FIELD NOTES
NOVEMBER 2002 continued....
RECENT EVENTS
The New Management Committee
A list of the Management Committee members elected at the second Special General Meeting on the 9th October 2002 is included at the end of the newsletter.
HNHS and HMWT Join Forces For A Joint Recording and Monitoring Pilot Project On Trust Nature Reserves
Background
The Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) needs up-to-date and accurate biological records and carefully targeted monitoring of its nature reserves, in order to assess the effectiveness of its conservation management objectives and their implementation via management plans. Records are also valuable for publicity purposes.
Whilst a number of records are already collected from reserves, some in collaboration with the Herts Natural History Society (HNHS), a pilot project involving the HNHS and HMWT to explore and develop joint recording and monitoring on Trust nature reserves began in April 2002. The HNHS and HMWT are funding the project.
Objective
The objective of the project is firstly to identify the needs and aspirations of both HMWT and HNHS, in respect of the monitoring and recording of HMWT nature reserves. The second step is to develop a monitoring and recording programme, and 'test' it through a pilot programme on selected reserves. The project is also designed to harness the HNHS' expertise and promote greater recording on Trust reserves.
Recording and monitoring needs to be carefully prioritised and targeted to meet the Trust's requirements. At the initial meeting of the HNHS and HMWT it was decided to
run a series of 'study days' in the field to publicise the project and encourage people with a range of experience to get involved in recording and monitoring. A list of nature reserves and priority biological groups for monitoring was also drawn up by HMWT.
Study days
In consultation with HNHS, the Trust drew up a leaflet on the six study days, which was distributed with the HNHS newsletter, issued in a Press Release and sent to HMWT volunteers. HMWT also wrote to each County recorder to seek their involvement in the project.
The study days were scheduled with local experts covering birds, dragonflies, the flora of chalk grassland, butterflies, wetland mammals and bats and fungi. The five that have been held so far were well attended, with between 6 and 30 attendees. Half the study days were held at the weekend and half during the week to encourage a range of different participants. Each day generated a number of biological records from the reserves that were visited.
The study days encouraged participants to take part in field recording. Attendees were also encouraged to 'sign up' to as much or as little recording and monitoring on nature reserves as they felt capable of undertaking. Participants were also asked to submit any future records on reserves they might collect to HMWT. These will then be verified by County recorders before being input on Recorder 2000 and sent to the Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre.
The way forward
HMWT have appointed a project officer, Petrina Allen, to undertake the remaining phase of the project. The HNHS and HMWT will be meeting shortly to agree the way forward. In the meantime we would welcome your comments on the project.
Dr. Nick Michael
Conservation Manager
Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
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