Researchers and Students
Who are TVERC?
Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC) is the environmental records centre for Berkshire and Oxfordshire. TVERC is a 'not for profit' organisation which collects, manages, analyses and shares environmental information to help people make sound decisions about how to develop and manage land sustainably and where to direct wildlife conservation work. We are one of a national network of local records centres, and an accredited member of the Association of Local Records Centres (ALERC).
Why request data from TVERC?
We collect data from professional and volunteer surveyors, which are carefully checked before integration into the main database so that we can provide information of known quality in a format that suits our customers.
We can provide you with data about species, habitats, wildlife & geological sites and ecological networks in Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
No other organisation, including the NBN, can provide you with this information. Our database currently includes over 4.5 million species records. We have regular contact with around 70 national and local recording groups and numerous individuals, who allow us to include their data on our database. We hold data on all species groups, including over 1,160,000 bird records, over 1,022,000 plants records, 32,300 bat records, 5,800 badger records, 6,200 great crested newt records and in 2020 we added over 477,000 records to our database.
What does TVERC provide?
Data can be provided in whatever format is requested. We usually supply data in Excel spreadsheets and GIS layers.
If you require data for a small geographic area (less than a 10km square or 5km buffer around a site) then a data search report is provided.
Where the data is required for a large geographic area (search areas greater than a 10km square or 1000ha, or a 5km buffer around a site), then a data licence is provided.
Researchers
TVERC can offer a selection of data services at a discounted rate for academics or professionals undertaking research for conservation purposes.
Students
If you are studying for a qualification, or just love learning about new things, then TVERC can work with you on your coursework or projects. Access to the TVERC database and our contacts could give you a head start, or we have a selection of projects you could take on for your dissertation or research project. We can also offer work experience and internships, enabling you to demonstrate that you can apply your knowledge in the workplace.
Why does TVERC charge for their services?
Our charges are carefully set at a rate to ensure we can continue to provide a service now and into the future for the benefit of our environment.
We offer a reduced rate of charges for both data searches and data licences when the information is being used for conservation or research purposes.
The charge is shown within the online form, or you can use our data request cost calculator.
Sharing your data with TVERC
Data collected by researchers is of a high standard and if we received all the data collected by researchers and students, our database would be even more useful to you than it is now.
Why share your records?
- We are a ‘not for profit’ organisation so rely on receiving data from every source possible to improve our database of environmental information.
- Our database will be even more useful for you when carrying out research.
- Your records will help protect and enhance local biodiversity and geodiversity by increasing the quality and quantity of data we hold.
We accept data in any format. However, to make data management easier and less time-consuming for our office volunteers, you could ensure that all research reports include survey data in a table with the information we need so the data can be easily extracted and added to our database. Even better, you could send us an Excel spreadsheet at regular intervals containing all of your records. We have an Excel spreadsheet that you can use to collate your records: Species records spreadsheet (.xlsm) and Guidance notes for data entry (.pdf) We continuously check and upload data into our database so you could send it to us at any time of year.
Tip – Schedule in sufficient time for data management at the end of your project and set yourself a reminder to send us the data.
Volunteer with TVERC
We have opportunities for students to complete data analysis projects with us.
