The Guernsey Biological Records Centre is hosting postgraduate students from the Jersey International Centre for Advanced Studies for their module on invasive species as part of the cross-island Biodiversity Partnership.

The Centre is run by Environment Guernsey on behalf of La Société Guernesiaise and the States. Data is submitted on a regular basis from residents, naturalists, researchers and visitors from a variety of sources, including social media.

The records help form an evidence base to which policymakers and lawmakers can refer when making decisions which may impact on wildlife or wildlife habitats.

The Guernsey Conservation Volunteers, States’ Asian Hornet team and Guernsey Water will provide their expertise on horizon scanning and the eradication and management of invasive species, including Sour Fig, Asian Hornets, black and brown rats and Signal Crayfish.

Students will visit Les Tielles, Lihou, Victoria Avenue marshes and Belle Greve Bay to study important habitats and learn more about how to protect them from invasive species and manage those invasive species that are already present.

Pictured: The risk to native species by the Asian Hornet has been particularly pronounced in recent years.

The students will apply this knowledge to assess the various species before writing a Darwin Plus application for one species of their choice. 

Liz Sweet, Manager of the Guernsey Biological Records Centre, said that “it is fantastic to host the JICAS and with the States’ Invasive Species [teams] help educate the next generation of scientists”.

“Pan-island partnerships benefit us all and I look forward to more projects like this in the future,” said Ms Sweet. 

Dr Amy Louise Hall, Programme Coordinator at the JICAS, said she and students will be “delighted to be in Guernsey to discover more about invasive species control on the Island”.

“We are very grateful to the Guernsey Biological Records Centre, the States’ team and the Guernsey Conservation Volunteers for making us so welcome,” said Dr Hall.

Pictured (top): Invasive species experts in Guernsey delivering a lecture on their work.