ownership and management of land and buildings
Public bodies are significant land and property owners and thus play an important role in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity on those sites. The appropriate management of statutory and non-statutory sites, other non-designated land (such as parks and school grounds) and buildings, provides extensive habitat for wildlife and creates opportunities to enhance the area for the benefit of wildlife and local communities.
Practical ideas
- Undertake surveys on sites to determine presence / absence of Biodiversity Action Plan species
- Engage with volunteers to do the surveys and practical conservation tasks.
- Assess buildings for potential to help Biodiversity Action Plan species such as bats and barn owls.
- Declare suitable sites as Local Nature Reserves
Case studies
Ipswich Borough Council and Landseer Park
Over the past 6 years, Landseer Park has been carefully managed by Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) park rangers, resulting in significant gains for biodiversity and designation as a County Wildlife Site. A large number of BAP species have been recorded, including bullfinch, skylark, adder and slowworm. IBC rangers have built a sound partnership with local volunteer recorders and successfully raised awareness of biodiversity amongst the public by involving them in practical conservation. This has greatly increased the impact that the small number of rangers can achieve. IBC park rangers work closely with Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership and Suffolk Biological Records Centre; the result has clear benefits for people and biodiversity whilst IBC is meeting its obligations under the NERC Act.
Martlesham Conservation Group
Martlesham Conservation group undertake work on the Parish Council’s birch wood on Common land with the aim of bringing it up to standard condition. Partners in this work include Suffolk Wildlife Trust, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, Butterfly Conservation and the Greenways Countryside Project. This group makes a major contribution towards the targets for Biodiversity Action Plan species, such as the Silver studded blue butterfly and adder, by undertaking annual surveys of butterflies, birds and reptiles and supplying baseline data on the health of the populations.
Bury St Edmunds Fire Station
Suffolk County Council is committed to establishing a culture of environmental excellence in its design and build activities. It has developed a policy in relation to new building projects where it expects a standard of BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Excellent’. The design of all new structures from bridges to school extensions and fire stations aims to incorporate biodiversity features (e.g. green roofs, native tree and shrub planting and bird boxes.) Management of its own land including school grounds, county farms, country parks and picnic sites also ensure that biodiversity is conserved and enhanced.
For example, thanks to one of the firefighters at Bury Fire Station (Paul Turner), its grounds have been improved by creating a nature reserve with a wildlife pond and habitat for beetles and other invertebrates, bird and bat boxes and lots of planted areas.
All Saints' School CEVC Primary School, Lawshall
Pupils at this school enjoy the benefits of an exciting outdoor learning environment. Children throughout the School are involved in 'free flow' active outdoor learning experiences. Sensory gardens, a vegetable patch, wildlife area with pond and mixed terrain play areas are all part of this stimulating learning space within the school grounds. Pupils have transformed the Forest School site into their own 'eco-village'. A base camp, dens made from recycled natural materials, mini-beast homes and woodland gardens all form an exciting space where pupils enrich and embed their understanding of their local environment. This school won the Building and Grounds Award 2009 from Suffolk's Creating the Greenest County.
Roadside Nature Reserve (RNR) Project
The RNR project is a team effort involving Suffolk County Council Ecologists and Highways Area Management staff; Carillion staff and their grass verge cutting sub-contractors; Parish Councils and many volunteers who act as voluntary wardens. The aim of the RNR project is to conserve good examples of species-rich plant areas and plants of national or county importance, reducing the threats posed by inappropriate management.
All RNRs are marked with white posts and plates indicating the direction of the protected stretch of roadside verge. These ensure cutting takes place at the appropriate times. Cutting is essential to keep more dominant plants at bay and each RNR has its own management regime. Some RNRs have legal protection (Sites of Special Scientific Interest or plants protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) whilst most others have County Wildlife Site (CWS) status. The CWS project is a partnership project between Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Natural England and Suffolk Biological Records Centre.
“Public bodies are significant land and property owners and thus play an important role in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity on those sites.”