Wildlife Domesday Project

News of an exciting project to take us into the 21st Century

by Derek Whiteley

The Society will celebrate the year 2000 with the publication of a multi-part Wildlife Domesday Book in the following year (2001). It will be a great way to summarise our achievements in the 20th Century as a baseline for the 21st Century (just like the Victorians celebrated with their Victoria County History Series). This major project will also provide a focus for many society activities (recording, field trips, photography &c.).

A revision of our 1985 book, The Natural history of the Sheffield Area, is a key feature for the project. The famous publication is nearly out of print and is due for an update. The Domesday Project could also include some or all of the following:-

A local Red Data Book (presently about half finished)
An account of Sheffield's biodiversity (a draft edition will be published this year)
Distribution maps of mammals (draft copies out later this year)
Sorby Invertebrate Group 2000/2000 maps project
Other projects involving birds, plants etc.
A Sorby video, covering sites, people, meetings, habitats etc.
A CD-ROM (possibly!)

How can members get involved?

One target for the year 2000 is to increase our database of records from an estimated 1/2 million to ONE MILLION RECORDS!! That's not as onerous as it sounds. If every member made 4.8 records per week, it would be achieved. We now have at least five computers running RECORDER.

So! It's time to polish up your note taking and increase your enjoyment of nature by listing your observations. Each of the Society's Recorders have different requirements, so get in touch to see what is wanted, or watch these pages for further news.

The Society is preparing a RECORDING PACK to help members. In addition, each Recorder will announce his/her requirements for the next 4 years. (Speaking as the Hon. Recorder for Hoverflies, I am happy to receive lists from anywhere, anyone, anytime. A grid reference is VERY MUCH PREFERRED as well.)

The Society will also be looking for high quality archive photographs (colour & B&W) of local wildlife, sites and people - video clips too!

I've tried not to mention the word 'Millennium', because there is much debate about when exactly the new millennium starts and finishes, and we don't want to get involved in that! We will record into 2000, and if we get the publication out in 2001 it will be an excellent achievement.

Sorby Council has approved the outline project, and will be sorting out the details in the near future.

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