DECIDE: Recording nature where it matters
Visit the DECIDE Tool for recorders to identify places with a high priority for making records. It is in active development, so please give feedback via the Tool.
Nature is in long-term decline in the UK, which has detrimental impacts on people and the environment. The UK Government has committed to reverse this trend and Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan provides a vision for restoration.
To achieve this, we need high-quality, detailed information on biodiversity. Through citizen science, the UK’s community of tens of thousands of volunteer wildlife recorders make irreplaceable, vital contributions to understanding the national state of biodiversity. But there are gaps in recording, at national and at local scales, and we need high-quality, fine-scale information to make good decisions for nature and the benefits that nature gives us. Where can people visit to make records that will be most informative?
The people and organisations who need to use biodiversity information don’t simply need more records - they need better and more accessible information. Data-users, such as planners and policymakers, need biodiversity information to make better decisions, whether for a country, a region or a location. To meet this need, we must move from basing decisions on species records alone to instead using comprehensive models that show how species distribution and habitat quality are linked.
If you are a recorder interested in helping us to design tools to support your recording, or a data user looking for support in the best use of biodiversity information, or just generally interested in hearing more about this project, please sign up to receive occasional emails and find out how you can be involved.
