We have a network of volunteer recorders, who are experts on specific groups of species and collate and co-ordinate records and are willing to assist with identification of the more unusual species. Their contact details are below:
Chair of the Recorders? Committee
Ronni Edmonds-Brown
Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB
Email:
Amphibians and Reptiles
Dr Jenny Jones
23 North Road, Hertford, Herts SG14 1LN
Email:
Amphibian and Reptile records are of particular interest at present as starting in 2015 and continuing until 2019, we are running a countywide survey of Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians with the aim of updating the distribution atlas published in 2001. For further information please contact the atlas team.
Ants
Phil Attewell
69 Thornbury Gardens, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1RD
Email:
Aquatic Beetles and Aquatic Bugs
Dr Stuart Warrington
8 Redwoods, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 7NR
Email:
Bees and Wasps
Stephen Lings
Email:
Beetles
Vacant
Birds
Alan Gardiner & Bird Club Records Team
199 Watford Road, St Albans, AL2 3HH
07966 983 033
Email:
The Herts Bird Club Records team includes, Alan Gardiner (Bird Recorder), Mike Ilett (Herts Rare Birds Panel), Tom Speller (Data Manager) and a team of volunteer helpers
Bugs: Terrestrial Heteroptera
Joe Gray
Contact Joe here
Butterflies
Andrew Wood
93 Bengeo Street, Hertford, Herts SG14 3EZ
Email:
Caddis Flies
Ronni Edmonds-Brown
Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB
Email:
Crustacea and Fish
David Johnson
c/o Environment Agency, Apollo Court, 2 Bishops Square, St Albans Road West, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9EX
Email:
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Roy Woodward & Darren Bast
62c High Street, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Herts EN8 0AH
Email:
Fungi
The Herts and Beds Fungi Group
Email:
A team of volunteers and experts from the Herts and Beds Fungi Group maintain the data and records for Hertfordshire fungi and respond to mycological enquiries.
Geology
Mike Howgate
Email:
Grasshoppers, Crickets, Cockroaches and Earwigs
Ian Carle
c/o Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust, Grebe House, St Albans, Herts AL3 4SN
Email:
Lacewings and allies
Revd. Tom Gladwin
99 Warren Way, Digswell, Welwyn, Herts AL6 0DL
Email:
Leeches and Flatworms
David Johnson
Environment Agency, Alchemy House, Bessemer Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 1HE
Email:
Lichens
Andrew Harris
136 Trowley Hill Road, Flamstead, St Albans, Herts AL3 8DZ
Email:
Mammals (including Bats)
Jenny Jones & Chantal Helm
23 North Road, Hertford, Herts SG14 1LN
Email:
Mammal records are of particular interest at present as starting in 2015 and continuing until 2019, we are running a countywide survey of Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians with the aim of updating the distribution atlas published in 2001. For further information please contact the atlas team.
Mayflies
Patrycja Meadows
c/o Environment Agency, Apollo Court, 2 Bishops Square, St Albans Road West, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9EX
Email:
Moths
Colin Plant
14 West Road, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM23 3QP
Email:
Spiders
David Willis
Email:
Stoneflies
Dr Ronni Edmonds-Brown
Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB
Email:
True Flies (especially Syrphids)
Dr Malcolm Aldridge
Clunie Cottage, Ayot St Lawrence, Welwyn, Herts AL6 9BX
Vascular plants
Alla Mashanova and Ian Denholm
Email:
Other groups
Herts Environmental Records Centre
c/o HMWT, Grebe House, St Michael's Street, St Albans, Herts AL3 4SN
Email:
Please send records of any groups or species not listed above to the Hertfordshire Environmental Records Centre.
Recent News
'Lockdown birding' yields highest haul of Herts records
An entire night huddled in the garden listening for over-flying ducks, leaning from a bedroom window to hear Whimbrel and an extravagant cry of 'YES!' on sighting a Starling were among the more eccentric moments of 'lockdown birding' recalled at the 2021 Herts Bird Conference on Saturday 20 March.
Yet despite outdoor movement restrictions in response to the Covid pandemic, the number of species seen in Hertfordshire in 2020 is expected to equal the 198 recorded the previous year and may – once rarity verfication is complete – pass the 200 mark.
The conference, jointly organised by the Herts Bird Club and British Trust for Ornithology – drew an online audience of over a hundred who heard how the lockdown had stimulated bird watching and recording, even though travel was largely banned. No fewer than 23,000 records were submitted – an increase of 6,000 on the previous highest total.
Wildlife Recording in the Urban World
The National Forum for Biological Recording's online conference on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 May focuses on urban wildlife recording – from birds to 'under-appreciated' groups like slugs
https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/courses/national-forum-for-biological-recording-2021-conference/. It costs just £5 to sign up for the full programme.
Hertfordshire Naturalist online supplement
Two interesting papers that were held over for a year from The Hertfordshire Naturalist 2020 are now available online as a pdf download.