Next Level Recording: NFBR Conference 2024

The National Forum for Biological Recording's annual conference in 2024 took place in person at the YMa Pontypridd in south Wales (near Cardiff) on Thu 09 May 2024 and Fri 20 May, with a field trip to Dare Valley Country Park on Sat 11 May 2024.

The conference showcased talks from a range of biodiversity professionals and volunteers about how they have been involved in taking recording to the "next level". Sessions covered themes such as recorder development, extreme geography, novel technology and the discovery of new species. Sat 11 May 2024 saw an optional field trip to Dare Valley Country Park where we undertook some next-level recording of our very own, and recorders of all abilities were welcome.

The programme of talks is given below:

Fees and refund policy

NFBR Member Conference Ticket: £25 (Not a member? Sign up for just £10 today)
Non-Member Conference Ticket: £35

Ticket fees are non-refundable. Please note all ticket fees are subsidised by the National Forum for Biological Recording and the actual cost per delegate to the organisation is higher than £25-£35 per delegate.

Refreshments will be provided on Thu 09 May and Fri 10 May 2024. Please note that lunch will not be provided and delegates are advised to make their own lunch arrangements. The venue is located on the high street and there are plenty of options for lunch within a short walk.

Venue

The YMa is situated in Pontypridd and will be our base for the first two days of the conference. The venue is a roughly 7-minute walk from Pontypridd train station. Trains run regularly from Cardiff Central station to Pontypridd and take approximately 30 minutes. We recommend delegates travelling by public transport to book accommodation in Cardiff, due to the lack of hotels in Pontypridd itself.

The National Forum for Biological Recording is a registered charity and the premier UK organisation for practitioners engaged with biological recording across the UK. Membership includes individual naturalists, national organisations and recording societies, local environmental records centres and their staff. This gives it a unique perspective and an important role.

This event is delivered in partnership with LERC Wales, with bookings management hosted by the Biological Recording Company.

Book via Eventbrite

NFBR Conference 2024 Travel Instructions

The 2024 NFBR Conference is taking place in YMa Pontypridd, Taff St, Pontypridd CF37 4TH https://maps.app.goo.gl/6F9wPPTNV1XWoi9G8.

The event will run from 11am to 5pm on Thursday 9th May, and from 9.30am to 3.30pm on Friday 10th May.

Travel via car:

Pontypridd is located a few miles north of Cardiff, with good connections to the M4. We recommend the following car park options near the venue:

Berw Road Car Park (Berw Rd, Pontypridd CF37 2AA) https://maps.app.goo.gl/GhTJJCJM9icr3iLS7

This is a council owner multi-storey car park. Parking for the day should cost £2. Please note this car park is CASH ONLY and will lock at 7pm.

Goods Yard Car Park (Goods Yard, Chapel Street, Pontypridd, CF37 2DS) https://maps.app.goo.gl/22htL2hD2NYwGeNn8

This is a mainly NCP owned car park. Parking for the day should cost £4.95. This car park accepts card payments and is open 24 hours.

Travel via public transport:

The YMa is located opposite Pontypridd Bus Station https://maps.app.goo.gl/3ida8kUUanB2wWwM9. We recommend using Traveline Cymru to plan bus journeys.

Pontypridd Train Station https://maps.app.goo.gl/MXPXADRkV16HrNF49 is approximately 10 minutes walk from YMa and has regular trains from Cardiff Central (30 min train journey). We recommend using Transport for Wales to plan train journeys within Wales.

Unfortunately train strikes have been announced which may affect delegate travel, particularly travel from England into Wales. Please check National Rail for updates when planning your journey.