England
Over 50 years experience providing appropriate solutions when badger activities present challenges to infrastructure, development and animal welfare. Practical Badger Solutions (part of EPS Ecology Ltd) offers clients a focused service that results in practical, solution focused outcomes to the challenges sometimes presented by wild badgers.
We began working with badgers a decade before the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, undertaking fieldwork and interpreting results. Our client base includes public, private and voluntary sectors. To this day our badger work ranges from garden damage situations to artificial sett constructions that maintain and sometimes contain badgers on site.
GS Ecology is an established, independent ecological consultancy based in Berkshire. We provide the full range of ecological services to developers, local authorities and householders, some examples of which are listed below.
Protected species work: Initial and further surveys; Natural England licence applications; mitigation strategy design and implementation; post-development monitoring.
Habitat services: Preliminary Ecological Appraisals/Phase 1 Habitat Surveys/Ecological Risk Assessments; BREEAM assessments; hedgerow, river corridor and tree surveys, Phase 2 National Vegetation Classification surveys; land management, including advice, ecological management plans, England Woodland Grant Scheme applications and agri-environment applications; advice and management for invasive species such as Japanese knotweed.
Local authorities and developers: Advice on planning applications, planning policy; expert witness; planning appeals
West Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
Cheshire
Wales
Cumbria
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Nottinghamshire
Lancashire
Lincolnshire
Manchester
Derbyshire
Our consultants hold:-
– CSCS Cards
– DBS Checks
– Bat & GCN Licenses for Scotland, England & Wales
David Bodenham, Consultant Ecologist
BSc Ind (Hons) Zoology, MSc Biodiversity and Conservation.
An advocate of evidence-based conservation David’s long-standing interest in the natural world and the conservation of our planet’s biodiversity, led him to a career in conservation biology and ecology. He has worked for such institutions as the University of Leeds and the Discovery Channel and his work ranges from conservation research, to science education and film-making. After studying a BSc in Zoology (Ind) and an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation, David gained the myriad of skills needed as a conservation biologist and ecologist. David has now worked as a consultant within the ecological industry for over 9 years with companies across the UK. David specialises in European Protected Species Licencing and Biodiversity Action Plans.
Licencing and accreditations:
Natural England Bat Survey Level 2 – Class Licence CL18, Natural England Great Crested Newt Survey Level 2 – Class Licence CL09, CITB – Health, Safety and Environment CSCS
Memberships:
British Ecological Society, British Arachnological Society, Bat Conservation Trust
Jenny Butler, Consultant Ecologist
AMIEnvSc, BSc (Hons) Environmental Science.
Jenny joined JCA’s ecology department in 2017, bringing with her a bachelor degree in Environmental Science from Bangor University. Jenny has previously worked as an Environmental Consultant for an Agri-Environment company and as a freelance ecological consultant. Jenny specialises in great crested newt and bat ecology. She holds a Level 2 Natural England, Welsh and Scottish bat licences, level 2 Natural England, Welsh and Scottish Great Crested Newt licences and is currently working towards her Hazel Dormouse and Natterjack Toad licences. Jenny is a member of the Bat Conservation Trust, Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and the Arboricultural Association. Jenny is an active volunteer for the West Yorkshire, South Lancashire and Clwyd bat groups, as well as a volunteer for the Shropshire Dormouse Monitors. Jenny holds a CSCS Card and is DBS checked.
Amanda Beck, Ecological Officer
Cert/He in Field Ecology, Diploma Field and Conservation Ecology, CIEEM member.
Amanda joined JCA’s ecology department in 2018, previously working as a freelance Ecological Consultant in North Wales and as a trainee Ecologist in South Wales. She has a background surveying for botanical, amphibians, birds, terrestrial and marine mammals along with small mammal trapping and invertebrate research work on SSSI sites. She has practical experience in habitat management and creation while working as a volunteer for North Wales Wildlife Trust and currently volunteers with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. She is a member of the Butterfly Conservation Trust, Bat Conservation Trust, Clwyd Bat Group and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Amanda is DBS checked and holds a Natural England level 1 bat licence.
Joe Earnshaw, Trainee Ecologist
BSc (Hons), MSc Biodiversity and Conservation.
Joe joined the ecology department of JCA in 2018 after taking part in JCA’s student training programme. He initially obtained a bachelor degree in Animal Management from Askham Bryan College, York. He has since furthered his education and brings to the company an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Leeds. Joe has expertise in aquatic invasive species identification and control.
Over 16 years as a professional ecologist working for large consultancies at a senior level, taking the lead ecology role for complex, high profile schemes with multiple stakeholders, before going freelance in 2012. Experienced in report writing (PEA, EcIA, AA), EPS licence applications and report reviews.
