An update on mapping (and why it is a challenge)

At the start of May, a third workshop was held with over 60 representatives from the key delivery and enabling organisations for nature in Sussex, including members of the Sussex Nature Partnership and Sussex district and borough councils.

Their objectives:

• Review our methodologies for mapping measures where we have them;
• Help us develop a methodology where we do not; or
• Collectively agree that a measure cannot be mapped.

Where does mapping fit in the LNRS?

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are spatial and must include a Local Habitat Map. This is made up of:

• Map 1: Where our designated and irreplaceable places for nature are now, such as Nature Reserves and Local Wildlife Sites. In LNRS speak this is the APIB (Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity).
• Map 2: Where our habitat measures should be implemented (and effort concentrated) to provide the greatest benefit for nature and the wider environment, and/or where they will join up or expand areas in the APIB to establish bigger, more resilient networks of high-quality habitat across Sussex. The LNRS name for this is the ACIB (Areas that Could Become of Potential Importance for Biodiversity).

The challenge of developing the ACIB (Map 2)

• It must be ambitious.
• It must also be practical, realistic and deliverable (e.g. measures should not be mapped in places where getting consents or funding are unlikely; where possible they should link to existing/planned projects - so if you're planning something please let us know!)
• It can't include measures that could be widespread - for example, creating wildflower strips or installing nesting boxes must not be mapped.

Additionally:

• Some measures are straightforward to map, others are very complex.
• The availability of data to support targeting is limited in Sussex.
• Some measures do not have a logical way to target them.
• Measures that lack a clear rationale for mapping will not be mapped. (It is better not to map a measure than map it badly).

Outcomes and next steps

Workshop attendees provided their expert views and knowledge at a pivotal stage in the mapping process. Their contributions and further review will inform the continued development and refinement of mapped measures, created with the help of GIS experts at the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre. 

Have you told us about your actions for nature? 

If you've not done so already and you're a land manager, farmer, community group or local council, use our voluntary Actions for Nature mapping tool to tell us about your current projects and any future opportunities to help nature. 

Your pins will help us identify where existing or planned projects are located to inform how we map potential measures.