CEDaR Activities

Local Recording Community

In Northern Ireland, we have a strong tradition of data collection by amateur naturalists. These volunteers have been essential to the early successes of the CEDaR project. CEDaR supports this network of local recorders by placing their records in compatible electronic databases. The availability of these records has provided CEDaR with comprehensive information on local biodiversity.

To assist with the collection and collation of local environmental records, CEDaR has facilitated the establishment of the Environmental Recorders' Group. The Group comprises 40 statutory and voluntary organisations, local societies and individuals. The Group holds regular meetings and a newsletter is produced. CEDaR also hosts regular seminars on aspects of environmental recording in Northern Ireland.

CEDaR has established a Northern Ireland Mammal Recording Scheme, which has facilitated the participation of the wider community in the collection of local biodiversity information. CEDaR also encourages and supports recording for atlas projects, both local and as part of national schemes (for example, Atlas 2000 Project and Butterflies for the New Millennium). Through CEDaR, links with local experts and identification workshops have also been organised.

Current projects include a series of volumes on the natural history of groups

• ground beetles
• non-marine molluscs
• larger moths
• mammals
• bryophytes

National Activities

CEDaR has developed close working relationships with the main statutory conservation agencies throughout the British Isles. This has led to CEDaR becoming a core member of the National Federation for Biological Recording (NFBR) Council and we now edit the NFBR Newsletter. The strengths of staff have also been recognised with the award of contracts to support and redevelop the terrestrial database Recorder. CEDaR's operational standards and practice have been used as a model for developing Local Record Centres within the National Biodiversity Network.