Up until the end of the first quarter of 2005 our on-going survey results have all been held on a Microsoft Access Database, and transferred to Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets for export to other parties such as the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SxBRC). This has enabled us to remove personal details (name) from the records in compliance with the data protection act However, this system is not compatible with any other biological recording system, and consequently the information is hard to pass on for others to use. In particular this limits our ability to effectively transfer information to the SxBRC, and importantly import information from them. During recent discussion and meetings with Charles Roper of SxBRC it has become clear that individuals and organisations have been surveying our wood for a number of years, and some of those records are not available to us.

The consequence of all of this is that we will be using Recorder 2002 to collect our information in the future. Recorder 2002 provides a gold standard in biological recording, and is the tool used by many of the Recorders in Sussex. It will enable us to share information with SxBRC in a much more streamlined manner. It also provides a number of features, which have previously been unavailable to us. For instance, it provides Latin names automatically when common names are added to the list It also
enables more detailed information to be recorded, such as the time of the recording and the weather. The software is very powerful, if a little daunting, but will enable us to interrogate the system and draw up reports.

Generally this is likely to be a very positive step for the Woodlanders, but it does mean that our records will no longer be made anonymous. Members (and non-members) contributing to the survey need to be aware of this fact Personal details will not be made widely available, but they will be shared with SxBRC, and possibly with specialist species recorders for Sussex. They will not be made available to any governmental or commercial organisation.

Having said this please keep your reports coming in to me. If you have any queries about the survey, or would like to get more involved in specialist surveys contact me on 01273 493316. A survey report form is published in this copy of The Woodlander.

- by Malcolm Knight