The Herpetological Conservation Trust (HCT) and Froglife merged in July 2009, forming a single strong conservation NGO. The new organisation is called the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and will continue the range of activities currently undertaken by Froglife and the HCT, while providing a stronger basis for conserving amphibians and reptiles in the future. ARC will continue HCT's membership of UKOTCF. In the UK, Overseas Territories and Europe, ARC is committed to ensuring that new legislation and policy-decisions fit the needs of wildlife, particularly amphibians and reptiles. They work towards influencing policy relating to agriculture, habitat conservation, wise water-use and planning. While being based in the UK, ARC has a global remit. Their main area of interest outside of the UK is promoting reptile and amphibian conservation in Europe and the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

HCT has undertaken work in the UK Crown Dependencies. This has included a great deal of work in Jersey: surveying and monitoring species, habitat management work and providing conservation advice for the agile frog and green lizard; supporting the development of the action plan for the agile frog, making good links with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and promoting survey through the National Amphibian and Reptile Survey on Jersey and the Isle of Man. HCT also produced a draft Action Plan for the Bermuda skink Plestiodon longirostris and has attended three UKOTCF-organised Conferences.

With the financial support of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the HCT initiated a complete species inventory and overview of conservation and research priorities for the amphibians and reptiles in the territories. A working document has been produced (dated March 2009) and is available to download >>.

ARC is now working actively to further develop involvement in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and will take forward the completion of this document.

We have a link to our Overseas Territories work at:
:http://www.arc-trust.org/europe/overseas.php though this can be found fairly easily from our home page.

Website: www.arc-trust.org
Contact: tony.gent@arc-trust.org

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The British Ecological Society (BES) has been a member of the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum for many years, with many members of the Society actively engaged in research in the UKOTs. The BES is the UK's learned society for ecology and a registered charity. Established in 1913, we have approximately 4,000 members worldwide. To progress our vision of 'advancing ecology and making it count' the Society undertakes a range of activities, supported by a small secretariat based in central London. The Society publishes five internationally recognised, high impact factor scientific journals. The BES organises two large scientific meetings each year, along with a number of smaller workshops and events facilitated by our Special Interest Groups, and dispenses around £500,000 per year in grants to support ecological science and scientists. The Society's Education Officer works directly with teachers to develop resources for schools, communicating the excitement of ecology, and the importance of field work, from primary school level upwards. The BES also has an active voice in science policy, responding to consultations, organising workshops and events and providing briefings to policy-makers, working to ensure that policy is made of the basis of sound scientific evidence. Where appropriate, the Society actively seeks partnerships, including with the UKOTCF, to deliver our aims effectively.

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The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland celebrated its Centenary year in 2009 by strengthening our charitable objects of Conservation, Education and Research within Scotland and overseas. The UKOTs and CDs are an increasingly high priority for us in our UK and global conservation agenda. With historical connections since the Society’s inception with the South Atlantic region it is inevitable that we have retained that focus particularly with the Falkland Islands but more recently collaborating with the community of Tristan da Cunha.

Membership of the UKOTCF has helped to reinforce these links but also introduced us to other Territories, communities and agencies with individual or cross cutting issues. The Society, through its living collections at Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park is also able to connect with over 750,000 visitors each year, communicating the value, fragility and importance of the UK’s “Fragments of Paradise”.

Our mission is: 'To inspire and excite our visitors with the wonder of living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitats.'

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The Royal Air Force Ornithological Society was formed in 1965 with the aim of bringing together all those members and ex-members of the RAF interested in ornithology. RAFOS has an internationally renowned reputation, specialising in expeditions to remote locations. RAFOS has undertaken formal studies on behalf of the British Trust for Ornithology, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Scottish Natural Heritage, Bird Life International, the Cyprus Conservation Foundation, the Italian League for Bird Protection and Birds Australia.

Reports on all expeditions and field study are held in the RAFOS Library and are available for academic research. RAFOS publishes a regular Newsletter and a Scientific Journal.

Qualified Ringing study is undertaken in association with the BTO and follows its principles. Ringing is also undertaken on expeditions and field study where appropriate, assisting local projects. The Society supports ringing training and has a dedicated ringing co-ordinator.

RAFOS is always keen to contribute to bird study and conservation projects in Overseas Territories. Please contact the Field Activities Liaison Officer though the RAFOS Web-site

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The Army Ornithological Society(AOS) members provide the Army's focal point for ornithological issues by getting involved in conservation work, bird counts and other MOD and civilian schemes through field trips, overseas expeditions and even scientific studies.

Past expeditions have visited Ascension Island, Belize, Canada, Croatia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Holland, Nepal, Spain, Thailand and The Gambia. Membership is open to serving and ex-Army personnel, other Services and their families, MOD employed civil servants and members of Commonwealth Forces. Contributing to the British Trust for Ornithology’s national bird atlas was just one small part of activities and, whether just starting out or with a detailed knowledge of birds, the Society welcomes all to its ranks and makes a point of developing interest through practical field activities.

British military ornithological societies have monitored the colony of sooty terns and other seabirds on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic since 1987. The first population census was completed in 1990 ten years prior to the commencement of the RSPB cat eradication on the Island. Sooty terns were closely monitored during the two years when cats were culled and now AOS continue the monitoring in the post eradication phase. Several reports and scientific papers have been published using the results of the surveys.

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The BMBA is a formally constituted Association of UK Academic and Industrial Laboratories with a permanent executive. It was formed in response to the Worldwide Fund for Nature and British Dependent Territories Authority interest in the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council funded Extremophile Expedition to Montserrat in March 1996.

The British Microbial Biodiversity Association (BMBA) aims to provide a link between and within UK Universities and Bioindustries in order to promote the investigation, preservation and rational exploitation of global microbial biodiversity in the UK and its Overseas Territories.

The BBSRC funded UK Extremophile Expedition of March 1996 visited, mapped and sampled the hydrothermal regions of Montserrat, discovering a unique combination of thermal, saline, pH, mineral and redox gradients which support extremophilic microbial populations. The variability and proximity of these biotopes offer excellent opportunities for developing studies on microbial evolutionary mechanisms, particularly with respect to temperature, halophilicity, metal leaching and toxic metal resistance.

Dr. Judy McArdell, while on vacation in Bermuda in August 1996 undertook a preliminary evaluation of the Bermuda Crystal Caves, for microbiological purposes, of these geologically unique caves which support rare macrobiotopes. The nearest evolutionary relatives of these biotopes are found in the Pacific, giving rise to speculation of an ancient subterranean link between the relatively isolated landmass of Bermuda and the Pacific.

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The Royal Naval Birdwatching Society was established in 1946 to help and encourage members serving in the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Women’s Royal Navy Service, in the observation and study of birds at sea, the RNBWS has widened its membership to include all those interested in Birdwatching who share a common background - the sea itself. Membership (including Associate Members from many countries overseas) averages 250, including many from the Merchant Navies of several countries, ocean weather ships, the offshore oil industry, passengers on cruise liners and yachtsmen. Reports received cover most sea areas of the world.

About seven tenths of the world's surface is covered with salt water, which provides the environment for nearly 300 species of seabirds, and across which many more species of land-bird travel during their annual migrations. Especially during adverse weather, these frequently take refuge on board ships. The problems of their identification and deduction of their seasonal distribution and migration routes, etc., are challenges providing a fascinating hobby for the seafarer, and such observations can be of unique importance to the serious ornithologist and conservationist.

The primary aim of RNBWS is to provide a forum for the exchange of information and observations of seabirds, and of land-birds at sea, by members for whom Birdwatching is first and foremost a hobby, and to provide advice and support to make best use of such opportunities at sea. The secondary aim is to co-ordinate the efforts of individual members using standardised recording methods, so that observations can be of value to the professional ornithologist ashore. RNBWS has close links with many other Organisations and Societies around the world. RNBWS has built up a reporting system using standardised recording forms - passage reports covering both seabirds and land-birds, seabirds census sheets, and for birds examined in the hand. The society has established a number of local representatives, both in home ports and in ports overseas, to provide a focus for Birdwatching activities when in harbour, or ashore.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been involved in plant conservation activities in the UKOTs for over 20 years.  Its UKOTs Programme continues to work with partners in Territories around the world on a range of projects designed to fulfil the targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.  One of the Programme’s priority projects is the development of a UKOTs online herbarium.  Based initially on Kew’s own botanical specimens and data, this database compiles existing information on plants from all of the Territories, to be made available over the internet as an easily accessible resource for future biodiversity assessments.  Kew also contributes to conservation projects in the Caribbean and South Atlantic Territories, providing botanical, horticultural, seed-collecting and conservation management expertise and enabling local partner organisations to develop these specialist skills.

Kew’s mission is: to inspire and deliver science-based plant conservation worldwide, enhancing the quality of life.

ZSL has been committed to the study and understanding of animals since its inception in 1826. In addition to running many ex situ breeding programmes for endangered species, the ZSL has an increasing involvement in field conservation programmes. Staff at ZSL have been involved in the in situ and ex situ conservation of St Helena's invertebrate fauna since 1988 and are currently involved in a number of Overseas Territory conservation projects, including working with the St. Helena Nature Conservation Group to producing educational materials publicising the conservation importance of St. Helena's endemic species.

The Anguilla National Trust was established in 1993 to act as custodian of Anguilla's heritage, preserving and promoting the island’s natural environment and its archaeological, historical and cultural resources for present and future generations. The Trust is working to oversee the management of all National Parks, Protected Areas, Heritage Sites/Buildings and the National Museum; establish Environmental Education Programmes for all Anguillians; and promote and preserve the expression of Anguillian culture; provide advice on matters relating to natural, cultural and historic resources.

The Trust’s Facebook page gives regular updates on project activities such as the Sea Turtle Monitoring Programme; Wetland Bird Monitoring; Adventure Anguilla - a week-long outdoors programme that seeks to raise awareness amongst Anguilla’s youth about the importance of and interconnections among the island’s land, marine, and coastal ecosystems.