Britain is the best recorded country in the world with regard to its animals and plants. In the last 50 years or so this has been largely due to the voluntary work undertaken by dedicated individuals - the County Recorders. 

These recorders have accumulated, sorted and analysed information on specific biological areas from naturalists all over each of the counties the individual county recorder covers. Sometimes one county recorder will cover more than one county and its group of active naturalists. In this way the data has been accumulated, centralised and used. Most county recorders also pass on copies of their data to national recording schemes or to the Biological Records Centre at Monks Wood. This is set to change over the next few years with the development of the National Biodiversity Network which will make the knowledge and the work of county reorders more valuable than ever before. See also the Biodiversity Information System for Cheshire, Halton, Warrington and Wirral - rECOrd.

In Cheshire we are very lucky to have a large number of people who are prepared to take the time and to put in the effort to act as County Recorders for many different biological orders and groups. A list of these is provided below; or you can download a Word-97 document containing this information by clicking here. Thank you. 

If you observe any plant or animal, including invertebrates, in your travels or even in your own back garden, which you can identify with certainty then please do get in touch with either myself (Steve J. McWilliam at the Record Centre at Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Grebe House, Reaseheath, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DG (Tel.: 01270-610180)) or with the relevant County Recorder shown below - or better still, with both of us. Many thanks for your time and trouble - all records are very much appreciated.
 

Cheshire's County Recorders
Coverage	Name & Address
Macro-Moths (Lepidoptera)	Shane Farrell e-mail: shane.farrell@ntlworld.com
Micro-Moths (Lepidoptera)	Steve H. Hind 32 Carleton Road, Higher Poynton, Stockport, Cheshire, SK12 1TL Tel: (01625) 859504 e-mail: Stephen.Hind@ind.alstom.com
Beetles (Coleoptera)	Don Stenhouse
Butterflies (Lepidoptera)	Barry T. Shaw 87 Gleneagles Road, Heald Green, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 3EN Tel.: (01614) 910753 e-mail: barryshaw@gleneagles87.freeserve.co.uk
Dragonflies (Odonata)	David Kitching Countryside Manager, Cheshire County Council, Heritage & Recreation Services, Countryside Office, Chapel Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 1PU e-mail: davidk@brocross.u-net.com
Lacewings (Neuroptera)	Dr Mike Hull Windcliffe, Alvanley Road, Helsby, Cheshire, WA6 9PS Tel.: (01928) 722274
Flies (Lancashire - Diptera)	Tom H. Mawdsley c/o Liverpool Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN Tel.: (0151) 207-0001
Flies (Cheshire - Diptera)	Bill Hardwick E-mail: bill@hardwick36.freeserve.co.uk
Grasshoppers (Orthoptera)	Steve Cross (for Lancashire) Liverpool Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN Tel.: (0151) 207-0001 E-mail: Steve.Cross@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk Paul Hill (for Cheshire) 1 Clive Cottage Allostock Knutsford Cheshire WA16 9LT Tel.: 01565-722938 E-mail: paul@papilio.co.uk
Caddis-flies (Trichoptera)	Ian Wallace Liverpool Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN Tel.: (0151) 207-0001 E-mail: Ian.Wallace@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
Bees, Wasps & Ants (Hymenoptera)	Carl Clee c/o Liverpool Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN Tel.: (0151) 207-0001 E-mail: Carl.Clee@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
Sawflies (Hymenoptera)	Guy Knight c/o Liverpool Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN Tel.: (0151) 207-0001 E-mail: Guy.Knight@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
Heteroptera (Bugs)	Steve Judd Woodlands, Smithy Lane, Mouldsworth, Chester, Cheshire E-mail: Steve.Judd@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
Spiders (Araneidae)	Vacant as at October 2004 - volunteer urgently required. In the meantime please send records to: rECOrd, Oakfield House, Chester Zoological Gardens, Upton, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1lH Tel.: 01244 383749 - E-mail: info@rECOrd-LRC.co.uk
Higher Plants (Angiosperms)	Graeme M. Kay  4 Geneva Road, Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire, SK7 3HT Tel.: 0161-439-7995 E-mail: graeme.m.kay@talk21.com
Mosses & Liverworts (Bryophytes)	Tony Smith 1 Carr Meadow Cottages, Glossop Road, Little Hayfield, High Peak, Stockport, Cheshire, SK22 2NR e-mail: tonyvsmith@compuserve.com
Lichens	No County Recorder Currently Available - (one is Urgently needed).
Snails & Slugs (Mollusca)	No County Recorder Currently Available - (one is Urgently needed).
Fungi & Moulds	John Taylor 13 Goulden Road, Withington, Manchester, M20 4ZE E-mail: jltaylor2@compuserve.com
Birds	Hugh Pulsford Can be contacted via CAWOS.
Mammals	Tony Parker c/o Liverpool Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN Tel.: (0151) 207-0001 - E-mail: Tony.Parker@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk