Suffolk's Biological Data Centre

We are the custodians of Suffolk's biological data and our database now contains over 6 million records. 
We curate and share ecological data to inform better decisions and actions for the benefit Suffolk's wildlife.

 

Latest news

A bat recorder attached to a tree

Are you interested in taking part in a Suffolk bat survey? 

The surveys involve installing static/remote detectors at a fixed location in your garden or local space for up to a week. Bats passing in the vicinity of the microphone will be recorded from sunset to sunrise for the duration of the survey. 

Recorded bat calls are analysed using the BTO acoustic pipeline, followed by manual verification of the species. Vocalisations of any other small mammal species detected (shrews, mice, voles) will also be identified. 

The results will be sent to you and SBIS. The surveys aim to gather bat data from locations that might otherwise be under-recorded to increase the distribution data for bats in the county.

For more information, contact Huma Pearce, [email protected]




a pair of hedgehogs

Spot a hog!

Spot a Hog is a citizen science study that aims to test the potential of using data obtained from privately owned camera traps for monitoring hedgehogs and estimating their density. It will be using a novel method that requires a calibration step, for the study team to be able to extract the metrics necessary for the population size modeling. The West European Hedgehog is a species of conservation concern in the UK, as its population has been undergoing a historic decline. To identify the reasons for, and the extent of, this decline data from across the country is needed.

Camera traps, or trail cameras, are widely applied in wildlife monitoring. Some amazing initiatives, such as the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme, uses camera traps to estimate the density of various species. However, camera traps are also increasingly used by private users to observe wildlife in their gardens. This data holds great potential for monitoring urban species, as it can provide information on multiple species in a habitat often not represented in scientific studies. This is also an especially important habitat for hedgehogs, as currently they are more frequently observed in urban than in rural areas.

The novel method used in this study requires some additional steps to work out how animals move in front of the camera, and that’s where you come in!

The study welcomes anyone who already has a camera trap (or will get one before the start of the survey) in May 2025. You will need to set up your camera according to a protocol available on the website, calibrate the camera following the instructions, and leave it on for a maximum of 1 month. After this, you will need to upload the images to a designated project on MammalWeb. The images will then be available to the public for spotting (i.e. classifying images by species) and the results will be analysed by the project team.

Further information can be found on the Spot a Hog website as well as how to sign up. You can also download an information sheet.




British Ecological Society logo

£30,000 Synthesis Grants open now 

The British Ecological Society (BES) has announced its Synthesis Grants programme, offering up to £30,000 over two years for groups of 8-15 participants. This grant aims to support interdisciplinary teams in analysing existing data and generating new insights into ecological research. The programme encourages collaboration across universities, research institutes, NGOs, industry, and government departments, with a focus on fostering diverse groups that include international participation and at least 30% of members from the Global South. 

The grants are designed to support travel, subsistence, facility hire, and computing costs associated with synthesis group activities. 

Applicants can apply for the Synthesis Grants through the BES online grants system. The grant is open to BES members as the main applicant, although not all group members need to be BES members. 

The purpose of the grant is to promote synthesis as a growing scientific research method, where scientists generate new knowledge from existing data using a hypothesis and question-led approach. 

The grant operates on a biannual cycle, with two funding rounds each year. For 2025, the first-round closes on the 10th March 2025, while the second round opens on the 12th June and closes on the 8th September 2025.

https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/synthesis-grants/




More than 500,000 records delivered this year

Time to Celebrate!

This week we are celebrating the work of our fantastic search team, who have already delivered over half a million records to ecological consultants this financial year 🎉




Call for articles

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Newsletter time is coming around again!
The next issue of our newsletter will be published in November, and we’d love to share your stories.

We welcome articles that showcase local biodiversity projects, or share environment, ecology and wildlife news, training and funding opportunities (with photos where possible). Previous articles have included the work of community groups, charities, statutory bodies, AONB partnerships, businesses, local authorities, and more. To see previous issues, please click here.

The newsletter is seen by over 450 people from the private, corporate, statutory, and charitable sectors, as well as individual subscribers, and is widely shared online.

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To send us your story use the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page, the deadline for the next issue is 25 October

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Emma Aldous, Communications Officer, 
Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service




leaflet with text as transcribed below

Norfolk & Suffolk Community Online Webinar

Mon 14 Oct, 19:00 – 20:00 • Wed 16 Oct, 14:00 – 15:00

As we create the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, we aim to enhance the positive effects of nature on community wellbeing, contributing to improved mental and physical health through direct and indirect benefits. Our spatial strategy has the potential to unlock opportunities for communities to deliver key measures and embed nature recovery locally.

Therefore, the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership invite you to attend an online webinar, where we aim to update you on the current progress of the strategy, share our shortlisted priorities and demonstrate the mapping tools developed to identify where action for nature will have the most impact. This will enable you to signpost and highlight potential for your local area to deliver key measures and embed nature recovery in your community.

Please follow this link to register your interest.




Westleton meeting poster

Suffolk Naturalists' autumn meeting

21 September 2024
Westleton Village Hall, IP17 3AD 1.30pm – 6pm

Programme – timings are approximate!
After refreshments and a look at the exhibits there will be 2 talks and then outside for two activities one on the Common – invertebrate surveying and identification and the second at Westleton pit for Suffolk Geology. The SNS gazebo will be at the Common as a base to examine what has been found and for the swap over between 2 activities. These will be interactive sessions with guidance on techniques and identification. If you have collecting equipment please bring it along.
1.30 doors open
Refreshments, bookstall, exhibits including: Hawk Honey, Hymenoptera; Joan Hardingham, woodlice; Gavin Deans, Compost Critters under the microscope.
2.20 Talks
Simon Jackson (Ipswich Museum) – “the Maidenhall Mammoth” discovered in Ipswich in 1975.
John Bebbington (Westleton Parish Council) – Introduction to the history and management of the Common.
2.55 Introduction to activities out on the Heath and at Westleton Pit
Howard Mottram – Geology of East Suffolk with reference to Westleton Pit.
Peter Vincent and Ross Piper- How to survey for invertebrates and basic identification.
3.15 To the Heath a 5-10min walk up Bakers Lane or parking is available off the lane to the left where the SNS
gazebo will be located.
3.25 Activities
Either How to survey for invertebrates and basic identification with Peter Vincent and Ross Piper.
Or Geology of East Suffolk with reference to Westleton Pit with Howard Mottram.
4.20 Return to the gazebo to swap over activities (if you wish).
5.10 Return to hall refreshments and exhibits.
6.00 Finish

Directions: What Three Words ///snips.hatter.airbrush.
North of Yoxford, off the A12 take signs to Dunwich. Turning left in the village the hall is on the left.
Parking: The car park outside the hall is limited to 6 cars plus disabled parking. There is plenty of parking on the roads either side of the Hall. Please do not park opposite the hall car park entrance.
Contacts: For information please email [email protected], if you provide your email we can send updates.
On the day – Joan Hardingham: 07848 007807




Forthcoming events

You can use this box to filter by dates, locations, event organisers or keyword

Bat Conservation Trust: Introduction to Sound Analysis Workshop (Online) (FULLY BOOKED)

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Are you interested in learning how to understand and analyse bat sounds?
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Bat Conservation Trust: NBMP Level 2 Workshop: Using Your Ears (Online)

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Are you looking to develop your bat identification skills? Are you interested in understanding bat sounds? This workshop will enable you to take part in surveys for the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP), and follows on from the NBMP Beginner Level and Level 1 workshops.
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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Hedge Aftercare

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Cliff Farm, Sutton (near Woodbridge)
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Bat Conservation Trust: NBMP Level 2 Workshop: Using Your Ears (Online)

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Are you looking to develop your bat identification skills? Are you interested in understanding bat sounds? This workshop will enable you to take part in surveys for the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP), and follows on from the NBMP Beginner Level and Level 1 workshops.
More details...




Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Pond & Wildflower Meadow Creation

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Lower Holbrook
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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Community Webinar - Getting your message across

IMG_6386-Starlings-demonstrate-social-distancing.-544-Fulwood-Rd-29.5.20-Nigel-Jones

Online webinar
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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Hedge Aftercare

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Bawdsey
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Bat Conservation Trust: British bats, their ecology and conservation - 6 session course

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Royal Entomological Society: Insects and Culture

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Tuesday 20 May, 10:00 – 17:00 Natural History Museum, London Do you have an interest in the ways that insects have influenced art, culture and wider society? Have you ever worked with artists, performers, musicians,…
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Bat Conservation Trust: Scoping Surveys for Arborists online - 2 & 9 July 2025

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Bat Conservation Trust: Advanced Bat Survey Techniques - fully booked!

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Royal Entomological Society: Ento25: Online

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Join us online for Ento25, our flagship conference dedicated to insect science, with opportunities to present your work and hear the latest research from the global entomological community.
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Bat Conservation Trust: Advanced Bat Survey Techniques - fully booked!

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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Wildlife Live Webinar - Historical Ecology

Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Online webinar
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Bat Conservation Trust: Scoping Surveys for Arborists online - 9 & 16 Oct 2025

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Royal Entomological Society: Insects as Food and Feed (SIG) 2025

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Insects as Food and Feed: delivering sustainable protein to the food system Date: Thursday 9th October 2025 (09:15 - 16:30) Venue: Elm Grove Conference Centre, The University of Roehampton: Home - Roehampton Venues Listen to…
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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Wildlife Live Webinar - On the Verge

Roadside verge courtesy Anna Saltmarsh

Online webinar
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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Wildlife Live Webinar - Symbiosis

Photo compilation from David Horsley

Online webinar
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Royal Entomological Society: External – XII International Symposium on Aphids

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XII International Symposium on Aphids 13th-17th October 2025, PyeongChang (Alpensia), Korea Organized by Prof. Seunghwan LEE, Laboratory of Insect Biosystematics, Division of Entomology, Seoul National University (SNU), Korea.For more information and details of how to…
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Bat Conservation Trust: British bats, their ecology and conservation - 6 session course

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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Wildlife Live Webinar - Lichens

Protoparmeliopsis muralis. copyright: Anthony Speca

Online webinar
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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Wildlife Live Webinar - Small mammal ID

Bank vole

Online webinar
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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Wildlife Live Webinar - Bird Pellets

Cormorant pellet courtesy of Ed Drewitt

Online webinar
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Bat Conservation Trust: Scoping Surveys for Arborists online - Feb 2026

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Royal Entomological Society: Behaviour Special Interest Group (SIG) 2026

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Behaviour Special Interest Group (SIG) 2026Emerging themes: Novel techniques in insect behaviour studiesDate: Tuesday 10 February 2026 (9.30am – 5pm)Venue: The Studio, Birmingham and onlineJoin the RES Behaviour SIG on Tuesday 10 February 2026 in…
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Suffolk Wildlife Trust: Wildlife Live Webinar - Biofluorescence

Biofluorescent scene from Ty Canol Woods, courtesy David Atthowe

Online webinar
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Royal Entomological Society: XIII European Congress of Entomology – External

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More info TBC.
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Our Flickr gallery

SuffolkBIS.org.uk - Suffolk Wildlife Photos

To contribute please join our Flickr Group. See a map of our photos Click here

Ancient Woodland link

 

ancient woodland image
Link to Suffolk Species
Suffolk's Hedgerows link
Flock of birds flying over water