South Northumberland Rare Plant Register

We can't conserve plants unless we know what we have got and where it is. Therefore County Rare Plant Registers (CRPRs), produced by the Botanical Society of the British Isles, are a vital resource for conservationists.

We are working with John Richards, BSBI recorder, and members of the Northumbria Natural History Society botany group to get started on producing a CRPR for South Northumberland v.c. 67.

What is a County Rare Plant Register?
Listings of all the vascular plants recorded from a county which are on the National Red list (and other nationally Rare and Scarce plants not covered there), together with the locally rare (three or fewer sites) and other locally important or declining species. Details provided include grid references, and often details of the conservation status and ecology of the site.

Surely we know all of this already?
No we don't as the records behind the most recent Flora of Northumberland often only provide details to a 5km grid square - no where near precise enough to locate a plant and protect it.

How is a CRPR produced?
By volunteers devoting many, many days to finding and recording wild plants. I think some people assume Defra/local authorities/ngo etc employees are out there furiously recording plants and animals as part of their jobs, when the vast majority of records are made by volunteers in naturalist societies. The BSBI alone has generated c. 38 million records! In other words, the whole conservation movement largely depends on the naturalist societies for their basic data.

Can I take part?
Yes, especially if you would like to learn more about plant identification and recording! Contact us via our website at http://www.ptyxis.co.uk/