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Recording Wildlife
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Recording and studying wildlife and sharing the results of our work for the public benefit is the main focus of the YNU's activity.  The records we collect can be shared with local environmental records centres as well as many national recording schemes, and can be made publicly available via the National Biodiversity Network Atlas on request. 

It is absolutely vital that data and information about sites, species and habitats are used to inform environmental decision-making at a local level, notably forward planning, development control and the identification of sites of conservation importance.  This article from The Naturalist (140:1090 pp.187-189) explains the importance of an up-to-date evidence base to inform local decision making, and outlines the problems that can arise when data are not made available. 

The YNU believes that Open Access to biodiversity data is essential, except in cases where this might result in environmental harm.  The YNU signed the Bouchout Declaration for Open Biodiversity Knowledge Management in 2014.

Our recording area is the 'old' county of Yorkshire which consists of 5 vice-counties.  Click here to view or download a map of the area.

Online RecordingiRecord 360x600

The Yorkshire Naturalists' Union recommends the use of iRecord, which has superseded our old website recording system.

The goal of iRecord is to make it easier for wildlife sightings to be collated, checked by experts and made available to support research and decision-making at local and national levels.  Join iRecord and share your sightings with the recording community, explore dynamic maps and graphs of your data and make a real contribution to science and conservation.        

Yorkshire's Local Environmental Records Centres: