To get the New Year off to a good start, the Data Centre is inviting everyone to participate in the New Year 2018 Recording Challenge. We are asking recorders to get outdoors and document the wildlife they see and submit the sightings to the Data Centre. The objective of this challenge is to see which county has the most active recorders over the period. The number of records received from each county will be weighted by the county area, so all counties will be competing on a level playing field. This provides the recorders living in the smaller counties, such as Louth and Carlow, an opportunity to show their mettle. The challenge will run for two weeks from 1st to 14th January, and the recorders from the winning county will be given the gift of great pleasure from Ireland’s biodiversity and plenty of fresh air. Happy New Year to you all!