Devon Biodiversity Records Centre

DBRC is one of a national network of Local Environmental Records Centres in the UK and has been providing information about wildlife for more than 20 years. We collect, manage and make available records of wildlife, and currently manage a database of over 8.5 million records which is updated by 2,000-5,000 records a month. All of our records are validated and verified, so that the data is of a known quality. We also collect and manage data on wildlife habitats and geological sites, and lead on the County Wildlife Sites program for the county.

Hosted by Devon Wildlife Trust, DBRC is run on a ‘not for profit’ basis, and was originally set up to act a central reference point for anyone who wants to know about wildlife in Devon. We operate with support from key partners such as Devon County Council and the Environment Agency, and provide data services to our funding partners with annually updated species and sites information. Over time our role has expanded, but at our heart remains a mission to make the best available data on Devon’s biodiversity, as accessible as possible.

In addition to planning authorities, we provide information to parish councils, local people, conservation bodies, land-owners, students and commercial organisations such as ecological consultants and utilities companies via data searches, data licensing and data exchanges. Please see the Data Search Enquiries page for more information on data searches, data licensing and data exchanges. Having appropriate outlets/formats for the data, is fundamental to ensuring its responsible use, and that the most up to date information is used within decision making processes.  Please note that there has been a slight increase in our data search prices in line with inflation.

DBRC holds datasets which need to be constrained due to commercial sensitivities, as without central government funding, we need to operate a blended business model. Appropriate charges are therefore made for access to data, to allow for the continued long term improvement in our data holdings.

Due to a number of large scale, high profile projects that are ongoing, we currently have a permanent staff of 8 people at DBRC and up to 10 people working on a voluntary basis or on short contracts.

DBRC is hosted by DWT and as such operates within its environmental policies such as ISO 14001, for more information click here.

Wildlife Records

Submitted records are the lifeblood of DBRC, and we are always delighted to receive wildlife record submissions to add to our database. If you have a single sighting to report, you can use our Single Record Submission form.

If you have multiple records to submit, or would like an easy form to begin collecting records for submission, you can download our Excel Spreadsheet Template. Records submitted using this format are particularly helpful, as it ensures that the records arrive in a ready-to-upload format so that they can be quickly uploaded to our database after our officers have verified them. You can submit your record spreadsheets to Ellie Knott via email.

If you are looking to submit records of Japanese Knotweed, please use our Knotweed Reporting Form. Please note that DBRC does not provide any removal or formal reporting services.

Contact

You can contact us by phone using: 01392 274128

If you have a query regarding a data search, please email ccalvert@devonwildlifetrust.org

If you have a project specific query, you can check our staff page for details on how to contact the appropriate member of staff, or use our Contact Form.