Community biological recording is at the heart of understanding Montserrat’s incredible biodiversity, and local residents, visitors, and nature enthusiasts all play a vital role in contributing to this growing body of knowledge. By simply observing and recording the wildlife around them, community members help build a richer and more complete picture of the species that call the island home.

iNaturalist has rapidly become  one of the most popular tools for community recording on Montserrat, allowing anyone with a smartphone to photograph and log wildlife sightings which are then identified by a global community of experts and fed into international biodiversity databases. From rare orchids to migrating birds and marine life, every observation made on Montserrat contributes to a valuable and ever-growing record of the island’s natural world.

FIT Count — or Flower-Insect Timed Count — is another key community recording tool being used on Montserrat, designed by the UK Center for Ecology & Hydrology to specifically to monitor pollinator activity. Participants spend a set amount of time watching a patch of flowers and recording every insect that visits, providing simple but powerful data on pollinator health and abundance. Given the critical role that pollinators play in both natural ecosystems and food production, FIT Count surveys on Montserrat are helping to shed light on the state of the island’s insect populations and the pressures they may be facing.

Together, these community recording initiatives are helping to democratise biodiversity science on Montserrat — putting the tools of conservation in the hands of everyday people and ensuring that the island’s wildlife is watched, recorded, and protected by the whole community.