News & Views

New research by the RSPB has shown that hill farming plays a key role in assisting the fortunes of the hen harrier, one of Britain’s most threatened birds. This new study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, illustrates how getting the grazing regimes in upland areas right, can deliver major benefits for this species.
15 November, 2010
Historic landscapes such as parks and formal gardens have an important function for the conservation of biodiversity in Britain because they provide habitats for a range of protected species such as great crested newt, bats, badger, barn owl and water vole. In some cases the features that gardens and parklands provide, such as ancient trees and ponds, are no longer common features of the British Countryside and consequently historic landscapes have become increasingly important for the protection of British wildlife.
10 October, 2010
"Ecologists blissfully ignore 80,000 seat stadium and get frothy when the conversation turns to creating back-water habitats and planted coir pallets" - Vilas Anthwal. In 2008 BSG was invited to become part of the LDA-Design/Hargreaves design team appointed to prepare a masterplan for the 2012 London Olympic Park, within which the principal venues for the 2012 Olympic Games will reside. Since then BSG has been working closely with environmental consultant LDA Design and the Olympic Delivery Authority on incorporating the biodiversity requirements for the park into the overall design.
18 September, 2010

Dr Peter Shepherd was recently invited to make a short presentation to Natural England’s Wildlife Management Advice and Licensing Conference in Gloucestershire. He was asked to give an insight into the role of the ecological consultant in working with European Protected Species. “It was a...

31 March, 2010
We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the annual Sustain Magazine awards under the category of Biodiversity for the Building 10 Brown Roof project at Woolwich Arsenal. This exciting project, which has been undertaken in collaboration with LDA-Design for Berkeley Homes (Urban Renaissance) in 2008/09, is one of the largest brown roof projects in London, covering 5,000 square metres.
23 February, 2010
Buildings are important for several well-known bird species: swifts, house martins, swallows, house sparrows, starlings, barn owls and even peregrine falcons.  In the past, birds have been able to exploit opportunities left by traditional building practices and imperfect workmanship. Nesting birds depend on particular features of buildings such as cavities and crevices and access into eaves. By working together, ecologists, architects and planners can ensure that new developments offer wildlife opportunities within new buildings.
15 January, 2010
Dr Peter Shepherd attended the Landscape Institute Awards 2009 to receive an award which highly commends BSG and LDA Design for the Thames Basin Heaths project. The award was in the in the Management category.
21 November, 2009

BSG will be exhibiting at BWEA’s (British Wind Energy Association) 31st annual conference and exhibition in Liverpool in October. The event focuses on developments in wind, wave and tidal energy, and small wind systems, and is attended by a wide range of organisations with an...

01 October, 2009
BSG Partner James Gillespie has co-authored a paper on ‘Applying Connectivity Mapping to Spatial Planning in Wales’. Connectivity maps are key elements of a wider framework of actions to improve connectivity and protect biodiversity. There is strong political interest in this approach in Wales and a drive to include concepts of ecological connectivity within spatial planning at local and national levels to contribute to a broader green infrastructure. This paper reviews the overall approach in Wales to date and reports on the findings of studies in South East Wales.
10 September, 2009
Dr Peter Shepherd and Judy Stroud will present a workshop on 'Mitigation for Roosts in Buildings' at the Bat Conservation Trust National Bat Conference, September 2009. The workshop will look at information from a recent review of EPS licence returns and questions raised by this, along with trying to set out some key principles and objectives for mitigation of roosts in buildings.
01 September, 2009
Ecobuild is the world's biggest event dedicated to sustainable design, construction and the built environment. The exhibition was held at Earl's Court Exhibition Centre in London between 3rd and 5th March. There were 800 exhibitors, as well as conference and seminar sessions.
06 March, 2009