Wiltshire’s critical species identified and mapped for the first time

WHAT are the most important wildlife species in Wiltshire and where are they? To answer these questions, Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Records Centre (WSBRC) has just completed a major project to look at which threatened species had been recorded in Wiltshire.

In collaboration with county species recorders, a list of species that are critically important in Wiltshire – Wiltshire’s Critical Species – has been produced. Perhaps even more excitingly, interactive maps showing where these species have been recorded are now available on the web for all to see.

The Wiltshire’s Critical Species Project was a pilot funded by Natural England through the Species Recovery Programme. Jon Isherwood, manager of Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Record Centre, says: “We are very grateful to Natural England for supporting this project, which has enabled us to carry out some deep analysis of data on our priority and threatened species in Wiltshire and Swindon.

“Our staff, county recorders and workshop participants worked hard in reviewing and analysing the data; out of an initial long list of 268 species that were considered, 133 species were identified as critically important in a Wiltshire context.

“These ranged from still common, but much declined species, such as hedgehogs and toads, to much scarcer species such as curlew, the Duke of Burgundy butterfly and the reintroduced Great Bustard.

“This work will provide valuable information for a variety of future