Tools, resources and publications
Reports
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2024
The Trustees who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2024
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2023
The Trustees who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2023
NBN Trust Annual Impact Report 2022/23
This review of our work and impact during the last year focuses specifically on our four strategic ambitions, which are helping us to “make data work for nature”. However, although we are moving in new directions as part of our strategy, our core focus remains on providing excellent support for the NBN Atlas, the Network itself and iNaturalistUK. This Impact Report shows how we are doing all of this and more.
A word from our Chair, Neil Hodges
“Our exciting 2022-2027 strategy to achieve our vision is well and truly up and running thanks to the tireless efforts of staff at the Trust and partnerships with many organisations and individuals across the National Biodiversity Network who share our vision. Whether that is with biodiversity data providers and users, or receipt of support from funders, the Trust team has achieved great things and is having a meaningful impact.”
A word from our CEO, Lisa Chilton
“This was a year of new beginnings for the Trust: a new strategy, new partnerships and projects, new staff and new directions. While our core business of bringing together people, organisations and data is unchanged, the political and environmental context is always evolving, and we must evolve too.”
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2022
The Trustees who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2022
NBN Trust Annual Impact Report 2021/22
In a change to previous Annual Reports, this review of 2021/22 has a specific focus on looking at the impact we have made during the year.
For a charity, impact is everything. It’s why we exist, it’s how we attract funders and supporters, and it’s what motivates our team to strive for more. But for a charity like us, a charity that provides a behind-the scenes service to the entire conservation community, it can be difficult to demonstrate our impact in a meaningful way. We’ve started to do this and with you, our partners, we’re sure we can do even more in the future to show our collective value and impact.
Some words from our Chair and CEO
Chair – Neil Hodges
“Stabilise. Renew. Springboard. Those are the words that come to mind as I look back over the year…The state of nature in the UK makes it ever more important that we renew and accelerate the work of the Trust and the National Biodiversity Network…In partnership, stability and a springboard for success should help us to overcome the challenges faced by the natural world as we renew our efforts in championing biodiversity data”.
CEO – Lisa Chilton
“Wildlife data is essential for making good decisions for nature. It’s why we’re here. It’s why our charity was created 22 years ago, and it’s why our role is more important now than ever…In this year’s Impact Report, we’ve included partners’ testimonials and new insights into the data held on the NBN Atlas. We’ve also started to explore the stories behind the data, but there’s much more we can do, and we hope you’ll work with us in the coming year to share your stories and shine a light on the impact of accessible biodiversity data”.
NBN Trust Annual Report 2020/21
This review of 2020/21 focuses on the NBN Trust’s 20th anniversary. It not only highlights our work over the last year, but also looks back at highlights from the last 20 years. It also demonstrates how we have worked together in partnership across the Network during that time.
Hints and tips for optimum viewing of the Report
The design of the Report makes it a fully interactive document, with easy navigation through the different sections. The interactive PDF is best downloaded and viewed in Adobe Acrobat.
You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software, for your desktop computer or laptop
You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader App , for Apple or Android devices
If viewing in your browser, you may want to select the links to open in a new window so you can keep your place in the document.
Download the NBN Trust Annual Report 2020/21
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2021
The Trustees who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2021
The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review
“We are facing a global crisis. We are totally dependent upon the natural world. It supplies us with every oxygen-laden breath we take and every mouthful of food we eat. But we are currently damaging it so profoundly that many of its natural systems are now on the verge of breakdown.
Today, we ourselves, together with the livestock we rear for food, constitute 96% of the mass of all mammals on the planet. Only 4% is everything else – from elephants to badgers, from moose to monkeys. And 70% of all birds alive at this moment are poultry – mostly chickens for us to eat. We are destroying biodiversity, the very characteristic that until recently enabled the natural world to flourish so abundantly. If we continue this
damage, whole ecosystems will collapse. That is now a real risk.
Putting things right will take collaborative action by every nation on earth. It will require international agreements to change our ways. Each ecosystem has its own vulnerabilities and requires its own solutions. There has to be a universally shared understanding of how these systems work, and how those that have been damaged can be brought back to health.
This comprehensive, detailed and immensely important report is grounded in that understanding. It explains how we have come to create these problems and the actions we must take to solve them. It then provides a map for navigating a path towards the restoration of our planet’s biodiversity.
Economics is a discipline that shapes decisions of the utmost consequence, and so matters to us all. The Dasgupta Review at last puts biodiversity at its core and provides the compass that we urgently need. In doing so, it shows us how, by bringing economics and ecology together, we can help save the natural world at what may be the last minute – and in doing so, save ourselves”.
Taken from the Foreward to the Dasgupta Review by Sir David Attenborough
Mapping the Species Data Pathway-Connecting species data flows in England
The UK Geospatial Strategy sets out a commitment for the Geospatial Commission to identify how improved access to better location data can support environmental outcomes. Part of Mission 2 in the strategy is to improve access to better location data. To support this mission, the Geospatial Commission’s Data Improvement Programme sponsored a study to look at the costs, benefits, and management of species data in England. It presented options to make species data more consistent, joined up and accessible for end-users by encouraging FAIR data principles. This is the full review.
The Executive Summary and Technical Summary and Recommendations can be found here
NBN Trust Annual Report 2019/20
This review of 2019/20 focuses on “Consolidation”. It not only highlights the work of the NBN Trust, but also reinforces the Network working in partnership to support the NBN Strategy 2015 – 2020.
A few words…
A few words from our Chairman and our Chief Executive Officer.
“Peculiar and distant. That is the way it feels to be reviewing a pre-Coronavirus year from the perspective of a world that has received a pandemic jolt…. In fact, 2019/20 was a good year for the NBN Trust. The Trust’s CEO, Dr Jo Judge, and her team have pushed forward a myriad of important tasks and we have benefited from some financial stability afforded by the funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for which we are extremely grateful. In particular, in this report you will see the strides made in consolidating key aspects of the Trust such as the continued development of the NBN Atlas” – Neil Hodges, NBN Trust Chairman
“Out of a number of presentations I made about the NBN Trust and Network in the UK, one I particularly enjoyed was at the Data Science Festival in London in April 2019. This provided engagement with a new audience, raising awareness of the whole Network and the data that are shared by the Network via the NBN Atlas to those who use data in innovative ways. Subsequently we have had three data science masters’ students undertaking projects with the NBN Trust, using the NBN Atlas data…” – Jo Judge, NBN Trust Chief Executive Officer.
Hints and tips for optimum viewing of the Report
The design of the Report follows that of last year making it a fully interactive document, with easy navigation through the different sections. The interactive PDF is best downloaded and viewed in Adobe Acrobat.
You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software, for your desktop computer or laptop
You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader App , for Apple or Android devices
If viewing in your browser, you may want to select the links to open in a new window so you can keep your place in the document.
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2020
The Trustees who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2020.
NBN Trust Annual Report 2018/19
This review of 2018/19 focuses on “Our Year”. It not only highlights the work of the NBN Trust, but also reinforces the Network, our partnership ethos and our work as a member organisation to support the NBN Strategy 2015 – 2020.
Hints and tips for optimun viewing of the Report
The design of the Report has been updated to make it a more interactive document, with easy navigation through the different sections. The interactive PDF is best downloaded and viewed in Adobe Acrobat.
You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software, for your desktop computer or laptop
You can download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader App , for Apple or Android devices
If viewing in your browser you may want to select the links to open in a new window so you can keep your place in the document.
A few words…
A few words from our new Chairman, our Chief Executive Officer and our outgoing Chairman.
“A key role of Chair is obviously the governance of an organisation and at the top of the governance tree is an effective board. It will make my role so much easier that the team of current Trustees has a great mix of talents and is a balance of new members with new ideas and experienced members who, as I have already appreciated, bring the much needed qualities of tried and tested wisdom” – Neil Hodges, NBN Trust Chairman
“Over the course of 2019/20 we will be investigating the possibility of providing income generating services in collaboration with data partners and developing the NBN Atlas to allow us to provide those services. The aim is to bring in new income for both the NBN Trust and the data partners” – Jo Judge, NBN Trust Chief Executive Officer
“And that is where the major challenge for Jo and the NBN Trust Board now lies. A sustainable financial model for the NBN Trust is essential; otherwise the UK loses its leadership in this field, which should be unthinkable for a country with our tradition for understanding and recording our wildlife” – Michael Hassell, NBN Trust outgoing Chairman
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2019
The Trustees who are also Directors for the puposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2019.
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2018
The Trustees who are also Directors for the puposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2018.
NBN Trust Annual Report 2017 / 18
“We have been delivering a technical infrastructure for the NBN and have sought to provide what the constituent parts of the Network want in relation to the NBN Atlas. As part of the development of the NBN Atlas, we have also been reviewing where we need to take it next in order to respond to user feedback and, of course, to meet user needs.” – Michael Hassell, NBN Trust Chairman.
“Away from the NBN Atlas, in collaboration with our members, we have been able to make great progress on a number of aims from the NBN Action Plan. We have reached agreement on the standardisation of verification terms and developed sensitive species lists for use across the Network.” – Jo Judge, NBN Trust Chief Executive.
In this “Year of Delivery”, we look at progress against the Strategic Aims from the NBN Strategy 2015 – 2020 and NBN Action Plan. We also take a closer look at the NBN Secretariat team, as well as hearing from some of our members regarding what being a part of the NBN means to them. The usual financial information is also included.
Biological Survey – Need & Network
Biological Survey – Need & Network is a report from a Working Party set up by the Linnean Society in 1988, under the Chairmanship of Professor R J Berry.
The document is the result of concern about the state and lack of co-ordination of biological recording in the British Isles, expressed at two open meetings (at Leicester, 13-14 September 1984, organized by the Biological Curators’ Group, and a follow-up in London, 7-18 April 1985) which led to the formation of a National Federation for Biological Recording and a request to the Linnean Society for a comprehensive review of biological recording.
CCBR Report
The impetus to set up the National Biodiversity Network finally came from the Biodiversity Action Planning process, following the 1992 Rio Summit and a report from the “Coordinating Commission for Biological Recording” which led a number of organisations in the UK to come together in 1997 to pool resources to build the NBN and simplify data exchange in the UK. Hence, this report could be seen to be the start of the National Biodiversity Network.
NBN Annual Report 2016 – 17
“Across the Network I would like to thank our data partners and all those who provide their records to be freely and openly shared, the NBN and the NBN Atlas wouldn’t exist without you.” – Michael Hassell, NBN Chairman
“…the direction of travel towards the expectation of more open data poses some challenges, but I believe there are also opportunities associated with open data for our network.” – Dr Jo Judge, NBN CEO
This review of 2016 – 2017 highlights the work that has taken place over the last year to support the NBN Strategy 2015 – 2020. It is fair to say that the major work for the year focused on the lead up to the launch of the NBN Atlas, our new data sharing infrastructure. Whilst linked most directly with Strategic Aim 4, the NBN Atlas work cuts across all of the NBN’s Strategic Aims and has required us all to adapt our ways of working and to take new opportunities arising from the changes it brought. We are committed to the NBN Atlas delivering a long term, sustainable and successful platform to suit all our needs.
Along with the reports from the Chairman and Chief Executive this annual review includes reports from a cross-section of our members to highlight their part in the Network and what it means to them. There are also the usual Financial reports and Administrative information.
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2017
The Trustees who are also Directors for the puposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2017.
NBN Annual Report 2015 – 2016
“It is particularly exciting to see the NBN Atlas Scotland unfold; this is the first step in the NBN Atlas Project for the whole UK that should transform our biodiversity infrastructure” – Michael Hassell, NBN Chairman
“I will maintain the priority to engage with partners and members to build a stronger Network and greater collaboration between those within the Network” – Dr Jo Judge, NBN CEO
“We must create a landscape we can be proud of and one in which a new generation of biological recorders can enter, inheriting the skills and knowledge of our diverse Network and continuing to realise and harness the power of our collective biodiversity data holdings” – Rachel Stroud, Interim CEO
This review highlights work that has taken place over the last year to support the aims of the NBN Strategy 2010 – 2020 and the NBN Action Plan 2016 – 2020.
Along with the reports from the Chairman, Chief Executive and Interim Chief Executive, this annual review also has a word from a cross-section of our members to highlight their part in the Network and what it means to them. There are also the usual Financial reports and Administrative information.
NBN Financial Statements 31 March 2016
The Trustees who are also Directors for the puposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2016.
NBN Conference 2015 – report on proceedings
On 19th and 20th November 2015, just under 180 delegates from biodiversity organisations, local environmental records centres, recording schemes, government bodies, students and individuals all concerned with biodiversity data and biological recording came together at the Lakeside Conference Centre in York for the 15th NBN Conference.
For the first time in its history the Conference ran over two days and moved away from London, which had been its home for all previous NBN Conferences, to York.
NBN Annual Report 2013 – 2014
“The existing strategy needs to be periodically reviewed in this way, not because I believe in change for change’s sake, but rather to ensure that the NBN is meeting changing needs, and also to allow us to review our response to the evolving technical and policy landscape” Michael Hassell – NBN Trust Chairman
This review of 2013 – 2014 highlights how the NBN Trust, along with all Network participants and members, is working to achieve the Network’s vision of “making all biological records freely and easily available to everyone”.
NBN Conference 2014 – report on proceedings
‘Climate, Collaboration and Collection – Informing the new conservation agenda’
The 14th NBN Conference, held in the Royal Society, London on Friday 21st November, was a chance to bring together 170 delegates representing the diversity of the NBN to discuss the new direction of travel, catch up with colleagues from across the Network, listen to a series of thought provoking talks and most of all, celebrate how far we have come and talk about the future of the National Biodiversity Network under the new NBN Strategy.
NBN Annual Report 2014 – 2015
“The need for collaboration has never been greater as we set about implementing our new Strategy and Action Plan” Michael Hassell – NBN Trust Chairman
This review of 2014 – 2015 highlights work that has taken place over the last year to support the aims of the NBN Strategy 2010 – 2020, but with a forward look to what the new NBN Strategy 2015 – 2020 means for the Network, its members and for the critical need of good quality data to support conservation efforts across the UK.