Ecology Blog
We are now 9 months on from the introduction of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), which requires all developments to demonstrate a minimum 10% net gain for biodiversity.
So how have local planning authorities learned and adapted over this period and what are the ecology requirements to support BNG applications?
On February 12th 2024 it became a legal obligation for all developments in England to demonstrate a 10% net gain in biodiversity.
Planning policy encourages developers and land managers to leave the biodiversity of the site in a better state than it was before. Historically, this has been assessed using solely professional judgement. Ecology by Design can help you demonstrate biodiversity net gain clearly, transparently and quantitatively using a biodiversity metric.
During April three interns joined us from the MSc in Species Identification and Survey Skills course at the University of Reading. Our blog will be turned over to the three of them for a monthly post talking about their experiences and the skills they gain working with us.
A Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) comprises a rapid assessment to identify features of ecological interest on site or within the vicinity of the site in order to understand the impacts arising from a proposed project.
Megan is completing an internship as part of my MSc in Species Identification and Survey Skills at Reading University. June has been her busiest month yet with lots of bat surveys and reptile work.
As experts and providers of ecological surveys, Ecology by Design is happy to provide an ultimate guide to what an ecology survey is, that encompasses everything you may need to know about conducting an ecology survey, including the reasons behind them, the features and stages involved, and the end results.
Roman snails were introduced to England during the roman period and are now a protected species. Europes largest land snail can be surveyed for by professional ecologists such as Ecology by Design.
For any individual who is working on a new development, they will likely need to consider any environmental impact. Reptiles in the UK are protected and may require consideration.
For anyone working on new development, developers in England will need to be aware of the potential environmental impact it could have on native protected species such as The Great Crested Newt.
Beth has spent a great deal of time working with reptiles this month, this year we have had projects with all six species of reptile occurring in the UK.
Beth our MSc student continues her internship with adder handling, newt training and lots of bat work.
Ecologist Lindsay Stronge recently attended a Species Recovery Trust training course on identifying aquatic plants.
Hi, my name is Joseph and I’m a student studying MSc Species Identification and Survey Skills at the University of Reading. I’m currently on my placement at Ecology by Design and have decided to write a blog to document my progress.
Hi, my name is Joseph and I’m a student studying MSc Species Identification and Survey Skills at the University of Reading. I’m currently on my placement at Ecology by Design and have decided to write a blog to document my progress.
New Water Vole Mitigation Handbook published by The Mammal Society provides updated survey and mitigation recommendations for the species when submitting for planning or for other construction activies.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a new method for great crested newt monitoring in water bodies.
It is that time of year again when ecologists emerge from hibernation and look to plan surveys for the coming season. The first milestone are Great Crested Newts with the survey season spread between mid-March and mid-June.
