The National Biodiversity Data Centre is delighted to award the Distinguished Recorder Award 2013 to Mr Angus Tyner. Angus has been chosen as this year’s recipient for the outstanding contribution he has made to the recording and documenting of Ireland’s biological diversity, particularly, but not exclusively, of moths.

Angus is one of a relatively small group of voluntary recorders who has taken his interest and passion in recording moths to an extremely high level of expertise over a relatively short period of time. It was only since early 2000 that Angus first became aware and interested in the astonishing diversity of moths in and around where he lives in County Wicklow. His enquiring mind and eye to detail meant that he quickly developed into one of Ireland’s leading moth recorders in a very short period of time.

In 2005, Angus co-founded MothsIreland with Michael O’Donnell. This initiative provided a focal point for the recording, networking and support structure for the small number of moth recorders in Ireland. It clearly filled a need, and it led to the establishment of the MothsIreland database and a website where, for the first time in Ireland, the detailed distribution of 550 moths were mapped and made available to the recording community.  Angus and his colleagues in MothsIreland are working on a consolidated national database which will form the basis for the first formal conservation assessment (Red List) of macro-moth in Ireland. This is testament to the great advances that have been made in expanding the knowledge base on moths in Ireland in recent years and is in no small part due to the work and vision of Angus and some of this colleagues.

Angus epitomises all the best qualities of a leading recorder of biodiversity; he has a deep passion in the subject, has a huge capacity for learning, understands the need for accuracy and precision, and has an inherent desire to impart his knowledge to others. He gives of his time freely and voluntarily, enthusing those around him. He describes beautifully moth trapping being like ‘opening a new present every morning’; and this sense of wonderment is always in evidence when he is sorting through his catch.

Although associated most with moths, Angus has a keen interest in other aspects of biodiversity and generates many records of dragonflies, butterflies, bumblebees and other insects. In addition to raising a young family, he manages his woodland farm, represents Ireland in orienteering and is a voluntary observer for MetEireann.