ALLOA ACADEMY will host a wildlife conference next month in an effort to celebrate volunteer participation in monitoring nature.

The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI) is partnering Buglife Scotland, Stirling Council and The Wildlife Information Centre to organise a conference called From Source to Resource: Making Biological Records Count, at the Clacks school on Saturday, February 10.

The event will look at the journey that wildlife records make between the recorder and species recording schemes, then onward to inform work to restore, conserve and save species and landscapes.

It will be aimed at recorders, verifiers and anyone interested in or working in the fields of biological recording, citizen science and environmental conservation in Scotland.

Furthermore, it is also hoped that the conference will help members of the biological recording community across Scotland make connections, and provide updates from practitioners and projects in the area.

Kate Fuller, community engagement officer with IFLI, said: "This conference is an exciting way to share and celebrate the diversity of species that are found within Scotland.

"It is also to recognise the valuable work by volunteers and other practitioners who monitor and record the state of the natural world around us.

"The day will look at how records move between the recorder, verifier and are then available and used by organisations and practitioners who research or seek to restore and conserve species and landscapes. We invite you to join us for an enjoyable and eye-opening day."

Within the programme, attendees will have time to browse a dedicated display area where they will be able to network, learn more about a wide range of wildlife recording schemes in Scotland, and find out how to get involved in a variety of ways.

Graeme Wilson, manager of the Wildlife Information Centre, added: "This is a great opportunity for anyone with an interest in wildlife to find out more about the different species that are around and to learn why recording both common and less common species can help conserve and protect our environment."