If there is green space that you love, whether there’s an imminent threat or not, recording the biodiversity is critical to help preserve it and will also aid research by experts in the various species that make up your local ecosystems!
Wildlife conservation relies on data. Knowing where particular species are, where they have been lost and where they might potentially be at risk, informs efforts to protect them from impacts of development, changing land use, and habitat loss.
Biodiversity records are also used by planning authorities to make informed decisions on the design and location of sustainable development and to help inform the impacts of proposals for development to help form their decision in planning applications
We all see biodiversity all around us, around our homes and as we move about our communities. There will be many species that we will know to exist in our local areas, but has that existence been recorded, recorded in a place that will count to be taken into consideration in the event of a development proposal?
For large scale developments, consultants will likely be engaged to carry out a survey prior to a planning application. It is important to remember that they will only see what is present at the time of their survey, and this is going to rule out a whole lot of species just because they are not present at that time of year. In spring, the verges of Nethercote are carpeted with Bluebells but a survey in the summer would not record them because they are not there. A survey in spring that would capture the bluebells, would not see the abundance of butterflies fluttering through the wild flowers through summer.
The good news is that everyone, of any level of experience can help build the records of what is present in their area and this is often referred to as Bioblitzing! It can be a little confusing, but is really important to ensure that your records end up where they will make a difference.
If you are interested in learning more about how to do this Community Planning Alliance have organised a webinar where you can learn more about this, on Tuesday 6th September at 5:30pm.
Attending the live event will enable you to ask any questions you have, however if you are unable to attend then the webinar will be available on the Community Planning Alliance You Tube channel shortly after the event, you can subscribe here