Worcestershire Biological Records Centre

What Worcestershire Biological Records Centre does

Worcestershire Biological Records Centre (WBRC) is an independent not-for-profit wildlife charity that functions as the designated Local Records Centre (LRC) for Worcestershire, United Kingdom. Its core mission is the aggregation, verification, curation, and dissemination of biological occurrence records for the Watsonian county of Worcestershire (vice-county 37) and its administrative districts. WBRC is the institutional hub through which amateur and professional naturalists contribute species sightings, and through which partner organisations access biodiversity data for conservation, planning, and research purposes. The organisation is small (1-10 employees) and has operated in this capacity since its establishment around 2000.

The technical platform consists of Recorder 6, the JNCC-issued standard database application used across the UK LRC network, supplemented by the iRecord online verification platform and GIS services for spatial analysis. Data flows out through the National Biodiversity Network Atlas, integrating WBRC into the UK-wide biodiversity data infrastructure coordinated by ALERC at the national LRC level. Outputs include species distribution maps, bespoke data searches, ecological evidence reports, and Habitat and Species Action Plans.

WBRC's business model combines three revenue streams. Data searches and GIS services are provided free of charge to volunteer recorders, students, and not-for-profit partners; small fees are levied for commercial and consultancy use. Programme activity is sustained primarily through project grants, notably from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has supported initiatives such as the Ancient Tree Project. The customer base includes Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the Environment Agency, the University of Worcester, and a range of ecological consultancies operating in the county.

Name

Worcestershire Biological Records Centre

Legal name

Worcestershire Biological Records Centre

Website

https://wbrc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Worcestershire Biological Records Centre is a small not-for-profit wildlife charity and the designated Local Records Centre for the county, aggregating and verifying species occurrence data on Recorder 6 and iRecord for use by councils, conservation trusts, agencies, universities, and ecological consultancies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Records and Biodiversity Data Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Analytics, Reporting & Business Intelligence (HLAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Biological records management
• Biodiversity data services
• Habitat information systems
• Species distribution mapping
• Local environmental records

Headquarters

HQ city

Worcester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WBRC acts as a centralised data storehouse for biological data including plant and animal records and habitat information covering all taxonomic groups across Worcestershire. It provides tailored data search services (species lists, maps, GIS data), species identification assistance, digitisation and GIS work, Recorder 6 software and iRecord platform support for recorders, and produces county atlases (Mammals, Bumblebees) and the Ancient Tree Register.

Product overview

Worcestershire Biological Records Centre (WBRC) operates as a Local Records Centre providing a suite of data services for biological recording. The core offering consists of a biological records database and data search services, including species lists, distribution maps, habitat data, and GIS work. WBRC supports the recording community through species identification assistance, Recorder 6 software distribution, and iRecord platform support. The organisation produces county atlases (Mammals, Bumblebees) and manages the Worcestershire Ancient Tree Project, while also providing data submission tools including Excel recording forms. WBRC functions as an independent not-for-profit wildlife charity serving as the data repository for Worcestershire's biodiversity information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Data Search Services Provides tailored data enquiries for species (all groups except birds, primarily breeding records), designated sites, and habitats in various formats including species lists, maps, and GIS data, for use in planning applications, environmental impact assessments, and ecological surveys.
• Biological Records Database Comprehensive database of biological records including plant and animal observations and habitat information, collected from local naturalists, ecologists, statutory bodies, and wildlife organisations across Worcestershire.
• Species Identification Assistance Provides assistance with species identification for recorders, requiring photographic evidence or other relevant evidence such as feeding remains, droppings, or footprints.
• Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Services Offers GIS work including digitisation of sites and species data, supporting spatial analysis and mapping of biodiversity information for clients.
• Recorder 6 Software Support Provides and supports Recorder 6 database software to large-volume data collectors, including species dictionaries and data exchange capabilities with WBRC.
• iRecord Platform Support Support and integration with the iRecord online verification platform for biological records, enabling community data verification workflows.
• Worcestershire Mammal Atlas County atlas publication documenting mammal species distribution in Worcestershire, developed in collaboration with Worcestershire Recorders and Worcestershire Mammal Group.
• Worcestershire Bumblebee Atlas County atlas produced with Worcestershire Recorders documenting bumblebee species distribution across Worcestershire.
• Worcestershire Ancient Tree Project Long-running project to develop and maintain the Worcestershire Register of Ancient Trees (over 3,000 records), with the register held at WBRC and integrated into the national Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Hunt database.
• Finding Rare Species in the Malverns Project Heritage Lottery Funded project working with Malvern Hills AONB partnership and Herefordshire Biological Records Centre to increase understanding of rare wildlife distribution in the Suckley Hills landscape.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Worcestershire Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBRC rents an office at the headquarters of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. WBRC acts as the data storehouse for wildlife charities and organisations, with WWT being a key client and host organization.
• Association for Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBRC is a member of ALERC, the central voice for Local Environmental Records Centres in Britain and Ireland, enabling national coordination and data sharing.
• National Biodiversity Network (NBN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBRC participates in the NBN information network of biodiversity data, sharing and receiving data with UK nature agencies, Wildlife Trusts, and other LRCs.
• West Midlands Records Centres (WMLRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBRC works closely with other West Midlands LRCs including Birmingham & Black Country, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire for regional collaboration.
• Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural BeautymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBRC partnered with Malvern Hills AONB for the Finding Rare Species in the Malverns project, working to increase understanding of rare wildlife distribution in the Suckley Hills landscape.
• Herefordshire Biological Records CentremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWBRC collaborated with Herefordshire Biological Records Centre on the Heritage Lottery Funded Finding Rare Species in the Malverns project spanning the Worcestershire/Herefordshire boundary.
• Woodland Trust (Ancient Tree Hunt)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorcestershire's ancient tree records are incorporated into the national Ancient Tree Hunt database managed by Woodland Trust. The Trust is lead partner for the national project collecting ancient tree records across the UK.
• Historic Environment and Archaeology Service (Worcestershire County Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAncient tree records collected through the project are shared with the county Historic Environment and Archaeology Service for preservation and access.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Biological Records Centre (CEH/NERC): The national Biological Records Centre operated under UK Research and Innovation (formerly CEH). Manages the iRecord platform used by WBRC and oversees national species recording schemes, representing the national-level institutional peer that develops the data infrastructure LRCs depend on.
• National Biodiversity Network (NBN): UK-wide biodiversity data aggregation network of which WBRC is a member. NBN provides national-scale biodiversity data sharing infrastructure that encompasses and overlaps with LRC services, representing a broader incumbent that could partially substitute for LRC-level data access.

Direct peers

• Staffordshire Ecological Record: Staffordshire's LRC operating within the West Midlands LRC network. Offers comparable biological recording data services, species and habitat databases, and data search facilities for ecological consultants and local government in an adjacent county.
• Shropshire Ecological Data Network: Shropshire's equivalent LRC, a member of the West Midlands Records Centres network alongside WBRC. Provides the same core services including species recording, data searches, designated sites information, and Ancient Tree recording, operating as a peer county-level records centre.
• Warwickshire Biological Records Centre: Warwickshire's LRC and West Midlands network peer. Operates the same LRC service model providing data searches, species recording support, GIS services, and conservation data for ecological planning applications in Warwickshire.
• Herefordshire Biological Records Centre: Herefordshire's LRC providing identical Local Records Centre services for the adjacent county. WBRC has directly collaborated with Herefordshire BRC on the Heritage Lottery funded Finding Rare Species in the Malverns project, demonstrating peer-level operational similarity in biodiversity data management, GIS services, and county atlas production.
• Birmingham & Black Country Biodiversity Recording Hub: Urban-focused LRC within the West Midlands network, providing biological records services for the Birmingham and Black Country metropolitan area. Operates the same LRC model for an urban geography, making it a directly comparable peer within WBRC's regional network.

Others

• Association of Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC): The UK and Ireland association of which WBRC is a member. Acts as the central representative body for LRCs including WBRC, providing national coordination, training, and advocacy rather than direct data services, making it an ecosystem/industry body peer.
• Woodland Trust (Ancient Tree Hunt): National charity managing the Ancient Tree Hunt database, into which WBRC's Worcestershire ancient tree records are incorporated. Represents the national aggregation layer for WBRC's ancient tree data and a key data-sharing partner for the Ancient Tree Project.
• Worcestershire Wildlife Trust: Worcestershire's county Wildlife Trust, which hosts WBRC's office and acts as both a key client and strategic partner. While not a direct data services peer, WWT is the most closely affiliated wildlife organisation in the county and a fundamental ecosystem participant for WBRC's operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worcestershire-biological-records-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Worcestershire Biological Records Centre