Farewell and thank you

After over 20 years as Cofnod’s Manager I will leave my post on 31st March 2026. I joined Cofnod in July 2005 from the Countryside Council for Wales, initially working in the Wildlife Trust’s offices before finding premises in Parc Menai, Bangor. In that first year, guided by a Development Plan, we established Cofnod in name and legal entity, equipping the office and employing further staff. Within 2 years Cofnod had stored a range of important wildlife data, supplying this to supporting partners and through its newly developed data request service. Even in those early days, our development and use of software made Cofnod different from other Local Environmental Records Centres (LERCs). Today its software is used by 8 other LERCs across the UK.

Today I’m pleased that Cofnod is established as “The home for wildlife data for North Wales”, employing 8 staff, holding over 8 million species records and providing data access through the thousands of requests per year. Cofnod’s growth, its reach, and more recent its stability is something I’m most proud of, providing a legacy that will continue after I leave, thanks to our amazing staff, who have contributed hugely and will continue to contribute to our success.

I will be sad to leave Cofnod, but pleased it is in a good place, with the requirement for high quality biodiversity information never being so important. I’ve enjoyed all the opportunities and successes that Cofnod has given me. I’ve loved meeting all the people involved and would like to thank everyone for their support, guidance and friendliness. It’s been a great 20 years, one of continued development and change, but one which I wouldn’t have wanted any other way.

So what’s next? I will continue to work part time for Cofnod in a new role, helping support and develop its systems outside of North Wales. I will also devote more time to my personal interests and challenges. One of these is my ambition to run a marathon, by taking part in this year’s Manchester event on 19th April. In preparation I’m running the Bath Half Marathon on 15th March, raising money for the RSPB, combining my love for running and nature. If you feel like sponsoring me for this event, please use this link. Once my sore legs have recovered, I hope to invest time in other worthwhile activities, and who knows, I might even do some more wildlife recording!

Roy Tapping - Cofnod Manager 2005 to 2025

See details of our new manager here