Biodiversity is the theme of World Environment Day on 5 June 2020, which highlights that with more than one million plant and animal species facing extinction, there has never been a more important time to focus on the issue of biodiversity.
Teams from National Grid’s Hinkley Connection project, which will connect more than six million UK homes and business to low carbon energy, are working hard to make sure habitats and plants can thrive in the areas they work in.
Simon Hunter, Head of Operations at Bristol and Avon Rivers Trust said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with National Grid and Somerset Wildlife Trust to monitor the number of American mink throughout the River Chew catchment and Avalon Marshes.
“The results of the study will help us develop a programme to remove mink from the area. As well as working towards increasing populations of water vole, removing American mink from the ecosystem, is likely to help increase populations of other native species, including fish and nesting birds.”
Leading UK Bat expert, Dr Paul Lintott who is supervising the PHD project said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to work with industry to ensure that our research produces timely and useful applied outcomes. Bats are vital for maintaining the health of our ecosystems in the UK, yet mitigation work is often costly, time-consuming and its effectiveness is rarely tested. This innovative project will therefore provide greatly enhanced confidence that future conservation strategies for bats are cost-effective, reliable and evidence-based.”
James Goode, Hinkley Connection Project Director said: “Minimising our environmental impact and supporting wildlife and habitats on and around our infrastructure is a crucial element of the Hinkley Connection Project and I’m delighted the work we are doing continues to promote biodiversity and its importance.”
Visit https://hinkleyconnection.co.uk/ for more information