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We cannot claim that Ryenats are at the cutting edge of new technologies but significant progress has been made in the last couple of years as follows:

• communication with members has become much easier as now almost all members use email.
• we now have our own laptop and digital projector, which means we can offer these to visiting speakers who now mostly use Powerpoint. It also means we can develop our own presentations and store information and photos on our laptop.
• we continue to develop our website which now includes a facility for members to upload records which are visible immediately on the website, and which in turn can then be electronically passed on to central databases such as the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union (YNU), North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre (NEYEDC) and the National Biodiversity Network (NBN).

In 2010 224 records were uploaded to our website covering plants, birds, mammals, fungi, reptiles, insects and other groups. Sadly this was fewer than 2009, the first year of the scheme, when over 500 records were entered. We are hoping there will be more in 2011 and future years. The address is http://www.ryenats.org.uk/recordform.htm.

We hope these records will prove useful, not least in tracking how our wildlife responds to climate and habitat changes. It is also useful to pinpoint interesting sightings quickly, e.g. the appearance of waxwings in December 2010.

[Ed: The Committee is always open to suggestions on how to improve these features, and indeed any part of the website.]