Why Do We Need It?


	Why do we need it?

	There are many good reasons why we need NARRS. It will provide information we are currently lacking on the status of amphibians and reptiles in Britain, but it will also raise awareness and appreciation of these often-maligned animals, and encourage people to get involved in recording and conservation.

	There are also strong social, health and wellbeing reasons for setting up recording and monitoring projects like NARRS. Observing and recording snakes, newts and other animals has the following benefits (among others):

	It encourages people to spend more time outdoors
	It helps people to keep fit and involved in light physical activity
	It is thoroughly enjoyable
	It helps people to learn new skills
	It provides social interaction with like-minded people

Like most wildlife, amphibians and reptiles have declined in Britain over the last century, particularly the last 50 years. One species, the pool frog, actually went extinct in the 1990s.



It is crucially important to know how well all species are faring so that we can be warned of further declines and monitor the progress of conservation programmes. The need for data on the status of amphibians and reptiles in Britain is therefore greater now than ever before. Good quality information on the status and distribution of species is very important for many reasons.

	Measuring progress towards conservation goals
	Directing resources where they are most needed
	Identifying important areas to protect
	Monitoring protected sites and species
	Reporting to Government and to Europe
	Informing policy and decision-making
	Aiding development planning
	Land management
	Tracking alien species
	Improving education and awareness

	Current knowledge on amphibian and reptile status in Britain does not meet the many demands for such information. Surveillance data are needed not only for governmental reporting obligations on rare and protected species and to represent them in development planning, but good quality information is crucial for assessing trends and improving conservation for all species. Existing knowledge of amphibian and reptile status is largely based upon subjective opinion, albeit the collective opinion of many experts. For most species, previous data collection has been uncoordinated, short-term, patchily distributed, with widely differing methods and scope that preclude comparison and extrapolation.

	Amphibians and reptiles also suffer from a poor public image � feared by some people and simply misunderstood by many others � therefore a project that challenges this situation is long overdue. It is important to encourage public appreciation and awareness of amphibians and reptiles (and other species suffering a poor public perception) by providing the opportunity for people to become involved in wildlife recording and conservation, removing perceived barriers and promoting interaction with wildlife and greenspace in general. Many people have never seen a lizard or a snake and would not know where to see one; yet with simple guidance, the experience could be brought to many thousands of people, whilst overcoming the negative perceptions that often hamper conservation efforts. For all these reasons, the NARRS project aims to establish a suitable, achievable and well-coordinated surveillance system to meet all information needs, whilst fulfilling a wide social inclusion agenda.

	The benefits of NARRS will be far-reaching, contributing significantly to the conservation of UK herpetofauna whilst providing �access, recreation and public wellbeing� (a stated objective of the new integrated Natural England agency). A presumption of openness will make NARRS data available to all, and therefore meet the needs of the many and diverse potential users. As well as direct feedback in the form of an interactive website, newsletters, media output, reports, maps, atlases etc, we anticipate digital data being available to schools, community projects, local authorities, LRCs, voluntary groups and others.

	A scoping study by the HCT in 2005 found a wide gap between the information available and the information needed. The reports submitted to English Nature and Countryside Council for Wales are available here:

	English Nature Research Report 663

	Countryside Council for Wales Contract Science Report 666