Worcestershire Record No. 17 November 2004 p. 4

Simon Wood

2004 has seen WBRC gain success in signing up three organisations to service level agreements, with a number of others in the pipeline. Such agreements will become the mainstay to WBRC’s continued survival as a professional organisation, providing the decision makers with the most up-to-date and comprehensive picture of Worcestershire’s flora and fauna in exchange for a degree of financial stability.

Development of Recorder 2002 as WBRC’s main data storage system has continued and seven individuals, all of whom are involved with Worcestershire Recorders, have undergone the process of becoming a Recorder 2002 home user and are all getting used to entering their data and passing it through to the central database here (aren’t you!). This work will spread the load of entering of data and vastly increase the rate at which back logs are eaten into! In addition to those entering data on their own copy of Recorder 2002 we have had a number of new additions to the office volunteers, Bridget Olesky, Sharon Alderson and Tessa Dorey have all put much valuable time into entering data and for a full year from September 04 Jenni Schenke (degree gap year student) will be spending one day per week in the WBRC office. Many thanks to everyone involved for their help.

Data has continued to flow into WBRC over the summer months with the total number of computerised records available for query being just over 670,000. The Mammal Atlas is still generating a number of records but please do continue to send in your mammal sightings and encourage others to do so, I can provide additional recording forms if you need them, just give me a call.

We are currently in the process of revamping the office with a lick of paint and some more ergonomic furniture, so before Christmas is upon us the reorganisation will be complete, enabling us to comfortably house up to four people at any one time, all with access to a PC! If you planning on passing by, give me a call and drop in for a look round in the New Year.

Again, please feel free to contact me on 01905 759759, e-mail simon@wbrc.org.uk to discuss any aspects of data collation or indeed other issues relating to WBRC.

Have an enjoyable Christmas and New Year and I look forward to seeing you and your records in 2005!