As we reach the half-way stage of 2022, we can’t believe it’s nearly been a year since we were chosen by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust to create SciQuip’s very own Biodiversity plan.
As our Eco month continues this June, we thought it would be a great opportunity to revisit the biodiversity plan and update you on everything we have been doing since.
SHROPSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST’S BIODIVERSITY PLAN
In September 2021, the Shropshire Wildlife Trust ran a free development project competition in which local companies could submit their biodiversity ideas. Then, the top 3 projects would be chosen by the trust to participate in their own biodiversity plan.
SciQuip submitted a total of six ideas for the competition, which resulted in us being selected for the development project. Following on from this we were pleased to welcome Joe Wilcock from The Wildlife Trust who came and spent an afternoon at the SciQuip head office to discover what we are currently doing on site and how we could improve on this further.
SciQuip’s original goals included:
- Wildlife difference between wildflower meadow and normal grass field
- Improve hedgehog survival
- Can bug houses be more efficient depending on the location they are built in and offering different types of food?
- How to improve wildlife in the future?
- Get lapwings back on the farm
In his completed plan, Joe Wilcock said:
“The site already boasts excellent sustainable farming practices and has clearly demonstrated this throughout the site; hence this plan only aims to make some suggestions to improve this further in relation to SciQuip’s goals.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY
The World Wildlife Federation defines biodiversity as:
'Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.'
“It was an absolute pleasure to be chosen by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust for their biodiversity plan. Here at SciQuip, it’s always been our philosophy to ensure we are doing everything we can for both our community and the environment. As part of our sustainability policy, recycling policy, on-going carbon offset goals and Quality and Environmental Policy, our dedicated and committed team are always actively looking for ways to deliver on these, day in and day out.”
Matt Brooksbank, SciQuip Managing Director
So here’s what we have been doing…
WELCOMING BEES TO SCIQUIP
At the end of last month we were thrilled to announce that our Bees had finally arrived.
The bees, which have been supplied from a renowned supplier from Cheltenham, are Buckfast honey bees and will help pollinate our wildflower meadow and surrounding areas. This will be particularly helpful for nearby crops and wildlife as more wild plants will grow.
Lana Kennedy, SciQuip’s Customer Service Manager, says:
“A huge benefit will be the honey. This will be really useful for those who suffer from hay fever as the local pollen in the honey will help us build an immunity to it and reduce hay fever symptoms. We are also planning on selling this to the local community. Also, it’s going to be great that everyone gets an insight into how a colony works and what we can all do to help the hive, as well as wild bees.”
OUR WILDFLOWER MEADOW
In summer 2020, we created a traditional native wild flower meadow on site. In his report, Joe said:
‘The grasslands at SciQuip will likely be either “self-improved” or “unimproved”, which is perfectly fine. The wildflower meadow is a fantastic addition to the farm with the proximity to the pond, but there is no need to convert the entire landscape into wildflower meadow.’
During the last year we have carried out more wildflower planting in the meadow and planted another 12 trees, totalling over 780 trees planted on site to date.
As a company we are proud to re-appraise our carbon emissions every year and are delighted that once again, as of June 2022, our primary carbon footprint is offset through verified carbon reduction projects and, we have successfully reduced our carbon emissions by 61% in 2021/2022 since monitoring began in 2014.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR LATEST CARBON FOOTPRINT CERTIFICATE
These recent pictures of our wildflower meadow show the arrival of Yellow Rattle. Although once seen as an indicator of poor grassland by farmers, it is now often used to turn improved grassland back to meadow. By feeding off vigorous grasses, the yellow rattle eventually allows more delicate, traditional species to push their way through.
BIRD BOXES
Creating a wildlife friendly environment has always been a priority for our team and therefore we have erected bat boxes, owl boxes and various different styles of bird boxes. The multiple feeding stations we have created provide additional food sources which are invaluable during the harsh winter months and breeding season.
‘The site already hosts multiple bird boxes to encourage birds of prey (bard owls primarily) to nest there.’
ECO MONTH AT SCIQUIP
Once again, the team here at SciQuip would like to thank the Shropshire Wildlife Trust for choosing our ideas for their biodiversity plan. As always, our promise is to maintain the work we are currently doing and continue to look for ways to improve on this.
Our next objective is to construct a dead hedge in one of our fields during the summer as well as a bug hotel. Insects are a crucial food source for wildlife including birds, hedgehogs, bats and toads, plus they help pollinate plants. The creation of a bug hotel will have a huge impact on helping to keep the food chain going. Also, the dead hedge will be a great shelter for mammals and birds alike.
To find out what else we are doing at our headquarters and in the local and wider communities for sustainability and the environment, visit the SCIQUIP ECO section on our website.
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