What is the National Polecat Survey?
This is the only dedicated national survey for polecats and calls on members of the public to submit any sightings of polecats. The survey will run until the end of 2025 and will be followed up bby a survey report of the national findings.
The National Polecat Survey is supported by other organisations including The Mammal Society, local mammal groups and biological record centres from around Britain through the sharing of polecat data.
Anyone can get involved
No prior experience is necessary, but you will need access to a computer or smartphone to submit your sighting. If you can, please send a photograph or video of the animal to help with our verification and recording.
VWT’s 'Report a Sighting' form
Welsh Ministers have recognised the nature emergency and are committed to protect and effectively manage 30% of the marine and 30% of the terrestrial environment in Wales by 2030. Those engaged in nature recovery, the so called ‘nature workforce’ are crucial to the delivery of this ambitious target.
But Welsh Government have limited information, so, we are undertaking a survey to try to understand the people, (roles, skills, qualifications, age profile, numbers etc) and the range of organisations that make up the ‘nature workforce’ in Wales. We have not yet specifically defined the ‘nature workforce’, because we do not yet know enough about the range of people, organisations and roles involved.
So, we are asking you to decide. You may be full or part-time, paid or unpaid (volunteer), in the public, not for profit, academic, third or private sectors.
If you think that you are contributing to conserve or restore nature, in a voluntary, or paid capacity, then please fill in the survey.
Nominations have opened for the NBN Awards for Wildlife Recording 2025!
These annual Awards celebrate the individuals, the newcomers and the groups of people or whole organisations that are making outstanding contributions to wildlife recording and improving our understanding of the natural world in the UK.
There are seven categories of awards:
· NBN Lifetime Achievement Award 2025
· NBN Verifier’s Award 2025
· NBN Young Person’s Award 2025 (open to individuals aged 11-20)
· NBN Newcomer Award 2025
· NBN Award for Marine Wildlife Recording 2025
· NBN Award for Terrestrial Wildlife Recording 2025
· NBN Group Award 2025
All too often the painstaking work that individual and groups of wildlife recorders undertake is not publicly recognised. So help us put that right, and nominate your unsung heroes!
Nominating someone for an award couldn’t be simpler, you just need to visit:
NBNawards25
and complete the appropriate nomination form(s) either online or email the completed MS Word document back to support
nbn.org.uk by 21 April 2025. Also, individuals and groups can nominate themselves!
An exciting new opportunity to join the North Wales Rivers Trust Team as a project officer. Looking for someone, practical, honest and self-motivated.
Closing date: 2nd February 2025
Salary: £46,746 per annum
Hours: This is a permanent contract, working full-time (35 hours per week)
Location: Home working OR option to work within a local workspace if preferred.
Closing date: Wednesday 22 January 2025 (9am)
As part of Cofnod’s commitment to being part of the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) we regularly share some of our data holdings with the NBN Atlas. Apart from specific datasets, we currently share data at 10km resolution and with minimal details (we do include recorder names as this ensures you are acknowledged as the provider of that record).
We will never share data which we believe is already held on or has an established route to the NBN Atlas (or any data supplied by National Recording Schemes or Societies or similar). For data that does not fall into that category, in recent years we have taken the approach of letting data suppliers know that any new data will be shared with the NBN Atlas unless they tell us otherwise. Data received prior to that has only been supplied where we had specific permission to do so.
In January 2025 we would like to supply another update to the NBN Atlas, to include all data that we believe is not already held there, unless you have told us previously that you do not wish your data to be shared. (There are a few exceptions to this, including any data collected by Ecological Consultancies).
Please contact us by 31/12/2024 if you do not wish us to share records you’ve submitted to us with the NBN Atlas and are unsure if you have told us this previously.
The book is in A5 format, PUR-bound with a plastic-coated cover and contains ~400 pages.
ISBN 978-0-9565750-6-7. Published by A.O. Chater, Aberystwyth.
Hardcopies cost £16 inc. p&p directly from Ray Woods, Ty Mawr Mill, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3SH.
Digital copies can be downloaded for free from the weblink.
Cudyll Cymru is a newly developed scheme which monitors raptors (birds of prey) in Wales. Learn more about the project and its vital work, and find out how to get involved – whatever your skill level and experience.