In the UK a number of species are protected by UK and/or European legislation. The main UK legislation protecting wildlife is the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) and the main European legislation is the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2010). The penalties for breach of legislation can potentially be severe, with fines and even imprisonment possible. Protected species occur in a range of habitats and even in an urban setting there is often potential for protected species to be present. For instance, derelict buildings often contain bat roosts and overgrown small gardens can contain slow worms. Green Shoots Ecology can assess the likelihood of protected species presence on your site through an initial site survey. From this we can advise if further species specific surveying is required.
Many species are difficult to detect and cannot be found through an initial site visit so this is why specific surveying for them is required. For instance protected reptile species such as slow worms generally avoid being in the open and stay underground or within dense vegetation. To find them may require a number of site visits combined with specialist surveying techniques.
Green Shoots Ecology are able to carry out surveys for the following protected species:
- Badgers
- Bat activity surveys
- Birds – Black redstart, nesting bird, breeding bird, wintering bird, raptor and barn owl surveys
- Great crested newts
- Otters
- Reptiles
- Water voles