Focus on biodiversity

The Visitor Garden in the grounds of the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility is bursting with biodiversity. Every year in Spring, we take some time to conduct a Wildlife Appraisal, checking in on how the grounds are looking and ensuring they’re welcoming and safe for wildlife to thrive.

On these walks we look and listen for different animals, birds, and plant life. We keep a record of our findings of flora and fauna, as well as the general ecological conditions. Different weather conditions can affect animal and bird activity and therefore what we’re able to see so crucially, we also listen out for bird calls. The surrounding trees in blossom also help to indicate a seasonally active and functioning habitat.

On our most recent nature walk, we recorded a variety of wildlife and biodiversity around the site that included the following:

-       8 plant species including common vetch, ground ivy, cowslip, and yellow flag ivy.

-       5 birds that we could see including wild ducks with ducklings, a buzzard, a crow, blackbird and seagulls. Having ducklings on the site shows us that the surrounding habitat is providing suitable nesting and feeding conditions. A range of predatory and common bird species shows us there is a functioning food web and broad habitat connectivity. 

-       8 birds that we could hear including chiffchaff, robin, blackcap, blackbird, goldfinch, wren, willow warbler, and common redstart. These species were all identified through their song and show us the site is used for foraging, nesting, or territorial behaviour. 

-       13 different invertebrates including beetles, ladybirds, spiders, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, and centipedes. The presence of pollinators and a variety of insects indicate a healthy and functioning ecosystem.

 The grounds themselves can be visited as part of the Visitor Centre educational offering to the local community groups and schools which includes meeting rooms, exhibition area, and a classroom. During the summer each year, we hold a scavenger hunt for local children helping them to identify many of these plant, bird, and insect species around the site. For more information about the Visitor Centre, please visit https://gloucestershireefw.co.uk/visitor-centre