We celebrated the return of our ecology field trips!

Of all the field trips organised by RSK Biocensus since 2013, this was an extra special event, as it was our first one since the pandemic. We were thrilled to welcome our clients again to the stunning Westonbirt Arboretum in Tetbury and give them a clearer picture of the surveys we conduct, our methods and why all of this is so important.

Rachel Heaton, Engagement Manager from GS1 UK, said: “As I work in the whole life cycle of construction, it was valuable to re-educate myself. I have worked on large construction sites previously and will be liaising with new construction projects in the future. It was great to understand the obstacles and mitigation measures related to ecology on projects. I also attended to gain insight into ecology and to understand what activities would need to be tracked and traced throughout a project. It is important to also understand the latest legislation.”

We definitely got our steps in while exploring the beautiful grounds of Westonbirt, visiting different stations dedicated to various species and wildlife, from bats and badgers to great crested newts and reptiles. Each session was packed, going into detail about the surveys and providing helpful guidance and even a few fun facts. For instance, have you ever noticed scratches on lower tree branches? They’re a telltale sign that badgers are around!

Mark Lang, Technical Director at RSK Wilding, took charge of the botany and habitat session. He walked us through the ins and outs of conducting a botanical survey, showing us how to identify a range of species and emphasising that these surveys of grassland, and indeed all habitat types likely to be affected by development, are crucial in order to understand the baseline we are starting with, what the implications are and how these relate to biodiversity net gain (BNG).

We wrapped up our day with an insightful session on BNG led by Rich Prew, Senior Ecologist at RSK Wilding. Rich explained the importance of baseline habitat surveys and BNG time frames and why considering BNG early in a project can help to spot potential issues. After the recent legislation change requiring developers to deliver a BNG of 10% and the appointment of RSK Biocensus as a Responsible Body, enabling it to enter into conservation covenants, it’s no surprise that the session sparked a lively discussion. We had several questions about conservation covenants, the complexities of BNG on different sites and how impacting higher value habitats means more effort and cost to hit that 10% mark.

The day was a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge and display the expertise of our ecologists and capabilities across RSK, as well as to offer a chance for networking between RSK staff and clients, with a shared passion for their work and mission.

John Daw, Principal Ecological Consultant for RSK Biocensus, said: “It was great to see so many clients and internal RSK staff in attendance. Westonbirt provides a great location for a day out learning about ecological surveys and constraints, and we even managed to find some great crested newts. This was the first ecology training event held since the pandemic, and we hope to be back again in spring 2025.

“A big thank you to all who helped organise and deliver the event on the day; it wouldn’t have been such a success without you.”

If you have any questions about project planning, biodiversity or our surveys, feel free to reach out to us at enquiries@rskbiocensus.com.

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