The FSC BioLinks Project was a £1.6 million biological recording and ID training project run by the Field Studies Council with a large number of project partners and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This blog is a part of a series by Keiron Brown (Biological Recording Company founder and former FSC BioLinks Project Manager) sharing the successes, challenges, lessons learned and legacies of the project.
One key aim of the project was to ‘strengthen the biological recording network by producing publicly available resources’. Resources were developed to aid both learners and teachers involved with invertebrate recording, particularly in areas that can present challenges. They cover a range of topics, including terminology, taxonomy, equipment, and the production of accurate biological records.
These resources are available in a variety of formats, including images, video and text, and are associated with the relevant Creative Commons licenses to allow them to be reused and shared.
This article provides an overview of the resources produced by the project, alongside links to download them. They are available for use as reference materials or teaching aids, forming part of the FSC BioLinks project legacy.
Insect morphology infographics
The Royal Entological Society awarded the BioLinks project funding through its Goodman Award Grant to create accessible insect morphology infographics, alongside an educational video.
These resources were designed to act as stepping-stones for learners starting their journey in entomology, helping to bridge the gap between basic identification resources and more advanced identification keys where technical terminology is used throughout.
These infographics cover some of the most common insect orders across the UK, as well as those identified as focus groups for the project. Download each individual infographic via the links below:
The illustrations do not represent one specific named species. Instead, they have been designed to be as morphologically accurate as possible, while incorporating key identification features and still being reflective of the specific insect order.
Field Studies Guidance Notes
The Field Studies Guidance Notes provide introductory information on biological recording topics. They cover some of the fundamental areas that help volunteers and recorders to submit accurate invertebrate records.
Aimed at volunteers and recorders, these four guidance notes provide freely accessible reference materials for volunteers and recorders, as well as teaching aids by tutors and recording scheme organisers.
The four resources in the series are all licenced under a Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 licence and listed below, with a link to download each one:
Biological Recording
Keiron Brown, Holly Dillon and Olivia Watts
What is a biological record? This guidance note answers that question and explains how to improve record data resolution and quality. It covers the process of submitting, validating and verifying records, and it also explores the different uses and purposes of biological recording.
Grid References for Biological Recording
Charlie Bell, Keiron Brown and Olivia Watts
A grid reference specifies a square of land, indicating a location through a series of vertical and horizontal grid lines identified by numbers and letters. The size of the square depends on the length of the grid reference. This guidance note covers the importance of grid references, how to find them, and how to read and use them accurately.
Introduction to Taxonomy
Dan Asaw, Keiron Brown and Olivia Watts
This guidance note introduces the principles of taxonomy, defines key terminology, and provides an overview of its history. It explains different taxonomic ranks and how organisms are grouped according to their relatedness. It also touches on how organisms are named and classified.
Invertebrates Under the Microscope
Keiron Brown, Olivia Watts and Charlie Bell
This guidance note provides an introduction to using microscopes for the identification of invertebrates for biological records. It details the differences between compound and stereo microscopes, their uses and applications, and guidance on using them for invertebrate identification.
Guidance videos
Working with professional YouTube film makers, the project created a series of short videos that guide learners through the biological recording process. The videos cover what biological records are, how to submit them, why they’re important, and where to find invertebrates.
The first five videos were produced and hosted by Eco Sapien, a YouTube channel focusing on biodiversity subjects. With over 20,000 subscribers, these five videos were uploaded to the Eco Sapien channel to take advantage of their existing audience.
The final video, ‘Beetle Morphology’, was produced by the Eco Sapien team, but hosted on the FSC Biodiversity YouTube Channel. It built on the insect morphology resources developed by the project; converting one of the static infographics into an animated video. This covered morphology and terminology that is relevant to invertebrate identification.
What is a Biological Record?
Why are Biological Records Important?
How to submit a Biological Record
Catch Invertebrates on Vegetation
Catch Invertebrates on the Ground
Beetle Morphology
Invertebrate Conservation Skills webinars
The Invertebrate Conservation Skills Webinars were designed to support site managers in managing their land for invertebrates. Across five webinars, expert tutors covered key management topics and considerations, and provided a space to ask questions.
The webinars covered the steps to consider before, during and after site management changes. This included an awareness of legislation and protected invertebrate species, plus tools that can help with decision making (such as the ICUN Red List).
The importance of site surveys for invertebrates was also explored, alongside some of the most commonly used survey methods. Further sessions looked at how to interpret data, including how Pantheon can be used to understand invertebrate assemblages.
Protected Invertebrate Species in the UK
In this video, Pete Boardman (Natural England) explored the protection and conservation of the UK’s invertebrate fauna. He discussed protected and Section 41 invertebrates, IUCN Red Listing and conservation status, and what the presence of rare species can mean for site management and reporting.
A Primer for IUCN Red Listing
In this video, Mike Hoffmann (Zoological Society of London) introduced the IUCN Red List and its role as an influential conservation tool. He explored its history and purpose, how the categories and criteria are applied, how assessments are produced and by whom, and how Red List information is used to inform conservation planning, management, monitoring and decision-making.
Sampling Sites for Invertebrates
In this video, Pete Boardman (Natural England) explored why invertebrate sampling is a valuable method of site assessment. He discussed different types of surveys, how to undertake or commission them, the outputs needed to analyse results, and approaches to surveying at both site and landscape scales.
Assessing Invertebrate Assemblages: Using & Understanding Pantheon
In this video, David Heaver (Natural England) explored the use of invertebrate assemblages in site assessment. He explained how grouping species into assemblages can help make sense of complex invertebrate communities and why this approach has become an important skill for assessing sites.
Introduction to Habitat Management for Invertebrates
In this video, Pete Boardman (Natural England) explored the principles of habitat management for invertebrates. He examined how their life histories and varied habitat requirements influence management, including the importance of habitat structure, mosaics, transitions, small-scale features and specialist niches, as well as continuity, disturbance and opportunities created through human activity and land management.
Live webinars and recordings
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the FSC BioLinks project had to significantly adapt its approach to training, to align with restrictions on in-person meetings. To keep the existing project volunteers engaged and attract new participants, alternative free training opportunities were developed. This initially started with a pilot programme of ‘Virtual MeetUps’, which due to its engagement and success, evolved into the popular ‘Natural History Live’ series.
Natural History Live webinars were regular online sessions covering a range of Natural History topics – including, invertebrates, fungi, plants and more. Each session consisted of a 45-minute lecture-style presentation from an expert tutor, alongside a 15-minute Q&A session – providing an opportunity for live interaction.
The range of topics and access to expert knowledge means that the webinars had long-term value beyond their initial delivery. All webinars were recorded and added to the FSCBiodiversity YouTube channel, where they remain a free accessible resource for years to come.
These webinars attracted over 7,478 live participants across 49 sessions. Their popularity led to the series continuing beyond the FSC BioLinks project, with the Field Studies Council continuing to run webinars and uploading recordings to YouTube. This provides an example of how the adapted response to keep engagement was successful, resulting in a legacy of the project.
Project reports
With many environmental and wildlife funded projects being short-term, it was considered important that the lessons learned and findings from the BioLinks project were available to others. To support transparency and the sharing of best practices within the sector, Biolinks reports are publicly accessible under a Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 Licence.
The reports produced by the project are below, alongside links to download them from Applied Ecology Resources:
- FSC BioLinks Consultation Report: analysis of the FSC BioLinks development phase consultation from April 2016 to January 2017
- FSC BioLinks Development Plan For Training Provision
- FSC BioLinks Audiences Engagement Report: summary of the audience consultation and engagement with the FSC BioLinks Project
- FSC BioLinks Activity Plan: Component of the BioLinks project application to the Heritage Lottery Fund
- FSC BioLinks Strategic Evaluation Report by an independent evaluator
- FSC BioLinks Project Activity Report
Explore the FSC BioLinks Project
This article is part of a series exploring the achievements and outputs from the FSC BioLinks Project.
Biological Recording & Training Consultation
The FSC BioLinks project consultation surveyed biodiversity sector professionals and amateur naturalists regarding where biological recording training should be focused, which species groups it should focus on and how it should be delivered.
Naturalist Resources
Explore the free naturalist resources produced by the FSC BioLinks project, including insect morphology infographics, biological recording guidance, training videos, invertebrate conservation webinars and project reports.
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