Industrial sites recognised as vital havens for UK’s birdlife

01 Mar 2011 | No. 2011-10

Take a quarry, throw in a few islands and you have the perfect nesting habitat for Avocet. Left with a worked brickfield? Just add some marshes, sit back and wait for the Snipe. These are just two projects rewarded in the British Trust for Ornithology’s year-long challenge to find the best UK industrial and business sites for wildlife.

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Throughout 2010, staff and volunteers from 57 business sites took part in the BTO-EDF Energy Business Bird Challenge 2010, recording the birds using their sites.

The Challenge also looked at the conservation initiatives carried out and how staff and local communities were involved in managing and increasing the biodiversity on the landholdings.

Highlights included the creation of an island archipelago at Little Paxton Quarry, Barton Aggregates; the maintenance of habitat for the Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly at Sizewell Power Station, British Energy/EDF Energy; and the provision of slowworm habitat and marshes for Snipe at King’s Dyke, Hanson Building Products. These projects won some of the coveted BTO Conservation awards.

Kate Aldridge, BTO Challenge Organiser, said: “The quality of the work being carried out at all of the sites entered in the Challenge has been outstanding.”

“The work has ranged from landscape scale lagoon creation, to rare habitat restoration, to the simple provision of nesting opportunities for a wide variety of birds. All of the winners should be proud of what they have achieved on their sites. Congratulations to all involved.”

The conservation work and monitoring carried out on many of the competing sites is often the result of establishing partnerships with local wildlife organisations and members of the community. BTO Ringing Groups have been welcomed onto many sites and have provided the companies with important information on their breeding birds. In some cases, local Wildlife Trusts have been given the responsibility of the day to day management of sites, and advice and information have been sought from a multitude of other conservation charities.

Kate Aldridge added “The most successful sites often had the most open and productive relationships with conservation group partners.”

“The expertise that these groups can offer to business is immense and it is encouraging to see these relationships developing with the biodiversity on these sites. But behind it all is a growing commitment by the participating companies to conservation management on the land they look after.”

Christine Blythe, Biodiversity manager for EDF Energy, said: “We have developed a strong partnership with the BTO Business Bird Challenge over many years and it is great to see this encouragement for sites to take on important conservation projects.”

The Award Winners

The entries were divided into nine groups, reflecting the sizes and diversity of participating sites. These were judged under three categories Conservation, Community and Bird count.  To see the winners please visit http://www.bto.org/news-events/business-bird-challenge-2011

The total number of bird species seen on the participating sites was 266, of which 205 were seen using Rutland Water, Anglian Water – a truly outstanding achievement and the result of a combination of the provision of a wide range of habitats, exceptional management and the presence of plenty of birdwatchers to identify the birds. However, the 78 species seen using the much smaller Dry Quarry - Forcett, Hanson Aggregates, is also an achievement to be proud of.

Notes for Editors

1. The Business Bird Challenge began in 1994 and is a unique partnership between businesses, the BTO and local communities which encourages biodiversity on business and industrial sites. Held every two years, the Challenge has become a celebration of environmental initiatives by businesses throughout the UK, in the categories of Conservation, Community and Birds.
2. The BTO is the UK’s leading bird research organisation. Over thirty thousand birdwatchers contribute to the BTO’s surveys. They collect information that forms the basis of conservation action in the UK. The BTO maintains a staff of 100 at its offices in Norfolk and Stirling, who analyse and publicise the results of project work. The BTO’s investigations are funded by supporters, government, industry and conservation organisations.
3. The Challenge is sponsored by EDF Energy The combination of EDF Energy and British Energy forms one of the UK’s largest energy companies. The new EDF Energy is the UK’s largest producer of electricity and the largest generator of low carbon electricity in Britain. Through ‘Our Climate and Social Commitments’ they have launched the biggest environmental and social packages of any UK energy company. It produces around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from our nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. They provide power to a quarter of the UK’s population via our electricity distribution networks and supply gas and electricity to over 5.5 million business and residential customer accounts.

Contact information

Kate Aldridge (Challenge Organiser)
Office: 01842 750050 (9am to 5.30pm)
Email: challenge [at] bto.org

Paul Stancliffe (BTO Press Officer)
Office: 01842 750050 (9am to 5.30pm)
Mobile: 07585 440910 (anytime)
Email: press [at] bto.org

Martyn Butlin (EDF Energy Press Officer)
Office: 01524 863565
Email: martyn.butlin [at] edf-energy.com

Site Contacts

Site	Company	Contact
Heysham Power Station	British Energy	Martyn Butlin 01524 863565 Martyn.butlin [at] edf-energy.com
Sizewell Power Station	British Energy	Martyn Butlin 01524 863565 Martyn.butlin [at] edf-energy.com
Kings Dyke Brickworks & Nature Reserve	Hanson Building Products	Tim Darling 01509 501297 Tim.darling [at] hanson.biz
Lound Lakes	Essex & Suffolk Water	Helen Jacobs 01268 664397 Helen.Jacobs [at] nwl.co.uk
Tophill Low Nature Reserve	Yorkshire Water Services Ltd	Matt Thompson 01274 692653 Matt.thompson [at] yorkshirewater.co.uk
Abberton Reservoir	Essex & Suffolk Water	Helen Jacobs 01268 664397 Helen.Jacobs [at] nwl.co.uk
Tendley Quarry	Tendley Quarries Ltd	Gillian Pattison 01900 823962 Gillian.pattison [at] aggregate.com
Whisby Quarry	Lafarge Aggregates	David Park 01740 658905 David.park [at] uk.lafarge.com
Little Paxton Quarry	Aggregate Industries	Delia Shannon 01530 816664 Delia.shannon [at] aggregate.com
Hartlepool Power Station	British Energy	Martyn Butlin 01524 863565 Martyn.butlin [at] edf-energy.com
Brinefields & Cavities – North Tees Works	SABIC (UK) Petrochemicals Ltd	Janet S Jones 01642 834693 Janet.s.jones [at] sabic-europe.com
The Avenue Washlands	East Midlands Development Agency/Derbyshire Wildlife Trust	Samantha Willis 01773 881188 swillis [at] derbyshirewt.co.uk
Testwood Lakes	Southern Water	Helen Sparkes 01903 272642 Helen.Sparkes [at] southernwater.co.uk
Alton Water	Anglian Water	Mike Drew 01480 323232 mdrew [at] anglianwater.co.uk
Rutland Water	Anglian Water	Mike Drew 01480 323232 mdrew [at] anglianwater.co.uk
Dry Rigg Quarry	Lafarge Aggregates	David Park 01740 658905 David.park [at] uk.lafarge.com
Dungeness Power Station	British Energy	Martyn Butlin 01524 863565 Martyn.butlin [at] edf-energy.com
Holmes Farm	Pollybell Farms Ltd	Pam Lloyd 0117 9892565 pam [at] pamlloyd.com
Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve	Blashford Lakes Partnership	Bob Chapman 01425 476303 robertc [at] hwt.org.uk
Forcett Quarry	Hanson Aggregates	Georgina Watkins 01937 581977 Georgina.watkins [at] hanson.com
Ripon Quarry	Hanson Aggregates	Georgina Watkins 01937 581977 Georgina.watkins [at] hanson.com
Lound Quarry	Tarmac Ltd	George Elliott 07702 635411 George.elliott [at] tarmac.co.uk
Jealott’s Hill Research Centre	Syngenta	Garry Nisbet 01344 414841 garry.nisbet [at] syngenta.com

Images are available for use alongside this News Release
Please contact images [at] bto.org quoting reference 2011-10

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Please contact us to book an interview
Office: 01842 750050
 

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