Biodiversity Action Plan
What is the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead's Biodiversity Action Plan?
The Biodiversity Action Plan is the key pillar of the natural environment theme of our Environment and Climate Strategy, which seeks to protect and enhance the natural environment, green our towns and urban areas and increase awareness of biodiversity. Therefore, the overarching approach is based on those objectives. The overarching vision for our Biodiversity Action Plan is:
‘To reverse the decline in our natural environment and through better data, partnerships and direct action to increase biodiversity across the borough’
In support of this, we will work with the other Berkshire Authorities to support the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) ‘Wilder’ target to have 30% of land for nature by 2030. We will also support the national commitment that has been made to well-connected and effectively managed systems of Protected Areas which are protected to support the recovery of nature.
The purpose of the biodiversity action plan is to create a robust set of steps that helps us reverse the decline in our natural environment and through better data, partnerships and direct action increase biodiversity across the borough. Its important that we build on the many fantastic initiatives going on already being led by residents, community groups, landowners and business.
What can I do on this webpage?
Access the Biodiversity Action Plan and view our progress
Find useful resources on actions as landowners and volunteers for achieving the plan
Report your completed actions for the BAP
Have a space to make comments/issues/suggestions regarding current work on the BAP . Read ideas from the community about our enhancing the biodiversity of our local community
Are you a landowner?
Would you like some free advice on managing your land better for nature? Our in house Natural Environment Team are offering free consultations for local landowners. To find out more and book your free slot, please email bnc@rbwm.gov.uk
What is the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead's Biodiversity Action Plan?
The Biodiversity Action Plan is the key pillar of the natural environment theme of our Environment and Climate Strategy, which seeks to protect and enhance the natural environment, green our towns and urban areas and increase awareness of biodiversity. Therefore, the overarching approach is based on those objectives. The overarching vision for our Biodiversity Action Plan is:
‘To reverse the decline in our natural environment and through better data, partnerships and direct action to increase biodiversity across the borough’
In support of this, we will work with the other Berkshire Authorities to support the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) ‘Wilder’ target to have 30% of land for nature by 2030. We will also support the national commitment that has been made to well-connected and effectively managed systems of Protected Areas which are protected to support the recovery of nature.
The purpose of the biodiversity action plan is to create a robust set of steps that helps us reverse the decline in our natural environment and through better data, partnerships and direct action increase biodiversity across the borough. Its important that we build on the many fantastic initiatives going on already being led by residents, community groups, landowners and business.
What can I do on this webpage?
Access the Biodiversity Action Plan and view our progress
Find useful resources on actions as landowners and volunteers for achieving the plan
Report your completed actions for the BAP
Have a space to make comments/issues/suggestions regarding current work on the BAP . Read ideas from the community about our enhancing the biodiversity of our local community
Are you a landowner?
Would you like some free advice on managing your land better for nature? Our in house Natural Environment Team are offering free consultations for local landowners. To find out more and book your free slot, please email bnc@rbwm.gov.uk
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BAP Progress Updates
6 months agoAs part of our Biodiversity Action Plan engagement and communication strategy we aim to provide regular updates on our progress.
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Woodland
9 months agoWoodlands are one of the UK’s richest wildlife habitats. Woodlands are important for most forms of wildlife, including trees, shrubs, fungi, lichens, mammals, birds and invertebrates. They contain large numbers of species as well as provide important habitat for rare and threatened native species.
The woodlands within RBWM include both areas of ancient woodlands such as Windsor Forest and Great Park and Bisham woods and newly planted woodland areas such as those at Ockwells Park. The multi-functional value of woodlands is well understood and they provide both direct value such as timber production and recreation but also indirect value such as flood management, reduction in air pollution, health benefits, climate change mitigation and urban cooling.
Natural Environment Team9 months agoCheck out the woodland trust for ideas on woodland management
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/community-woods/planning/
0 comment0Maddie Garner6 months agoRecord Your Ancient and Veteran Trees
Ancient and Veteran trees have survived for hundreds or thousands of years. Older than some buildings and famous monuments, these old trees are an important part of British culture, history, and are complex habitats. If you see an old tree, record it via the Woodland Trust's Ancient Tree Inventory to help map these important trees for their protection and the preservation of the habitats they create. Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory - https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
0 comment0Natural Environment Team9 months agoAre you a landowner?
Book a free consultation with the Natural Environment Team for advice on how to manage your woodland better for nature
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Grassland
9 months agoGrasslands cover a large area of the UK and although they are dominated by grass cover, they can also contain lots of other plants species. Grasslands provide vital habitats to a range of native species including invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals some of which are rare and threatened species within the UK. Not only do grasslands provide habitat for wildlife, but provide opportunities for education and recreation, involving the local communities in projects and provide enormous potential for locking up carbon through the plants associated within grassland habitats and also the fungi and bacteria associated within the soil.
Maddie Garnerabout 2 months agoAn RHS guide to native wildflower meadow management.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/wildflower-meadow-maintenance
0 comment0Maddie Garner4 months agoTechnical meadow and grassland management resources.
Natural England Guidance. https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/35034 Grassland management by habitat type. http://www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/advice-guidance/how-can-i-manage-my-meadow/managing-for-grassland-habitats
0 comment0Maddie Garner4 months agoThe incredible benefits of incredible grasslands!
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Managing-grassland-road-verges_2020.pdf
0 comment0Maddie Garnerabout 2 months agoManaging Grasslands for Nature
A factsheet by Plantlife and The Wildlife Trusts http://www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/assets/uploads/Grasslands_FandL_FINAL_MR.pdf
0 comment0Maddie Garner4 months agoA best practice guide for managing grassland verges.
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Managing-grassland-road-verges_2020.pdf
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Waterways
9 months agoWaterways are dynamic and varied habitats and are for invaluable wildlife habitats in the Borough.
The River Thames is one of the country’s largest and most important rivers although there are several other waterways including Local Wildlife sites (LWS) such as the Greenway LWS and York Stream LWS which run not only through rural areas but also very built up areas including the centre of Maidenhead. Waterways, either in their own right or in association with other habitats, are a vital nature conservation and wildlife resource for the borough. Marginal and bankside vegetation is also an integral part of the river habitat and acts as an important migration corridor
A significant proportion of our rivers, streams and other water courses are under threat. Protecting and improving our watercourses is an important part of achieving sustainable development and is vital for the long term health and well being of the residents within the borough.
Waterways can not only provide economic importance through food and drinking resources, tourism and recreational opportunities, but can provide important wildlife habitats and provide important wildlife routes and stepping stones for a number of species within the borough as well as significant potential for carbon sequestration.
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Standing Water
9 months agoThe standing water action plan relates to still or very slow flowing open water habitats including ponds, lakes and seasonal flushes. Within the borough there are oligotrophic (nutrient poor) mesotrophic (moderately nutrient rich) and eutrophic (nutrient rich) areas of standing water. Both eutrophic and mesotrophic waters can be very diverse, each with its own range of common and less common species. Standing water areas also have immense value for communities providing access to water for recreational, educational and nature conservation activities. The ponds and lakes within the borough are used for fishing, boating, socialising, education and nature conservation.
The HAP will help to maintain the current range, extent and diversity of wildlife rich ponds and lakes throughout the area and encourage the sympathetic management of them and their adjacent habitat. In addition, it will seek to provide additional ecologically beneficial standing water within the borough through the creation of new wetland areas.
Natural Environment Team9 months agoPond restoration
• The best time to restore very neglected ponds is between late August to the end of October • Important to maintain some mature trees, scrub and bramble, as amphibians, bats and birds require taller vegetation • Pond shading should be low at 10%<20%. • Remove or coppice the margin by at least 50-75% if possible, on the southern and western sides to maximise light • Don’t pull out trees from a dry bank of the pond as this disturbs the ground and archaeology integrity. • When excavating an old pond, only soft mud should be removed. Ideally by using a toothed digger-bucket. (Contrary to previous advice, to optimise biodiversity and history). • When excavating soft silt look for any sediment layers containing abundant remains of water plants and fresh invertebrates, especially molluscs, and aim to leave some of this material in situ, as it will hold long-lived seeds of wetland plants. • Remove the soft mud from at least three-quarters or more of the pond’s area. The materials can be spread thinly on fields for its to be ploughed in. • It may be worth throwing one or two larger bits of wood back into the edges of a pond after restoration to create habitat for specialist invertebrates and fungi. • A margin of at least 10m is ideal as a buffer against farm sprays and drainage.
0 comment0Natural Environment Team9 months agoAfter pond restoration
• Once restoration is complete, it is crucial to allow natural plant recolonisation of the pond and the margins and to resist the temptation to seed or plant plugs. No two restored ponds are the same. • After restoration, it is important to introduce regular small-scale management (every 3-6 years depending on pond size) to clear scrub re-growth, and the pond margin can also be cut at the same time (a messy cut for greater habitat variation). Best done in rotation with a few ponds each year.
0 comment0Natural Environment Team9 months agoManage your pond
https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/projects/flagship/pond-management-info/
0 comment0Natural Environment Team9 months agoWild Maidenhead- why old ponds are better than newly dug ponds
• Many locally scarce plants have appeared after pond restoration and a nationally scarce plant in East Anglia. • Old, and seemingly defunct ponds can be seen as portals through which rare plants can re-emerge • In East Anglia, pond invertebrates’ richness averages around 70 species per pond while neighbouring scrub-covered ponds had less than half this number. • Dragonfly populations have been known to explode in East Anglia with 17-18 species after 3 years. • 50 restored ponds in Suffolk were surveyed showed an increase in sites with Great Crested Newts increased from 19% to 42% in those ponds. • The biomass of other aquatic insect increased by at least 18-fold. This produced high energy food particularly for Swallows, House Martins and Swifts, and the ponds provide mud for nest building. Other farmland birds were also seen to be more abundant near the restored ponds. • They are a surviving component of the ancient in today’s countryside • Many English countryside ponds are very old, some to Roman & Celtic, others to Anglo-Saxon and all centuries thereafter. • In Anglo-Saxon times the pits were dug for clay, for building or soil improvement • Over centuries farm & farmyard ponds were used to water livestock, wash laundry and soak cartwheels; or keep Crucian Carp or Eels up until the 1970s. • In winter organic matter was cut from surround scrub & trees and dug from the pond for the fields.
0 comment0Natural Environment Team9 months agoCreate a pond
https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/pond-clinic/create-pond/
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Urban
9 months agoUrban Habitat Action Plan
Urban areas are found across the UK and are expanding due to the increased pressure for housing numbers. The Urban Habitat Action Plan covers habitats occurring within towns or villages in RBWM. Not only will this Habitat Action Plan cover larger settlements within the Borough such as Maidenhead, Windsor, Ascot and Wraysbury, but smaller villages such as Holyport, Cookham and Datchet. Urban areas are often considered as being less important for biodiversity than the more rural environments. However, urban environments can provide important habitats for a range of plants and animals as well as providing ecosystem services for local residents, such as mental and physical health and well being, provision of food and clean water, reduction of pollution and flood amelioration. Features such as roads and railways connect the majority of the man-made structures within the borough but can also provide important connectivity for wildlife.
New developments can have a significant effect on wildlife and on the ability of people to experience and enjoy nature and therefore it is important that this be recognised, protected and enhanced.
The biggest opportunity for enhancing biodiversity and creating new habitat in urban areas is by ‘urban greening’. This can be through the creation of green roofs, green walls, providing artificial nest and roosting sites for birds and bats or through the incorporation of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SUDS).
Important Links
The Biodiversity Action Plan Team
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Email jason.mills@rbwm.gov.uk -
Email thomas.hall@rbwm.gov.uk -
Email rosie.street@rbwm.gov.uk -