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Why record wildlife?

There are as many different motivations as there are wildlife recorders. You may find your own motivation over time, but three broad reasons are outlined below:

1. For Conservation
Knowing where species occur is vital to conserving them. Certain species are legally protected, nationally listed as conservation concern, or identified as locally important. A list of these species can be found here. The presence of these species can directly bear on the planning process. In addition, our database is searched every day by our partners in local authorities, statutory bodies, wildlife organisations and others, for species records to guide conservation actions.

 

2. For Research
Natural systems are changing, species are on the move. As the climate shifts we are seeing new species arriving here from the continent, we may also see an increased rate of decline of our native flora and fauna. Biological records, largely created by volunteers, play a crucial role in tracking these changes, so we can mitigate them and help to restore ecosystems. Large datasets of species records over long time periods can be combined into large studies that show us how distributions and populations are changing over time. These studies rely on records of all species in a taxon group, another reason it is important to record even the seemingly common species. National findings from biological records are summarised in the State of Nature report, or on a more local level, the Carmarthenshire State of Nature report. You can learn more about the various monitoring schemes for different taxon groups here.

 

3. For Yourself
Getting out in nature is great for your wellbeing and recording wildlife is a great way to do that. It is a fun way to learn more about the natural world, connect to your local patch, and you can keep track of your growing knowledge with our recording website. You may discover your curiosity keeps growing too!