NBN Records 100 Millionth Wildlife Entry
The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) has announced its 100 millionth record, making it one of the world’s largest wildlife databases.
The 100 millionth species record is Adalia bipunctata (2-spot ladybird) and was part of a dataset of more than 17,000 records from the National Trust’s Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire. The special ladybird was recorded by Peter Kirby.
The NBN gateway was launched just over a decade ago, with the number of species recorded having doubled since 2010. Users range from naturalists interested in the distribution of particular species, government agencies monitoring changes in populations of threatened or non-native species, researchers using data for analysis and the general public interested in the wildlife in their local area.
John Sawyer, NBN Chief Executive said: “This biological data is one of the most important resources for anyone learning about, caring for, or managing the UK environment,”
“Without the dedication of volunteers recording what they see we would know very little about the status of our wildlife, what is happening over time, whether a changing climate is having an effect and whether our conservation and restoration is making a difference.”
To find out more about accessing and sharing plant and wildlife data, visit the NBN website.
