Biodiversity annual focus
Annual biodiversity focus 2008/09
Plese click on the link to find out about this year's focus.Annual biodiversity focus 2007/08
As part of our commitment to conserve and enhance biodiversity, each year we choose a particular aspect of biodiversity to focus on. This is rotated yearly between a species, a habitat and work with our partner organisations. Following on from dormice in 2005/06 and woodlands in 2006/07, the new focus is on ‘shared learning’ with our partner organisations.
What is shared learning?
Shared learning is an innovative idea to share skills and expertise with our partners, so that the skills base and capability of each organisation is enhanced and local and national biodiversity benefits.
Our partners benefit from the business skills training that Essex & Suffolk Water can provide via our own staff and specialist training companies. Our employees benefit from practical conservation skills and biodiversity awareness training that our partners can provide.
Over the coming year Essex & Suffolk Water will work with Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk Wildlife Trusts, the Broads Authority, Davy Down Trust and the RSPB to get the most out of the shared learning idea and make sure that biodiversity is the winner.
Biodiversity focus 2006/2007
Each year we focus on a specific aspect of biodiversity in order to raise its profile amongst employees and the general public.
In 2006/2007 our biodiversity focus was on woodlands.
Essex & Suffolk Water own and manage a number of important woodland sites in our region. These range from ancient broadleaved woodland to coniferous plantations and each provides habitat for a range of different species, including dormice.
Over the year lots of activity has taken place to enhance the biodiversity of our woodlands and to raise awareness of the importance of woodland habitats.
Here are some highlights:
• Throughout the year a staff photograph competition, ‘Wood you picture it’, was run to raise awareness of the woodland habitats we manage. This was very popular and lots of staff got out to enjoy woodlands and produced some fantastic images.
• In May, bluebell walks for staff were held through a County Wildlife Site woodland at our Hanningfield treatment works.
• Nest boxes at Hanningfield reservoir are monitored monthly as part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme with volunteer staff and Essex Wildlife Trust wardens.
• Breeding bird surveys have been carried out at our Langford and Langham treatment works which have a large amount of woodland. As a result of the surveys, specialist nest boxes for Owls and Kestrels have been put in place.
• Staff built and put up nest boxes during National Nest Box Week, at a number of sites including Chigwell and Hanningfield treatment works.
• A group of willing staff braved the cold to plant trees at Abberton reservoir. These will form woodland around the new Essex Wildlife Trust visitors centre to be built at the site.
Links:
www.essexwt.org.uk Essex Wildlife Trust
www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/suffolk/ Suffolk Wildlife Trust
www.essexbiodiversity.org.uk Essex Biodiversity Project
www.ptes.org Peoples trust for endangered species
www.mtuk.org Mammals trust UK