Wildlife Project
Biodiversity conservation at ABLE has always been a key aspiration, especially as brownfield land is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) Priority Habitat.
Increasing biodiversity (the number of species of plants, animals and birds that inhabit the ABLE project site) is vital to our work. It helps us produce good quality and genetically sound fruit and vegetables and keeps our project growing.
We have made sightings of key species on site such as Barn Owls (UKBAP AMBER LIST), nesting Skylark (RED LIST) and Stock Dove (AMBER), families of Grey Partridge (RED), grass snakes (RED LIST), plus several species of butterflys and moths.
Following a site inspection in June 2008 by Tony Richardson, Regional Director of RSPB South West, we were judged Best Natural Environment Project (Biffaward Awards 2008).
Wildlife project development plan
We also made contact with the Wakefield District Biodiversity Group, who visited ABLE in November that year to help with a wildlife project development plan. As a result, we invested our £2,000 Biffaward Award prize money in a series of pilot initiatives including:
- Erected two Barn Owl boxes with help from offenders on community payback
- Made two swallow boxes
- Made a bird feeding station
- Bought a variety of bird and butterfly ID charts for visitors
- Planted a 45m² trial crop of dwarf sunflowers (for winter bird feeding)
The Biodiversity Group backed us by providing Owl boxes - also suitable for Kestrel and Stock Dove - and consultancy advice free of charge. The group could support us because the ABLE site is designated as 'Wildlife Habitat Network', in a crucial location at the boundary of the green belt and the Central Wakefield Area.
ABLE is also registered with the National Care Farming Initiative. Our vision for ABLE is also supported by the RSPB's futurescapes programme and by the need for "systems thinking"; download the DEFRA 'Ecosystems services' project report for more information. which is being widely advocated by DEFRA, Natural England and the Environment Agency.
£50,000 Biffaward grant success
Our success was recognised by a £50,000 Biffaward grant in June 2010. The grant money will help us develop a series of 'wildlife amenity zones': By creating wildlife zones to enhance the site, we will create an exemplar and enjoyable wildlife resource at the fringe of Wakefield City Centre.
Biffaward is managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. Since 1997, Biffaward has awarded over £100 million in funding to hundreds of environmental and community projects across the UK.
