Working with Surrey’s specialist species recording groups - dedicated bands of local enthusiasts with a passion for flora and fauna - is a vital part of SWT and Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre (SBIC)’s joint mission to record and conserve nature in our county.
We’re pleased to report that the 2026 Surrey Recorders’ Meeting, which took place on Saturday 28 February at East Horsley Village Hall attracted some 120 citizen scientists, representing more than twenty groups , to discuss some inspiring recent work and to share plans for the future.
Ana Andries and Hannah Handman from the Centre for Environment and Sustainability at University of Surrey summarised what's been achieved by the Space4Nature partnership project - made possible by players of People's Postcode Lottery - as it nears completion. More than 1,000 surveys carried out by 300-plus volunteers across SWT reserves and further afield have recorded typical species found across chalk and acid grassland and heathland. The data collected is now playing a vital role in helping SWT and its partners at the university develop new machine-learning-led mapping technology which identifies related habitats on a wider scale than previously possible. Read more here.
SWT’S Director of Research & Monitoring Mike Waite and Project Manager Esther Hill outlined the importance of the newly-published Surrey Important Grassland Inventory in preparing the ground for the protection of these vital habitats. Three years in the making, this report relied heavily on the commitment of recording groups including Surrey Botanical Society. Read an accessible project overview here.
Elliot Newton from Citizen Zoo and Dave Elliott from National Trust discussed the 2025 reintroduction of Water Voles to the Hogsmill River in Ewell and the upper reaches of the River Wey around Haslemere. Over time, this species could be one of many to benefit new approaches to managing our waterways including the introduction of Eurasian Beavers to the county. Read more about the South East Rivers Trust-led Water Vole project here and the National Trust’s work with Water Voles on the Wey here.
Issy Russ, Data Scientist at UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, explained how and why the Automated Monitoring of Insects (UKCEH AMI) System has been trialled in Surrey, and how the use of this tech - which remotely captures images of moths in the field and classifies them to species - could present a much fuller picture of nocturnal invertebrate populations. More information is here.
Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre (SBIC) Manager Alistair Kirk comments:
“SBIC and SWT are working more closely together than ever to integrate more citizen science data and the work of Surrey’s specialist recording groups into our daily work, create a larger pool of volunteers and press harder for long-term conservation and planning policies that are based on good data and sound evidence. The expertise that recording groups bring to the conservation community is hard to overstate, and we look forward to working with them to study and safeguard the natural world against the growing threats it faces.
“Events like today’s are a great opportunity to exchange information, discuss new tech and techniques and reinforce that collective sense of purpose.”