Truro-based Cornwall Environmental Consultants (CEC) is helping with a scheme to improve biodiversity and habitats on the Met Office weather station site in Kehelland.
CEC’s ecologists and landscape architects were brought in to design and deliver improvements to enhance the habitat value of the site and the benefits it provides to wildlife.
Graham Sansom, CEC’s landscape architect, developed the design, incorporating ecological recommendations from a recent habitat survey. The scheme will provide habitat for bats, birds, bees, butterflies, amphibians and insects.
Works on site were carried out by RH Olds Landscape Contractors, which has been responsible for maintaining the site for many years.
The improvements include a wildlife pond and hibernaculum (a hibernation and basking site for reptiles and amphibians), planting new native-species hedgerows, installing a range of bird and bat boxes, creating raised beds planted with flowers beneficial to wildlife and building compost bins.
CEC will be keeping an eye on the site to ensure it receives appropriate maintenance, both for the new features and to further enhance existing habitats. CEC ecologists will also be providing training to Met Office staff on site.
