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Field Studies CouncilSue Townsend
Biodiversity Learning [email protected]
http:// www.field-studies-council.org
Rich BurkmarTomorrow’s Biodiversity Project Officer
http://tombio.myspecies.info
Field notes of a training provider: joining the dots for biological recording training
FutureChallengesfor the NBN
Future Challenges for the FSC
Taxonomists... an endangered species!
Naturalist
Extinct 2020
Where we came from:key facts about us
Began in Dec 1943
In 2013 we estimate that there are over 150,000 visitor contacts at an FSC centre and over 7000 contacts at other sites, eg through OPAL
Now operates 19 Centres
Where we came from: Why on earth did it start?
A perceived need to get young people into the natural environment
A chance meeting between a forward thinking schools inspector and a representative of the National Trust
A chance to see ‘the real thing’
Where we are now: So what do we do? Provide courses for school groups,
universities, professionals and amateur learners
Lobby government in support of outdoor learning
Run a series of environmental projects
Produce identification publications
Where we are now:Customer Base
• Flatford Mill• Juniper Hall• Nettlecombe
Court• Slapton Ley• Amersham (Day)• Epping Forest
(Day)• London (Day)
• Derrygonnelly• Kindrogan• Blencathra• Castle Head• Malham Tarn• Rhyd-y-creuau• Preston Montford• Dale Fort• Orielton• Margam Park
• Millport
• Head office
• Titanic Quarter - Belfast
Where we are now: 19 FSC Centres in 2013
Access to a large number of skilled tutors
Well placed to run further training courses nationwide
Longstanding reputation
A network of successful field centres and contacts throughout the UK
A recognition that not all training courses are commercially viable
A recognition that the UK identification skills are patchy
An awareness that there is a reliance on volunteer data
Where we are now: Identification training & resources
Identification and recording resources
The level of ‘competency’ in biodiversity skills offered by teachers and students has declined over the past 50 years.
The commitment within schools and universities to whole-organism biology is continuing to decline.
Systematic monographs have transitioned through AIDGAP keys to fold out charts for identification. We published over 150,00 publications in 2013 - 96% were fold-out charts.
The current identification resource ‘landscape’ is becoming much more complex – including the exponential growth in electronic and social media
Where we are now: A changing customer base
Much of the existing capacity for biodiversity training is project-related with external funding streams eg HLF, DEFRA
Letting the market prevail has led to a significant shift in the balance of identification courses as compared to other strands eg geography/ environmental science etc.
Where we are now: Challenges to biological recording as part of FSC business
Our Vision
Partnership
• Work with all players in the recording community to ensure recorders are supported in the development of skills for identification and data submission.
Products
• Provide resources and support for tutors• Deliver identification training and mentoring• Develop identification resources• Consider how identification leads to records
Review
• Role out new resources• Monitor recording success
How we aim to get there:Recent FSC biodiversity projects
Biodiversity Training Project Heritage Lottery Fund
2006-2010
Invertebrate Challenge Heritage Lottery Fund
2011-2014
Biodiversity Fellowship Defra Fund for Biodiversity in the Voluntary Sector
2013-2014
Tomorrow’s Biodiversity Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
2013-2018
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
How we aim to get there: Invertebrate ChallengeMedium to high level training
Followed on from Biodiversity Training Project
Produced ten new Shropshire county recorders - Araneae, Collembola, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera (several groups), Odonata, Lepidoptera (micro-moths), terrestrial Hemiptera (two recorders), aquatic Hemiptera
Four had no taxonomic experience in the group for which they’ve become county recorder prior to BTP & Invertebrate Challenge
Much more than ID training
Regular working meetings at Preston Montford
Continued support from taxonomic experts
Five new Shropshire atlases: shieldbugs, craneflies, aculeate hymenoptera, micro-moths and longhorn beeltes
Annual conference (Shropshire Ento Day) – 70+ people
‘Official’ newsletter
How we aim to get there: Biodiversity Fellowship
ID training delivery FSC in partnership with recording schemes & societies
Subsidised training on under recorded taxa
75 courses – mixture of 1 day and 2-3 day
250 People attended one or more course
Supporting people 450 People signed up to be ‘FSC biodiversity fellows’
120 Joined a facebook group
Mentoring and support
Continuing engagement
How we aim to get there: Biodiversity Fellowship
Do you feel more confident to make accurate identifications & records since your involvement in Bio.fells?
RecordsIdentifications
Please estimate how many records you have submitted in 2013 as a result of Bio.fells trainingTotal: 13,598Mean for each of 116 respondents who attended a course: 117Mean for each of 64 respondents who had actually submitted records: 212
How we aim to get there: Tomorrow’s Biodiversity
Research and Consultation Two year research & consultation (plus pilots)
Focus on under-resourced taxa and habitats that have potential in biodiversity monitoring
Identify gaps in identification and monitoring skills & resources
Training & support Years 3-5 of project with early pilots
ID / protocol training & support network
Resources Provide new resources (e.g. AIDGAP)
Investigate and pilot multiple delivery platforms
http://tombio.mysepecies.info
How we aim to get there: Joining the dots
Biodiversity Fellowship
Biodiversity Training Project
Invertebrate
Challenge
Tomorrow’s Biodiversity
Future Projects
FSC
Natural
History
courses
NBN Gateway & iRecord National Scheme &
Societies
and County Recorders
Volunteers & citizen scientists
National agencies
Local Record Centres
Emerging - iSpot, Flickr,
ipternity, facebook,
MMU / FSC / BSBI
MSc
FSC will... Continue to support field naturalists Seek partners/supporters in individuals,
societies and agencies Promote field identification skills in all our
customer groups Actively encourage identifications to lead to
accurate records Develop further strategies to ensure
submission of data to NBN
