The National Mammal Atlas Project (NMAP)
Mammals in the British Isles are severely under-recorded, resulting in a lack of mammal conservation progress. The Mammal Society is determined to overcome this by creating a National Mammal Atlas, the first in over 20 years, to provide vital information on mammal distribution and abundance so that informed conservation decisions can be made for species in need. In order to achieve this we are collating national mammal data to gather up to date information. This is where we need your help!
It starts with YOU! Submit records online here.
We need records for ALL species, common or rare, made since the year 2000.
What if I have large numbers of records to submit?
Large record sets can be submitted directly to your County Mammal Recorder who will upload them to be included in the atlas. County mammal recorders are experts on their local mammal fauna, and many are verifiers of submitted records for their county. Multiple record sets can also be sent directly to atlas@themammalsociety.org for submission, in any form.
What Happens to my records submitted online?
Your records, once submitted to our online form, are stored with the national Biological Records Centre's (BRC) iRecord database. There, they are verified by the county mammal recorder. Eventually they will be uploaded to the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Gateway, the "data warehouse", which makes the information publicly available.
What if I can not identify what I have seen?
If you can not identify what you have seen, and have a photo, visit iSpot (www.ispot.org.uk) where a community of experts in mammals should be able to provide an identification for you. Once identified, iSpot will automatically forward your record to us for inclusion in the atlas.
What about records submitted elsewhere?
We will work with local record centres, through ALERC, BRISC, LRCWales and CEDaR Northern Ireland to regularly share information in an open process. If you have submitted records to a local recorder or scheme that you know shares with the BRC or NBN, you don't need to submit them here. Most local recording schemes will do this. They are usually either dedicated organisations, or based with the local authority or wildlife trust. County mammal recorders are also usually affiliated to them, as a volunteer or employee.
How does The Mammal Society work with others to monitor mammals?
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is a public body co-ordinated under DEFRA that advises the Government on UK and international nature conservation.
The JNCC, with 24 partner organisations, including The Mammal Society, established the Tracking Mammals Partnership (TMP) in 2005 to improve the quality, quantity and dissemination of information on the status of mammal species in the UK. All organiations in the partnership have agreed to collaborate to achieve this aim. While the TMP is less active, The Mammal Society has taken the lead in ensuring more mammal information will be openly available through the development of the National Mammal Atlas.
