Ecological consultancy services

As part of our commitment to promoting sustainiblity and nature conservation issues we employ an experienced professional ecologist who is involved from the outset in most of our survey & development commissions as well as offering specialist ecological & archaeological services:

Scoping or baseline survey
Overview of main vegetation types involving an initial site visit and desk top study to identify which elements are important and may require surveying in more detail.

Early assessment provides an effective forewarning of ecological constraints on proposed development, allowing remedial measures to be planned from the outset.

Surveying for great crested newts at Chasewater SSSI (Staffs County Council)

Existing conditions survey
Involves detailed field survey and data search to identify accurately habitats, species and plant communities using standard methodology

River habitat survey
Two staff members are Accredited River Habitat Surveyors for the Environment Agency. Computerised databases are used for efficient processing of survey results which are presented using computer based graphics and CAD systems.

Evaluation and Appraisal
Follow up work from the ecological survey may include an evaluation of the site as a whole and of the relative importance of habitats and particular species. An objective appraisal can then be made of the impact any proposed development may have on the site.

Heathland restoration survey & assessment

It is normally possible to recommend measures to protect wildlife and to mitigate against damage to habitats.

Habitat Creation
On many sites significant improvements to habitat diversity can be made at low cost and with minimal environmental impact eg urban woodland on derelict industrial land, school grounds, wildlife conservation areas etc.

Landscape schemes can be biased towards habitat creation, usually resulting in lower establishment and maintenance costs.