News & Views

During Autumn 2022 Principal Ecologist John Baker provided training on badger survey, mitigation techniques and licensing to staff based throughout the company. The objective of the training has been to help staff record consistent and accurate data on badgers as part of the structured and comprehensive programme of training that BSG Ecology delivers to its new starters. John has been completing badger surveys since 2006, regularly implements mitigation licences and holds a class licence for sett closure and disturbance.
06 January, 2023
The use of Night Vision Aids (NVAs) on nocturnal bat survey has become more established in the UK in recent years, and with interim guidance[1] and forthcoming changes to bat survey guidelines, the use of NVAs will become more widespread. At BSG Ecology, we have been using NVAs such as infra-red and thermal imaging cameras routinely on nocturnal bat surveys for many years.  The following is a project example where we have applied NVAs in typical and non-typical ways to inform an effective mitigation strategy that will deliver benefits to our client and to bat conservation. 
16 December, 2022
Kirsty Kirkham spent an interesting and lively day engaging with planning professionals in the North East at the RTPI Technicalities of Planning conference discussing the issues and opportunities brought by biodiversity gain in Local Plan policy. Kirsty talked about the layering effect of Local Plan policies on top of the forthcoming legal requirements (due to come into effect in the Environment Act in 2023) and the challenges and practicalities with applying them to developments now.
25 November, 2022
In early 2021 BSG Ecology was approached by Catherine Birdy Productions Ltd to provide advice and support ahead of filming of the newly released feature film ‘Catherine Called Birdy’ at Tretower Court, Brecon and Stokesay Castle, Shropshire. This provided staff with a very different challenge from conventional planning-led projects, and an opportunity to help share good practice and promote the profession in a different environment.
21 October, 2022
On 4 October 2022 we met up at Coombe Abbey, near Coventry, to celebrate our 25th year of ecological consultancy. The Abbey has been converted to a hotel, and is set within beautiful gardens and mature parkland, and was a lovely venue for the occasion.
07 October, 2022

The first batch of the CIEEM Award-winning BatCam will be distributed to consultants and research bodies this week. The aim of this initial distribution run (of Beta units) will be to secure performance feedback that we can use to help refine the product further, ahead of entering discussions with commercial suppliers that should result in it becoming available more widely.

24 August, 2022

Achieving a good work life balance can be challenging as a professional ecologist, particularly during the spring and summer when fieldwork is most intensive. It is therefore extremely important to find ways to unwind individually and as teams, through building relationships with others that go beyond the projects and the survey work.

05 August, 2022