Welcome to our online toolkit for County Recorders and Verification Assistants who volunteer for Butterfly Conservation.
You provide an incredible 28 thousand+ hours of support to us every year. You ensure the UK databases of records that we use to save butterflies and moths are robust and trustworthy. You support local recorders and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our organisation.
These pages are for all County Recorder and verification volunteers, whether you’re new to the role or an experienced volunteer; if you manage the database for Butterfly Conservation or perform verification for us. The resources will provide overview information and useful tools and guides. These pages are complimentary to the support and resources available to you via our volunteer database, Assemble.
Contact: if you have questions, suggestions, feedback or helpful tools of your own to share please get in touch via [email protected]
1. Introducing the role
How to become a County Recorder, what it involves, skills and resources required, timing and examples.
2. Team working
Why we love team working; tips for collaborating on verification to share the workload.
3. Principles of validation and verification
The theory behind verification, different stages and our view on best practice in this area.
4. Validation process and tools
How to check record data is correct and use available resources.
5. Verification: process
How to confirm an identification with or without a photo.
6. Verification: using available tools
Guidance and links to recommended resources and tools for verification.
7. Verification: determining species ID
Recommended resources for supporting identification.
8. Communications
Guidance and links to recommended resources and tools for verification.
9. Database management
Storage systems and software, preferred import/export processes, GDPR compliance, and maintenance.
10. Sharing data and reporting
Principles and practice for sharing data and reporting, including recommended tools.
11. FAQs
Answers to common questions about verification and the County Recorder role.