CCW Data and the National Biodiversity Network Gateway

Over the last 3 years Cofnod has been working on a project to mobilise data held by Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) in files within their North Wales regional offices. Cofnod now holds over 65,000 of these records in its database. We have also been improving the quality, by reference to the original files, of several of the electronic datasets on Great Crested Newts and Bats which are held centrally by CCW.

It is CCW policy that all publicly gathered data should be available at full resolution on the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Gateway unless they are 'sensitive' species, which will be available publicly at a lower resolution. Cofnod is working with CCW to put the regional records which it has extracted, as well as the improved electronic datasets on Bats and Great Crested Newts, onto the NBN Gateway within the next month.

Most of these records were made by CCW staff or as part of surveys commissioned by CCW; however some of the records may have been provided by private individuals to help the nature conservation work of CCW. On the NBN Gateway the records will show at least the species name, grid reference, location and date. CCW have not previously made the recorder’s name publicly available when they have put their electronic datasets onto the Gateway. At Cofnod we feel that the recorder’s name should be included in the data we provide, not only to give acknowledgement to the recorder but also because knowing who the recorder was often adds a great deal of value to a record.

Cofnod proposes to make the recorder’s name publicly available when it uploads these CCW records to the NBN Gateway unless any recorder requests that his/her name is not included. If you believe that one or more of your records may be held by CCW, and you are not happy to have your name shown as part of a public record on the NBN Gateway, then please let us know as soon as possible by emailing Aisling Carrick or phoning us on 01248 672603.