Nature Recovery Services
The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and The Black Country (BBCWT) provides a range of services for clients and partners that contribute directly to our mission to protect, restore, and expand nature across our urban landscape.
Our contract work enables collaboration with those that share our values and vision. Our staff have a deep understanding of urban conservation principles and practice, and work extensively with others to achieve the best outcomes for people and nature. We provide the following types of service:
- Biodiversity Enhancement and Management
- Habitat Management Planning
- Ecological Survey, Monitoring, and Assessment
- Research and Data Science
Scroll down to find out more.
Biodiversity Enhancement and Management
Our conservation team works with a wide variety of land owners and other stakeholders to deliver biodiversity-focused habitat management across our urban landscape. With a firm foundation in the stewardship of our own reserves, this work includes:
- wetland restoration: including pond and scrape creation
- meadow creation
- river re-naturalisation: including in-channel barrier removal and riparian habitat creation,
- hedgerow planting
- heathland creation
- woodland improvement: including thinning, understorey planting and ride creation
- tree planting
Ecological Survey, Monitoring, and Assessment
Often the first step towards nature recovery is to understand what ecological resources or assets you have and what condition they are in. Many land managers find that this ‘baselining’ work is essential to identify the potential benefits that potential biodiversity enhancement and wildlife-friendly management can create and secure. Ecological survey and assessment is also critical to the processes through which we protect sites and species that are of high conservation value. Our specialist staff can provide survey and assessment services for a range of clients including:
- UkHab and Phase 1 habitat surveys
- Local Site Assessments
- Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Baseline Assessments
- MoRPh river surveys
- Protected species surveys (e.g. GCN)
Habitat Management Planning
Many land managers and owners want to see more nature on their land, but are uncertain of what the best options are and how to achieve them. Our trained and knowledgeable staff can provide that clarity through production of nature-oriented management plans. We adopt a consultative approach, starting by listening to those we’re working with to understand their goals and hear how they understand their land and its potential. By bringing this together with our specialist skills and knowledge of Birmingham and the Black Country’s landscape, we can create a shared vision and a clear ‘road map’ of management actions.
Research and Date Science
As hosts of the region’s environmental records centre, EcoRecord, we hold well over 2.5 million species records and digital habitat data covering 100% of Birmingham and the Black Country. Together with access to substantial historical maps and significant research expertise within the team, this data forms vital infrastructure for a range of nature recovery research services provided by the Trust. Our team can provide:
- Ecological opportunity mapping
- Stakeholder workshops
- Site specific biodiversity data reports
- Policy analysis and review
- Monitoring frameworks, including indicator development