Recording sightings of all wildlife is an important part of the Club's activities. Biological recording is essential for identifying sites important for conservation; informing planning decisions and monitoring changes in populations and distribution. 

Technological advances such as smart phones, digital photography, GPS, and large databases have made recording wildlife more accessible. There are various national recording schemes and citizen science initiatives which collect records and/or present distribution data. More details of useful websites for biological recording can be found on the Links page.

Club Recorders and contact emails are listed here. Club recorders build a knowledge of local distribution and populations, and report on each year's findings in the Annual Report. If you have an interesting or puzzling observation, contact the appropriate recorder with the following information: 

 Not all organisms can be identified even from good photos, but recorders will help with identification as far as possible. Rare sightings may need photographic or other evidence for confirmation. Recorders of different groups may need additional information to help with identification.

Distribution lists of species in the Whitby area may be found on the Recording area page.