"We’re delighted that our efforts to create a habitat for a diverse selection of birds, mammals, insects, plants and amphibians have again been recognised"
Paul Cassidy, WRG Moore Nature Reserve Warden
Many planning applications for waste management facilities do not make adequate allowance for the encouragement of biodiversity. With diminishing natural habitats, waste sites and facilities could prove to have a beneficial effect on biodiversity provided that this is built into the design of a facility early on.
Including biodiversity design in a planning application certainly will do much to enhance that application
Design could be as simple as erecting nesting boxes or bat boxes to creating complex wetland habitats. Whatever the perceived requirement it is important that the local authority involved is approached at an early stage as they can provide guidance on such issues as local species and would generally wish some input as well as approval to the overall design process, e.g. nature of seed mixes and long term maintenance of the habitat.
Many councils have sought to enhance or protect features of the environment. For example, North Yorkshire County Council preserved a sand bank in which sand martins bred and also an area of water occupied by newts at Seamer Quarry (now a nature reserve) near Scarborough. On the other side of the County at Langliffe Quarry a rock shelf was protected from landfill by the Bee orchids that grew there.
Arpley landfill site
It is therefore good to see that the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has again named Arpley Landfill Site/Moore Nature Reserve, near Warrington, as a winner in its biennial Business Bird Challenge.
The 200-acre reserve, managed by Waste Recycling Group (WRG), was among ten sites to secure the top spot in the Bird Species section of the popular competition.
Other categories included Conservation and Community.
Waste Recycling Group is a major player in waste management and energy recovery and handles around 13 million tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste each year.
The Company operates facilities for the reception, recycling and disposal of waste, including a network of waste transfer and recycling centres and a regional network of operating landfill sites, and manages nearly 70 civic amenity sites of behalf of local authorities for use by the general public.
It’s the third time the Moore Nature Reserve has secured victory in the Challenge after winning first place in the Community section in both 2002 and 2004.
The site, which consists of woodland, wetland, meadows, lakes and ponds, was selected as a winner this year after recording 131 different species of visiting birds throughout the past 12 months.
Among those identified was the rare Bittern, a species that is now in decline but a frequent visitor to the reserve.
The BTO Business Bird Challenge acknowledges the conservation efforts of firms from a range of industries including waste management, aggregate, water and power.
As well as recognising the sites with the greatest number of bird species, the Challenge rewards those businesses that work in partnership with their local communities and develop conservation initiatives which maintain and enhance biodiversity.
Comments
Paul Cassidy, WRG Moore Nature Reserve Warden, explained:
“We’re delighted that our efforts to create a habitat for a diverse selection of birds, mammals, insects, plants and amphibians have again been recognised.
“We work closely with the public to monitor and encourage the birds that visit and enjoy support from hundreds of community members of all ages. The reserve is not only a haven for wildlife, it’s also an educational resource for many people, a conservation project for many of our volunteers and above all a great place to enjoy a stroll!”
Kate Aldridge, BTO Business Bird Challenge organiser added:
“The Challenge offers the BTO the opportunity to recognise and applaud the efforts that many businesses are making to improve their sites’ conservation value and work in partnership with their local communities.
“I am overwhelmed by the efforts of the industry to create these conservation areas, which are havens for not only birds but all wildlife. Congratulations to all those involved in the management of Arpley Landfill Site/Moore Nature Reserve they thoroughly deserve this award.”
Further information
Moore Nature Reserve is open all year. For further information visit
www.wrg.co.uk/moorenaturereserve