Monitoring improvements
The priorities and work of the Nature Improvement Area partnership are based on thorough research, so it is vital to monitor the results of this work, too.
As part of the Birmingham and Black Country Nature Improvement Area initiative we are reporting all of the habitat improvement work we are doing online through the BARS system.
BARS (Biodiversity Action Reporting System) is an online tool which allows people across the UK to share details on things they are doing to improve nature. It includes maps allowing you to view the location and details of projects which have taken place in your area.
This shared information helps national and local communities plan and better coordinate their conservation activities. It also helps the UK government report on what is being done to halt overall biodiversity loss in line with UK and international commitments.
The Nature Improvement Area’s dedicated page can be viewed at http://ukbars.defra.gov.uk/project/show/36537. Here each of our projects is mapped and described so that partners and local communities can see what else is being done and why.
You can see an example of an NIA project on BARS here. This provides detailed information about the woodland enhancement project at Woodgate Valley Country Park. By visiting the page any partner or member of the public can read a description of the project, see the area of woodland on a map and look in more detail at the ‘actions’ that have been undertaken (e.g. thinning and coppicing or involving volunteers in practical delivery).