One of the things that the OBRC encourages is the recording of the wildlife that you see around you every day. It is not always the rare visitor that is the most important species to record but rather the recording of species around us that can build a comprehensive picture of the natural world that we live in. This knowledge in turn will aid in the decisions, which may affect habitats and species, on and around Orkney.

To make a record we need at least four basic pieces of information:

• What – The name of the plant, animal or insect. Common name and/or preferably the scientific name.

• Where – The location at which the sighting was made. This should be if possible the nearest name to the sighting on an Ordnance Survey map, along with a 6-figure grid reference.

• When – Date of the record, ideally written as dd/mm/yyyy.

• Who – Name of the recorder. If someone identified or confirmed the record for you please include their name.

Any other information that you give will add to the value of the record e.g. the habitat where it was found, number seen, male or female, stage of life cycle or behaviour. If the data is confidential please let us know.

Records can be submitted by downloading this Excel Recording Spreadsheet and either e-mail or post to the OBRC, Orkney Library & Archive, 44 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AG.

For terms and conditions for submitting records to the OBRC click here.

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