2024 was a very sad year when we lost some major figures in the springtail community. Frans Janssens was an enormous help to me when I started recording springtails and I was sad to hear of his passing. I also learned so much from Peter Shaw that I felt this additional loss keenly. Fortunately, 2025 begins on a brighter note with the news that James McCulloch has taken over the UK Springtail Recording Scheme. James is a highly knowledgeable springtail enthusiast, and even better, has already started verifying springtail records submitted via iRecord, a daunting task which has not happened before. All this is very positive for the future and I am encouraged by this positive development.
