Latest news from the National Plant Monitoring Scheme

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a copy of the newsletter

The first annual newsletter from the National Plant Monitoring Scheme has just been published and it's great to see how much progress was achieved during the first year of the scheme. 

• 1,168 squares (1km x 1km) allocated to surveyors;
• 1,800+ monitoring plots for which data on wildflower abundance has been received;
• 39 training sessions to support NPMS participants.

There's an article in the newsletter by BSBI Head of Science Kevin Walker. Kevin has been a key player in the NPMS since its inception, but the best way to test a scheme is to take part yourself so as well as shaping how the scheme would work for participants, Kevin has also taken on several squares himself. He and fellow members of the team behind the NPMS will all be out in the field again this year monitoring plants on their home patch, just like the rest of us who signed up for the NPMS!

NPMS Training session
FSC Nettlecombe Park 2015
Image: H. New

A recurring theme with the NPMS is partnership. Not only is the scheme itself a partnership (between BSBI, CEH, JNCC and Plantlife) but the NPMS has gone on to reach out to other partners such as FSC's Tomorrow's Biodiversity programme. Find out more in the newsletter. 

NPMS co-ordinator Hayley New said "The NPMS is the first survey of its kind to enable us to get to grips with what is happening to plant communities in our best loved habitats. 

"We are hugely impressed with the dedication from our volunteers and supporters so far but there are still many more squares to survey. If you would like to get involved then please visit  www.npms.org.uk and click on Squares near me to find your nearest available survey patch".

Well said Hayley and congrats to you on the success of the first year of the NPMS. You're doing an amazing job and so are all our fabulous NPMS plant monitors and mentors! Here's the newsletter link again.