We’ve been working since 2018 to support our stakeholders with the then emerging biodiversity net gain (BNG) scheme. In the biodiversity conservation field, it’s important we share not only the successes but also the things that didn’t quite work as planned in order to improve methods and processes in the future…
Over the last few months, I have been testing other recording apps, to provide a thorough overview of all that is available to newer recorders or those interested in testing new ways of storing and sharing their data…
Following last month’s initial article in our series on recording apps, the second instalment is here with a brief overview of iNaturalist and specifically iNaturalistUK. Learn why the app has become an essential part of the toolkit for new recorders worldwide and how to get involved…
With the global proliferation of smartphones, Recording Apps, have become a vital tool of those intrigued by nature. When linked to more conventional recording resources, RAs offer easy exposure to the wonder and complexity of nature, as well as access to the experts who can take advantage of the wealth of new data flowing around the world…
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
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 …
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…
A Data Use Licence sets out the terms and conditions that apply to use of specified data and provides evidence that data recipients agree to these terms. Individuals and organisations who generate and process data often have rights to control whether their data are shared and what they can be used for. Having access to data does not necessarily mean you can use them for any given purpose: you will need to respect the terms of the relevant licence; and when the data can be used, the source should usually be acknowledged…
There’s nothing quite like seeing your work in print. It feels even better when it’s correctly attributed to you. As part of our function as Greater London’s environmental data hub we often get asked for facts, figures and illustrations relating to the capital’s wildlife or open spaces. These range from statistics to support our partners’ day-to-day work, …
If at first you don’t succeed, look in your ‘deleted items’ for the instructions.
Information overload. We’re all suffering from it. Our inboxes are full of direct emails and newsletters. The internet is awash with information that would change our lives, if only we had time to read it. We filter it all according to our workloads, our mental and emotional capacity, and the perceived importance of the content and source.
Encouraging use of our data holdings whilst ensuring sustainable funding to manage and improve the resources available is quite a balancing act. Over the last nine years, we have developed a suite of data use licences that offer free access for academic research, defined access for third parties working on behalf of our partners, and funded access for organisations who require access to the data and services we provide to inform local and national decisions about London’s environment.
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.
The guidance on setting up and running an environmental records centre contains a list of required policies and guidance. The Association of Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC) also has an accreditation system that requires each records centre to have a suite of policies, licences and guidance in place. These include permitted use of the data, how services will be charged for, and how to get best value out of services. GiGL has developed this suite of documents, and an overview of these documents is listed below:
This document was developed by GiGL’s Recorders Advisory Group and Steering Group. It is one of the most important policies that GiGL has in that it sets out how we will treat and make available our partners’ data, including via the National Biodiversity Network’s...
Credit where credit’s due. A great deal of work lies behind the snappy press and publicity stats GiGL provides.
GiGL’s partners are making ever-more use of our growing data holdings to create snappy, media-friendly statistics in support of their biodiversity work – in press releases, publications and presentations. While we are delighted …
Do you know your copyright from your elbow? Who owns the records in GiGL’s database? Oliver Grafton, of the National Biodiversity Network explains the ins and outs of data ownership, with GiGL examples from Mandy Rudd.
As a GiGLer reader, you are probably already one of the estimated 60,000 people who collect wildlife records in the UK. The records that you provide GiGL are the foundation of our work and contribute to a greater understanding of the wildlife that lives in …