Rhossili Community Council was pleased to host a workshop at Rhossili Village Hall on Recording and monitoring local wildlife, led by Adam Rowe and David Slade from South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre, on Friday July 3rd 2026. It was also great to have the support of Alice Fry, Carina Roberts and Jenny Brisley from Gower NT/YG Gŵyr.
There were seventeen participants and the day started with an outline of the work of SEWBReC and the value of keeping records of the variety of species in different areas. The role of ‘citizens’ in contributing local data was also emphasised. The combined records can give insights into the state of nature at national and local levels.
One interesting aspect of SEWBReC’s work is that the information they hold is used to inform local planning decisions as it can flag up sites where there are protected species, or species/habitats of particular interest. So the more detailed data they have the better!
We also looked at the LERC app (https://www.lercwales.org.uk/app.php) which can be used to record what you might spot on a walk or in your garden and which then goes straight to the Record Centre. The App itself is free to download and more information is available from the SEWBReC website about recording.
In the afternoon we walked around one of the National Trust’s hay meadows – Caer Ditch on the Vile – to test out the app. The meadow was full of wildflowers and teaming with butterflies, moths, bees and other insects – a beautiful sight and a great way to see the app in action!
SEWBReC reported that the workshop received excellent feedback and it was good to hear that at least nine participants had used the LERC app subsequently, with five encouraging others to use it. One participant from Gower National Trust commented:
“At the weekend I enjoyed sharing my newfound recording skills with my children while out on countryside walks with the dogs. It filled my heart with joy to see how this inspired a renewed love for the wonderful wildlife around them.”
Jenny Brisley
Another participant commented:
“I have used the App about half a dozen times and find it very easy to use… [It] has added another dimension to my passion for wildlife.”
We were pleased to share news of the workshop in a short presentation to Swansea Local Nature Partnership at their Annual Monitoring Meeting two weeks later.
Rhossili Community Council would like to thank the Trustees of the Bowen Richards Trust for their generous contribution which made hosting the event possible, and to One Voice Wales – Un Llais Cymru for the Biodiversity Citizen Science Kit which aided identification of the different species we spotted.
