About Guernsey Biological Records Centre

1991

Dr Charles David, a prolific entomologist, developed Distmaps using Perry’s Guide as the map. Distmaps was a suite of database programmes that allowed him to map out over 25 years of insect data he had collected. He was keen to develop a programme that would enable the easy input of records, particularly where there may be only one or two in any one area, and where the records could then be viewed as a map and viewed in conjunction with other data such as habitats or physical features such as roads, streams etc.

1995

Bridget Ozanne, La Société Guernesiaise’s Botany Section secretary, started using Distmaps to record botanical data. As the software was based on map locations, it was both user friendly and easy for field recorders to enter and map their data, in contrast to commercial recording programmes then available.

2003 – GBRC officially established

Bridget and Charles became joint managers. Bridget concentrated on entering many thousands of botanical records from the Botany Section records and the Transactions into Distmaps.
Charles continued to improve the programme and enter entomological data. Jane Gilmour, Conservation Section Secretary, started entering field data from various meetings and data collecting trips.
Data started to be sent to the BSBI, Moth Count and a few other recording schemes in the UK and they responded to a range of data requests, both small and large as GBRC became better known.

2007

Bridget passed away. Charles remained as sole manager with Jane as his assistant. Charles focused on the emerging workstream of species identification queries, while also continuing to enter records and send data to an increasing range of recording schemes in the UK.
By the end of 2007, there were 237,300 records held and by the end of 2011, this had risen to 456,163.

2012

Jane took over running the GBRC after Charles’ death in October 2012.

2013

Julia Henney, now the States of Guernsey Senior Natural Environment Officer, joined the Records Centre. Her GIS expertise was pivotal in our database management and data import workflow. 

2014

Julia left the Records Centre to focus on establishing La Société’s Conservation Herd but continued to be involved with IT support through her role as GIS technician at Digimap.