecologiists (ALGE) and Natural England (NE).

If you have a biodiversity related project which you feel RECORD can assist with, please do contact us on: 01244 383749.