Products & Services

GiGL’s Digital Community

GiGL’s Digital Community

These days, many nature enthusiasts take to social media to communicate, connect, share, entertain and inspire. Here at GiGL, we’ve been part of this digital community via our online social media platforms for many years…

Informing development in London

Informing development in London

The updated figures on our Data Searches and Planning webpage give information on planning applications informed by GiGL data search reports in each Local Authority, which provide an indication of how well (or not) biodiversity data are used to inform development in London. We are a long way away from the ideal 18% but there are some Local Authorities that are doing better than others…

GiGL’s new data search reports

GiGL’s new data search reports

GiGL’s data search reports are an authoritative source of information on London’s natural environment and are key components when assessing the potential ecological impact of development projects. We constantly strive to improve our services, and as a response to feedback the GiGL team has been working on a series of bigger changes which we are happy to announce have just launched in collaboration with eCountability…

Biodiversity net gain pilot projects

Biodiversity net gain pilot projects

The biodiversity net gain (BNG) process is quite complex and GiGL is keen to support our SLA partners and clients…The aim of this project is to create a BNG baseline for each area that can be used as an indication of its biodiversity value…It has been a great experience working with our partners on this project and we have definitely learnt a lot

GiGL’s Habitats: Preparing for Biodiversity net gain

GiGL’s Habitats: Preparing for Biodiversity net gain

From swathes of grassland and woodland in parks and nature reserves to tiny mosaics of vegetation on derelict land, London is a complex patchwork of different habitats. At GiGL we are working hard to prepare our habitat data for mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) this winter …

Ecological Network Mapping

Ecological Network Mapping

Uncovering Greater London’s ecological networks will play a vital role in influencing land management and habitat expansion decisions, focusing local recording effort and directing community participation. We hope that our maps will be useful not only for identifying current networks, but also highlighting opportunities for creating new ones…

Re-DiscoverLondon

Re-DiscoverLondon

We hope that you’ll enjoy using DiscoverLondon, whether you’re looking for information on a specific site or are just interested in wandering the virtual streets to see what you can find. We also hope this update will help us reach new audiences and make it easier for everyone to connect with their local area…

London’s New B-Line

London’s New B-Line

B-Lines are pathways that link up existing pollinator friendly habitats which can be used to focus efforts of habitat creation and restoration along their length. Hopefully over the coming years we will see a real increase in pollinator numbers from the establishment and influence of the B-Line network.

GLA 10 Minute Walk map

GLA 10 Minute Walk map

In his manifesto the Mayor pledged to ‘improve London’s network of green corridors and open spaces so that more Londoners live within a 10-minute walk of a green space’. In order to make this happen, the Mayor first needs to know what areas within London are more than a 10 minute walk from a green space. That is where GiGL, as London’s Local Environmental Records Centre, comes in.

Open Data

Open Data

The open data movement is inspiring and exciting, but for it to work for the environmental data sector it needs long-term and significant investment in our local, regional and national data infrastructure…

The importance of high quality natural spaces for well-being

The importance of high quality natural spaces for well-being

Our findings are important because they demonstrate the potential benefits of conserving existing natural spaces and developing new high quality ones in deficient areas for both the environmental and our well-being. They also show that the SINC network is not only important for London’s nature, but also for individual well-being in the city …

Volunteering at GiGL

Volunteering at GiGL

“Volunteers have always been a key part of GiGL, whether they’re working hard to help us get through the mountains of data that we receive or participating in large online projects digitising record cards. Volunteers feature as an important branch of GiGL’s network along with our partners, staff and advisors that are vital to our function as an Environmental Records Centre…”

Introducing GiGL’s new POSAoD maps

Introducing GiGL’s new POSAoD maps

In June 2021, GiGL’s Database Officer Amy introduced you to the updates we’ve been making to our Areas of Deficiency (AoD) models, starting with Areas of Deficiency in Access to Nature (SINCAoD). Now it is the turn of GiGL’s Areas of Deficiency in Access to Public Open Space (POSAoD) maps, which will be released to our SLA partners in April as part of GiGL’s Data Exchange.

GiGL’s Spaces to Visit dataset

GiGL’s Spaces to Visit dataset

… as part of GiGL’s commitment to provide a benefit to our community we created the Spaces to Visit dataset in April 2020. This is a subset of GiGL’s Open Space dataset that provides a source of information on the locations of open spaces in Greater London that are available to the public as destinations for leisure, activities and community engagement. It also includes green corridors that provide opportunities for walking and cycling …

LERCs: it’s not always about data

LERCs: it’s not always about data

Even though LERCs are mostly associated with biodiversity data, they often provide services that are not strictly related to the data they hold and manage. Below are just a few examples of the wealth of non-data resources available through the records centre community…

Digitising Orpington Field Club

Digitising Orpington Field Club

It is not very often that we get asked to help digitise the archives of a natural history society so we were excited when the Orpington Field Club approached us to see if we could help. After saying yes, we received a visit to our office from two members of the Club who came with a trolley full of paper newsletters and annual reports detailing the work and life of this organisation from the 1960s to 2014…

Planning for Better Biodiversity Outcomes

Planning for Better Biodiversity Outcomes

A whole year has passed since the “Biodiversity Evidence – Better Outcomes from Planning” project began. The project aims to support London’s Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to achieve better outcomes for biodiversity through the planning process. We started by finding out how biodiversity is currently being taken into account and about the challenges faced. The information collected then informed the production of resources and training for use by LPA planners as guidance when looking into biodiversity matters of development projects…

Information is Beautiful

Information is Beautiful

Data is dull, isn’t it? It’s just a load of facts and figures collected together, a series of ones and zeros that don’t seem to be worth paying much attention to. But when it is presented in the right way data really comes alive. It is possible to convey a whole story in just one image that is simultaneously accurate, revealing and persuasive…

Mapping Dragons

Mapping Dragons

The GiGL team were trying to think of a fun way to celebrate April fool’s day. What map could we generate and share with our community? After deliberating on the usual mythical candidates we settled on the idea of dragons; thinking to ourselves that there must be data out there that we could use to create a fun map…

It takes a team to create a report

It takes a team to create a report

GiGL’s flagship report, the ecological desktop study, presents a snapshot of the GiGL Partnership’s knowledge of a site or an area. The report is the culmination of a lot of time and effort to collate information about the whole of London; so we wanted to lift the lid on the process of what goes into creating this report…

Show & Tell: The new GiGL habitat database

Show & Tell: The new GiGL habitat database

This summer has been an exciting time for GiGL as we have been working on a brand new habitat database. Our legacy habitat datasets (we’ve never had a habitat database) have served us, our partners and our stakeholders incredibly well but the diversity and coverage of having this new database will provide greater opportunities to better monitor, understand and improve the habitat landscape. It has the potential to revolutionise the ways in which we can study the natural environment in London and we are confident this database will better support both The Mayor’s London Environment Strategy and the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain. Brace yourselves – here’s everything you need to know about this exciting new project.

Knowles Knows: Areas of Deficiency (AoD)

Knowles Knows: Areas of Deficiency (AoD)

Emma is GiGL’s Partnership Officer. Drawing from her experience working with GiGL partners, research students and the community over the years, Emma will be answering frequently asked questions and explaining commonly misunderstood terms in this new article series. In this article: What is AoD? So what exactly are SINCs and POS? Why do we measure AoD? How is AoD used? How is AoD measured?

Being a GiGL SLA partner

Being a GiGL SLA partner

Partnership is used to describe relationships, business associations and cultural collaborations. Partnership is about sharing and shared endeavours. To GiGL, our partners are organisations who have a stake in London’s natural environment and the data that illuminate it…

Discover-London with GiGL’s new interactive map

Discover-London with GiGL’s new interactive map

The outdated iGiGL, GiGL’s previous online mapping facility, has been retired and we’re now delighted to present a new way to view London through our updated discovery map www.gigl.org.uk/discoverlondon …

Mapping London’s Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land

Mapping London’s Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land

CPRE London have recently published a report on London’s Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), for which GiGL provided our expertise, including data analysis, visualisations and maps. The report aims to raise awareness of MOL and provide information on its distribution, along with that of Green Belt…

Show & Tell: Mobilising Paper Records

Show & Tell: Mobilising Paper Records

Every new technology brings with it new advantages and challenges. So it has been in the world of species recording. Phone apps, websites and online recording have allowed a streamlining of the process from observer to database. Records can be uploaded at the click of a button…

Shared Learning

Shared Learning

Because GiGL is a not-for-profit community interest company, we often make information available for students without charging for our time. GiGL can provide relevant data that would otherwise be inaccessible …

iRecord, You Record

iRecord, You Record

Recording wildlife has never been so popular. With the advent of smartphones, wildlife recording apps, simple online ID guides, and even bird song ID apps, everyone from seasoned bird watchers to first-time kingfisher-spotters can keep track of their wildlife sightings …

Show & Tell

Show & Tell

Identifying areas of the highest environmental value is useful for many borough planning initiatives. One good way of doing this is by mapping green and ecological corridors. The London Borough of Redbridge approached GiGL in 2014 to discuss modelling green corridors in the borough.

Planning Ahead

Planning Ahead

Having produced numerous reports for screening planning proposals over the last 20 years, GiGL is in a unique position to analyse how well boroughs are meeting their biodiversity screening duties. With this in mind, and hoping we can assist them in improving the efficiency of this process, we have started a new planning project.

A New Vision

A New Vision

Interpreting data has always been part of the suite of services the GiGL team offers, as has presenting data on maps, and who doesn’t love a good map?Recently, we have been captivated by the power and beauty of data infographics and have started dipping our toes into other visualisation opportunities.

Data Search Service

Data Search Service

Recently, we have made a major change to our data search process and are now working in partnership with eCountability, an external agency set up by Bill Butcher, formerly of Somerset Environmental Records Centre. Bill and his team will deliver our data search reports for us. The reports are essentially the same as they were but are now streamlined …

Recording Analysed 

Recording Analysed 

Records centres like GiGL can do more with biological records than you may imagine. Collation and provision of data and data products is, of course, very important. However, analysis of existing records can also inform future recording efforts.

Our Best Assets

Our Best Assets

Information is a valuable asset. Its value is fundamental to our role as London’s environmental data custodians and is one of the core principles that drive our data management strategies and policies. We strive to be a good quality source of open space and biodiversity data that can be used as an evidence base for decision making. GiGL do not own most …

Structuring Surveillance

Structuring Surveillance

We at GiGL are always striving to increase the number of records we hold by encouraging more people to get involved in recording, and by supporting existing recorders in carrying out surveys and encouraging them to share records with us. Previous GiGLer articles have looked at some of ways in which we work with recorders, recording societies and the general public to this end.

Citizen Science

Citizen Science

Citizen science is not new. The Guide to Citizen Science (2012), a joint publication between the Biological Records Centre (part of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) and the Natural History Museum, highlights a long tradition of people contributing their free time and expertise to the discovery and understanding of British wildlife.

Michelin Star Service

Much as a delicious meal at a restaurant doesn’t just appear on your plate the moment you place your order with the waiter, our data search reports don’t just appear at a click of a button. Even before your chef works his magic, selecting just the right ingredients to compliment each other, those ingredients have to be grown, raised and harvested. So, what goes on behind the scenes at GiGL? What goes into creating the perfect data search recipe?

iGiGL – better than ever

iGiGL – better than ever

iGiGL, our online data portal, is now fully fledged. We are very proud parents. As well as allowing the general public to find and plan a visit to publically accessible wildlife sites and open spaces, iGiGL now allows GiGL partners to view and download a wider range of datasets. Its user friendly interface also allows for use on mobile devices so people can find a site to visit when they are out and about.

iGiGL-a-go-go

A new online mapping interface that allows Londoners to find London’s parks open spaces and wildlife sites has emerged out of the demise of similar services, the rise of the All London Green Grid and increasing demand for web-based access to GiGL’s key datasets.

SINCs Board

SINCs Board

GiGL is now the official custodian of information on London’s 1,500 sites of importance for nature conservation – their citations and boundary information. This core dataset is one on which many of our products and services rely. Its accuracy is vital and we are working closely with our partners to help them update and maintain this important collection of data.

Gatecrashing the Gateway

Gatecrashing the Gateway

Publicly available planning figures show 17,000 planning applications were assessed in London between January and March last year (2011). In the same period, GiGL delivered just 144 data searches. While not all applications have a potential impact on London’s biodiversity and open spaces, this gap in numbers is very worrying and means less than 1% of planning applications in London are being informed by the GiGL partnership’s data.

Not so deficient after all

Not so deficient after all

Have you ever wondered how many recreation grounds there are in Richmond? Or, what golf courses in Greenwich are called? Or, what area is covered by nature reserves in Newham? Wonder no more. GiGL are coming ever closer to being able to accurately answer all your open space questions. And it’s not only the simple questions we can answer.

This time last year we told you all about our open space dataset and how we were bringing it up to date. We have made significant and measurable progress over the past 12 months, both on the main dataset itself, and on services that make use of it.

Room for improvement

Room for improvement

Providing ecological data to private and public sector organisations is one of the core functions of any local records centre. April 2011 saw the launch of GiGL’s new data search service. Our data search system and the content of our reports has been significantly...

Finance overview

We describe ourselves as a not-for-profit partnership, but what exactly does that mean? Our income that covers our running costs comes from two key sources – our partners who pay annually for access to GiGL partnership data and related services via a service level agreement, and our customers, who pay on a case by case basis for access to …

Suits you, Sir

Suits you, Sir

Amanda MacLean, London Biodiversity Partnership You're a borough ecologist, and your dreams have just come true. £100,000 of Section 106 money has landed in your lap, courtesy of a major development. With that much money, you could create dozens of ponds, hectares of...

Planning for the future

Planning for the future

London is a growing and ever-developing city. Aldo Tanca, GiGL’s Planning Officer, has a new tool to ease life for London’s planners. A surprisingly wide variety of species and habitats can be found in London, probably Europe’s greenest capital. This life thrives on...

Access to information

The GiGL data search service is a ‘one-stop shop’ for those seeking comprehensive biodiversity and open space information for any area within Greater London. All data held on our database are pulled into searches, giving customers information from a wide range of sources, and making trawling for data a quick and easy task.

Access to biodiversity information seems to be an increasing priority. More and more guidance to ecological consultants, planners, developers and public bodies advises the use of local records centres to ensure biodiversity is considered in everyday situations.