Developing BRC
Current Activity
We work in partnership to help improve the quality of species recording in order to support local and national uses. We provide a national capability to support and encourage biological recording for a wide range of plant and animal groups. We apply innovative use of technology and science excellence to help national societies and recording schemes improve how data is collected, made available and used. Together, we aim to record where species are distributed and understand how this is changing.
Key Outputs
Long-term support from BRC and others has helped establish over 80 recording schemes and societies; no other region across the globe has such a wide taxonomic breadth of recording activity. The key outputs from biological recording are detailed throughout this booklet. A key achievement has been the publication of atlases, data and other online resources which have enabled a wealth of subsequent uses to support conservation and research.
David Roy, current head of BRC
Photo: Paul Fisher, CEH.
Senior and long-serving members of staff at BRC (1964-2010)
| Person | Period | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Franklyn Perring | 1964-1978 | Botany & Head of BRC |
| John Heath | 1967-1978 1979-1982 |
Zoology Head of BRC |
| Diana Scott | 1969-1979 | Data manager |
| Mike Skelton | 1970-1978 | Zoological support |
| Henry Arnold | 1972-2008 | Scheme support & Data manager |
| Jane Croft | 1978-2001 | Botanical support |
| Dorothy Greene | 1979-1989 | Data manager |
| Paul Harding | 1979-1982 1982-2003 |
Zoology Head of BRC |
| Val Burton | 1982-2008 | Data input & archives |
| Brian Eversham | 1983-1997 | Zoology |
| Mark Telfer | 1997-2002 | Zoology |
| Trevor James | 2001-2008 | Scheme development |
| Nick Greatorex-Davies | 2002-2008 | Butterfly Monitoring |
| Jon Cooper | 2002-2008 | Informatics |
| Gavin Broad | 2003-2007 | Zoology |
| Mark Hill | 2003-2010 | Head of BRC |
| Peter Brown | 2005-2009 | Scheme support |
Current staff
Many CEH staff contribute towards the work of BRC; they are listed on our staff page
Future Challenges
It is a priority to maintain existing capacity for recording species across a broad range of taxonomic groups to provide the evidence needed to tackle ongoing environmental issues. Partnership with expert naturalists helps this capacity to grow and adapt, increasing the value of biological recording for understanding environmental change. The value of recording data is enhanced through innovative use of technology and analytical methods, plus integration with other data sources on the ecology of species and the physical environment.