Biological Recording in Scotland
BRISC is a charity which promotes the gathering of wildlife data to increase public awareness about biological diversity in Scotland and to ensure that effective actions are taken to conserve nature.
© Andy Wakelin
Our mission
BRISC encourages and supports every aspect of recording wildlife and wildlife habitats in Scotland, through local record centres, recording groups and individual recorders.
We promote the adoption of high standards and good practice in biological recording and encourage the contribution and exchange of data for the purpose of conservation, education, research, planning and general information.
BRISC supports all national recording schemes in Scotland and is committed to working towards a National Biodiversity Network.
BRISC Summer 2025 Update
After discussions with our membership, BRISC has made the decision to be wound up as a charity and as a membership organisation at the end of this year. This was announced at the recent AGM.
Whilst this is a sad event, BRISC has achieved so much in its 50 years and that should be celebrated. We will be archiving the BRISC papers that we have in the committee's possession and digitising relevant papers, we are looking into ways to archive the website. We will share more details about this later in the summer.
The remaining BRISC funds, after any debts have been settled, will be divided into two and we plan to give half to the Glasgow Natural History Society to continue the BRISC bursary scheme until these funds run out. If you would like to contribute to this, please do get in touch with info@brisc.org.uk. The other half will be given to SBIF to work towards delivering its recommendations.
We will be organising a BioBlitz in September, which we hope will take place all over Scotland. There will be pages set up on iNaturalist and iRecord where we can all share our recording efforts, more details of this and exact date of the long weekend of biological recording will be announced very soon.
We hope to partner with another biological recording organisation to have an in-person final event in Central Scotland in the Autumn, so there will be a last chance for the BRISC community to get together and hear about some of the history of the organisation, share some stories and reflect on the great achievements of a small but impactful organisation.
The final AGM will take place in November to sign off the 2024 accounts and the 2025 (partial) accounts. Very soon after that date BRISC will be wound up and it will be cease to be as a Scottish Charity or membership organisation.
If you wish to send any memories of BRISC over the years, then please do jot down a few (or more!) lines and pass them on to info@brisc.org.uk.
On behalf of the BRISC committee I would like to sincerely thank you all for your many years of collective and individual support. The world of biological recording has changed so much in my time being involved in half the life of BRISC (no record cards anymore!) but in many ways it hasn't – gaining great enjoyment from the natural world and doing something to protect it through the use of the data we have gathered.
Many thanks,
Jonathan Willet
BRISC Chair
treasurer@brisc.org.uk
Wildlife recording
Biological records provide the basic information for all meaningful actions to protect and enhance wildlife.
© Andy Wakelin
Membership
BRISC is run by a committee of elected members.
Member’s subscriptions support the work of the committee and help BRISC provide a focus for biological recording in Scotland.