Wildwood Ecology | Certified B Corporation™

Day 2 of our Knowledge Spring for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) What counts towards a development’s BNG? If you already need to create or enhance habitat as part of your development, you may be able to count this towards BNG. Examples of other schemes you may be able to count include: ·        habitat creation or enhancement delivered to comply with certain statutory obligations or policies, such as green infrastructure, sustainable drainage, or nutrient mitigation ·        mitigation and compensation measures for protected sites and species (for example, suitable alternative natural green space (SANG)) ·        providing river basin management plan (RBMP) mitigation and enhancement measures You can also include: ·        in full, for enhancing actions, such as green infrastructure; ·        in part, for mitigation and compensation actions, such as nutrient mitigation, environmental impact assessment compensation, NatureSpace district licensing, or functionally linked land (FLL). You may soon be able to also include Natural England district level licensing You cannot include: ·        restocking conditions relating to a tree felling licence or a restocking notice ·        remediation under the environmental damage regulations If you want to count other habitat creation or enhancement scheme work towards your BNG, you must include it in your: ·        metric calculation  ·        biodiversity gain plan That’s all folks!

Day 1 of our Knowledge Sprint for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Biodiversity net gain: exempt developments ·        Self-build and custom build applications: only if the development consists of 9 or fewer dwellings AND on a site that has an area no larger than 0.5 hectares AND consists exclusively of dwellings that are self-build or custom housebuilding as defined in section 1(A1) of the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 ·        Existing planning applications: if a planning application for a development was made before day one of mandatory BNG on 12 February 2024, the development is exempt from BNG ·        Variations of planning permission: such as retrospective planning permissions made under section 73A; and section 73 permissions where the original permission which the section 73 relates to was either granted before 12 February 2024 or the application for the original permission was made before 12 February 2024. However, a section 73 permission cannot be used to vary or remove the biodiversity gain condition. ·        Developments below the threshold: a development that does not impact a priority habitat and impacts less than: a) 25 square metres (5m by 5m) of on-site habitat; or b) 5 metres of on-site linear habitats such as hedgerows. A development ‘impacts’ a habitat if it decreases the biodiversity value. ·        Householder applications: these are applications made by householders as defined within article 2(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. It includes, for example, small projects like home extensions, conservatories or loft conversions. ·        Biodiversity gain site: developments undertaken mainly for the purpose of fulfilling the BNG planning condition for another development are exempt. ·        High speed rail transport network: an exemption applies to any development forming part of, or ancillary to, the high-speed railway transport network, comprising connections between all or any of the places or parts of the transport network specified in section 1(2) of the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013. ·        Urgent crown developments ·        Developments that are granted planning permission by a development order (including permitted development rights) Note, ‘small developments’ were removed from exemption on 2 April 2024. That’s all folks!

We are going to start a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) knowledge 'Sprint' next week... 🏃♂️ ...where we will inform and update our clients on some recent aspects of BNG since it's launch back on 12 February 2024. We will not go over old ground and will assume you are aware of BNG if still unsure, then here is a useful link: https://lnkd.in/egPGmYFj So, watch out all of next week as we provide information on some of the latest updates and things to be aware of. Any suggestions for future sprints we would love to hear from you. #BNG #KnowledgeSprint

Our Arboricultural services has just reached a new milestone... ...we have completed a full year of surveys under the direction of Senior Arboriculturist (& Ecologist) Misho Baxendale MCIEEM, MArborA. 🎂 1️⃣ Most of our clients recognise and repeatedly ask for support with their ecology needs, but we are also informing them about complimentary support for Arboriculture too including: ¦ BS5837 Tree Survey, with Tree Survey Schedule (TSS) and Tree Constraints Plan (TCP) ¦ Arboricultural Feasibility Survey, with Opportunities and Constraints Plan ¦ Preliminary Arboricultural Impact Assessment (pAIA) ¦ Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/ds-Tq8w3 Tree-mendous work (sorry, but had to get at least one pun in the post). #Arboriculture #BS5837 #TreeSurvey #ArboriculturalImpactAssessment

📣 There's been a lot of talk about Biodiversity Net Gain in England and it's implementation this year, and rightly so... ...but how does it compare to other countries? 🤔 Biodiversity Net Gain (#BNG) in England is a policy that mandates development projects to result in a measurable increase in biodiversity compared to the baseline conditions of the site. This approach ensures that the impacts of development are mitigated by enhancing and protecting natural habitats[1]. When compared to other biodiversity compensation policies globally, BNG has some distinct features and similarities: 1. Mandatory Implementation: BNG is a mandatory requirement in England, as stipulated by the Environment Act 2021. This contrasts with other regions where biodiversity compensation policies may be voluntary or less prescriptive[2]. 2. Quantifiable Metrics: BNG uses biodiversity units to assess the value of habitats and species, providing a standardized metric to evaluate biodiversity gains. This is similar to biodiversity offsetting practices in other countries, such as Australia and the USA, where metrics are also used to ensure no net loss of biodiversity[1][4]. 3. Focus on Net Gain: Unlike traditional biodiversity offsetting, which aims for no net loss, BNG seeks a net gain, meaning developments should leave the natural environment in a better state than before. This is a more progressive approach compared to some global policies that only aim to balance losses with equivalent gains[4]. 4. International Comparisons: Countries like Germany, the USA, and Australia have implemented net gain principles for several decades. These countries provide valuable lessons on the long-term application and challenges of such policies[4]. 5. Global Challenges: Similar to other global biodiversity compensation policies, BNG faces challenges such as ensuring compliance, addressing governance gaps, and effectively measuring ecological outcomes[2][4]. While BNG shares common goals with global biodiversity compensation policies, its mandatory nature and focus on achieving a net gain set it apart as a more ambitious approach to integrating biodiversity considerations into development planning. Citations: [1] https://lnkd.in/e6QbHj7T [2] https://lnkd.in/e2vQefVt [3] https://lnkd.in/eqDUYjyT [4] https://lnkd.in/ehY3kjfc [5] https://lnkd.in/enXKTgBA [6] https://lnkd.in/eQR9mtfx [7] https://lnkd.in/e8XkJTnB [8] https://lnkd.in/eH84svgW

Health, Safety & Conservation: Tree Management for Bat Protection 🌳🦇 During a recent site walkover in preparation for a #batlicence application, our Director of Ecology, Ivi Szaboova MSc MCIEEM, identified several trees with potential roost features (PRFs), that are vital for most bat species. Final assessment and licence application was informed by Ground Level and Aerial Tree Assessments, and Dawn Back-tracking #BatSurveys using Night Vision Aids (#NVA's) and Bat Detectors to ensure we had enough information to inform the licence to Natural England. A collaborative effort involving our ecology and arb teams. Rest assured, we are committed to both safety and conservation. While some trees require target-pruning or monolithing, others must be felled due to safety risks near public footpaths. The felled trees will be replaced as part of a new tree planting scheme, ensuring we protect both people and wildlife. #Conservation #TreeManagement #BatProtection

Almost the end of the week and we've been looking for water vole, great crested newts and the odd caterpillar... The role of an ecologist is a varied one and being flexible (in terms of tasks, not how bendy we can make ourselves) is certainly part of the job. Not many days are ever the same. Yes, we can be 'stuck' at a desk for a couple of days, but you know that you'll be back outside very soon. Here we see Sam Clements telling off a piece of naught vegetation during a water vole survey in #Gloucestershire that is proposed for a hydro -electric scheme; Peter Hacker mentoring a placement student and discussing #mitigation and #licensing for #greatcrestednewt; and an incidental case of finding an *Elephant Hawk Moth #caterpillar on our travels. *we do not specialise in moths and butterflies, so if you're screaming 'it's not that' and know better than us, we are open to being educated! #jobsatisfaction #lifeofanecologist #wildwoodecoogy #ecologist

Knot all holes in trees are what they seem... 🤔 ...this week has been a rather knotty one. We have been surveying trees not only as part of The British Standard "Trees in Relation to Design, Demolition and Construction to Construction - Recommendations" (BS 5837) (2012), but also to see if any of the cavities had bat suitability. Or indeed any bats in them! 🦇 Here is one of our assistant ecologists, Jack McCormack over in the #Rhondda, inspecting some ground-level features for the presence of bats, surrounded by Himalayan balsam (an Invasive Non-Native Species: INNS) 🌸. No bats found today, but will share with you shortly our off-the ground activities over in #Gloucestershire

😢 We sadly say 'goodbye' to one of our amazing Consultant Ecologists today, David Withington. David joined us back in April 2021 and after we celebrated his time with us today, we wish him and his family all the very best in his new role. We will all miss you, especially your colleagues in our #Stroud office. Always a job here for you if you need it.

📢 We are delighted to issue our latest Impact Report for August 2023-July 2024 🌿 https://lnkd.in/dJtrTurp Why are we releasing this? To honour our commitments to transparency and accountability to stakeholders around the social and environmental impact created and planned by our business as a proud Certified B Corporation: B Lab UK Highlights: 🥇 Winning the Medium Consultancy of the Year category in the national CIEEM Awards (2023) 👩👩👦👦 More of our staff are now fully qualified members of our professional body. 😀 Holding community days, helping out local enterprises in both Stroud and Caerphilly. 📖 We continue to review, update and add to our governance documents, including terms of conditions which makes it more transparent for our clients about the services we offer and expectations for either side. 🚗 Reducing our carbon travel emissions for employee and subcontractors. ⛓ Improving our supply chains, including the use of remanufactured laptops and monitors. 🦄 Advocating for wildlife restoration and promoting the good work that businesses can do within our local environment 🗣 Participation in local B Corp and similar green events and activities. However, we still need to do more: 🔊 Improve on communication between projects for our clients 📤 Improve on staff development and training, to make it clearer for career progression. 🚮 Track and reduce our waste disposal. 3️⃣ Reduce Scope 3 emissions, significantly! Read about what we said we would do, what we did and what we are doing in the report. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ Any comments (good or bad) then let us know: we welcome and value feedback from our communities.⬇ ⬇ ⬇