BETTS ECOLOGY CASE STUDY: GREAT CRESTED NEWTS

Background

Betts Ecology have been surveying, studying, monitoring and creating habitat for great crested newts for over thirty years. This case study is an illustration of the many projects we have undertaken, on this occasion where newts had to be provided with replacement habitat to accommodate a new housing development. The great crested newt population on this site numbered in the thousands.

Client & Location

National Housebuilder – North Midlands

Operations

Betts Ecology surveyed aquatic and terrestrial habitat, identified and constructed ecologically suitable receptor ponds and surroundings, obtained the requisite licences, undertook exclusions (one-way fencing), search and capture (pitfall traps, refuge searches, netting, bottle traps, etc.) of newts and installed them in their new ponds. A Management Plan and monitoring were part of the project.

Outcome

Betts Ecology achieved successful newt translocation and establishment of the new habitat and assured the conservation of this legally protected species in the area.

Photos © Betts Ecology unless otherwise stated