Leicestershire & Rutland Recorders Meeting 2023

For the past few months the Trustees of NatureSpot have been working in partnership with Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and we have organized an online Leicestershire & Rutland Recorders Meeting via Zoom on Sunday 29.10.2023. This is a great way of bringing people up-to-date with what has happened since the last conference - it's been a busy time - and it is not a substitute for the face to face conference which we are working to organize in 2024.  All are welcome to join us online, not just Leicestershire and Rutland residents. 

The full programme for the event is below and there is no charge for this online event. If you would like to join us online via Zoom at 10.00am on Sunday 29.10.2023, register here: https://forms.gle/WigNvXN12vGXo8kS8 

We will send details of how to join this session to your email address before the meeting. 

Programme for Leicestershire & Rutland Recorders Meeting
on Zoom
Sunday 29.10.2023

10am: Introduction and future plans

10.05: Mat Carter, CEO Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust: "The Rocky Road to Nature Recovery - The Trust's Vision for Leicestershire & Rutland"
Mat Carter will give an overview of how the Trust will implement its Strategy and work towards a bigger, better and more connected landscape. Drawing on examples of how the Trust has approached this in the past, Mat will also provide examples of local projects being delivered across nature reserves, private landowners and with partnerships - providing a robust foundation for the Trust to achieve its vision for the future.

10.20: Mark Skevington, County Moth Recorder for Leicestershire & Rutland: "The Changing Status of VC55 Moths"
A summary of some of the recent changes in the moths of VC55 - species in decline and species moving in.

10.35: Geoffrey Hall, VC55 County Recorder for Flowering Plants and Ferns: "The BSBI Atlas 2020: national trends on a local scale"
In this talk Geoffrey will summarise the work done for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland's (BSBI) Plant Atlas 2020 and give its main conclusions, then show how what is happening on a national scale is also happening in Leicestershire & Rutland.

10.50: Discussion and questions for preceding speakers.

11.10: 10 minute break - grab yourself a coffee or chat online.

11.20: Dave Wright, British Trust for Ornithology Regional Representative for Leicestershire and Rutland, "Thirty years of the Breeding Birds Survey in Leicestershire & Rutland"
How the BBS was born, an overview of the methodology, and the trends for a variety of different species. The talk will finish with what skills are required and how to get involved. 

11.35: Kirsty Gamble, Senior Records Officer, Leicestershire and Rutland Environmental Records Centre: "An update from LRERC".
An update on current progress and projects from Leicestershire and Rutland Environmental Records Centre.

11.50: Tim Sexton, Species and Recording Officer, Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust: "Species Recording at Rutland Water - recent highlights"
Rutland Water is perhaps best known for its bird life. With over 20,000 waterfowl visiting the site in the winter it is an internationally important wetland. Coupled with the success of the Osprey and Water Vole reintroduction projects, the reserve has gone from strength to strength in the last 45 years. As the wetland habitats across the Reserve have matured, the species associated with the these habitats has increased. As a result many scarce species are now being discovered at Rutland. Tim Sexton (Senior Species and Recording Officer at the Reserve) will talk through some of the highlights of recent surveys.

12.05: Helen O'Brien, VC55 County Mammal Recorder and Chair of Leicestershire & Rutland Mammal Group: "New technology and its contribution to understanding mammal distribution across Leicestershire & Rutland"
This talk will consider historic data and use of skills and experience in mammal recording versus new technology and in doing so, if this has detracted from our sheer enjoyment of being a mammal detective.

12.20: Discussion and questions for preceding speakers.

12.40: End.