Submitted by PBMS Admin on
Following temporary closure of the UK CEH Lancaster laboratory, the PBMS team have been adapting to working from home. Whilst not ideal, regular team meetings through video conferencing help keep the team in touch with each other. We are also endeavouring to keep potential and frequent contributors up to date on our status, and what to do if they find a dead bird of prey (see our recent news item).
Obviously post-mortem examination of birds cannot be carried out on our kitchen tables so this aspect of the scheme is suspended (along with receiving submissions). However the Covid 19 lockdown does present an opportunity for the team to catch up on some of the “exciting” admin that the scheme requires. In addition, we are developing ways in which to report our data and samples received in real-time on our website. Members of the team are also participating in reviews of post-registration pesticide monitoring and reporting on Defra’s 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment. More news items relating to these activities will follow in the coming weeks.
The team would like to thank those that are keeping birds for us until submissions are reinstated, and wish you all the best of health in this period.