Recording Invasive Species Counts
Under the NBN’s contract with Defra we will be launching Recording Invasive Species Counts (RISC), a project to engage the public in monitoring non-native species on 22nd March 2010.
The aim of this project is to build on the success of the Harlequin Ladybird project, which has been successful, primarily, because of the involvement of the public and volunteers in registering their sightings and which helps to gather valuable information on the distribution of the species.
The Harlequin Ladybird is only one of many Non-Native Species now in the UK. This project has selected six other Non-Natives with which to engage the public and from 22nd March they will be able to record their sightings online.
A key aspect of the project has also been to work with national societies and schemes in terms of their involvement in the project and the suitability of the shortlisted species.
The six species have now been chosen and they are:
- Muntjac
- Water primrose
- Chinese Mitten Crab
- Tree-of-Heaven
- American Skunk Cabbage
- Zebra Mussel
The exact details of the launch are being confirmed, but we are delighted to have received mention in the March issue of CountryFile magazine in a feature they are running on Non-Natives and we receive fuller mention on their website.
This project will supplement the larger non-natives project, Great Britain’s Non Native Species Information Portal, that runs under the Non Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) – www.nonnativespecies.org/recording to find out more and to start recording soon!