Business gets behind UK's wildlife
01 Mar 2010 | No. 2010-03-09
Despite the difficult time experienced by the UK’s businesses over the past year, many are still committed to helping wildlife. Over 50 business sites have come together to demonstrate their benefit for biodiversity by taking part in the British Trust for Ornithology – EDF Energy Business Bird Challenge 2010.
The Business Bird Challenge is a competition, run by the BTO, to find thebest business sites for birds, conservation and community involvement in the natural environment. This fiercely contested competition has attracted a wide variety of company sites; people who are already experts in conservation management, but are keen to vie with others in their sectors for recognition in looking after the top business sites for birds and conservation in the UK.
Kate Aldridge (BTO Challenge Organiser) commented, “The companies entering Challenge 2010 really are exhibiting an outstanding commitment to conserving the UK’s wildlife - a commitment that so often goes unrecognised by the general public. The Business Bird Challenge is an opportunity for us to see the diversity of birds and wildlife using business sites and for them to push their commitment just a bit further, through competition with other companies”
Christine Blythe (EDF Energy Biodiversity Manager (Properties Division)), “Sustainability is at the heart of the way we do business and the Challenge provides us with the opportunity to reaffirm and celebrate our commitment to biodiversity in this, the International Year of Biodiversity.”
The 2010 Challenge has attracted a wide range of companies, with over 50 sites from the aggregate, water, waste, power, industrial, agricultural, and other commercial sectors. Through the year, these sites will be sending the BTO details of the conservation work they are carrying out, how they are involving their staff, the local community, and schools in caring for wildlife, and recording the different species of bird that are using the various habitats the site provides.
There is still time for companies to enrol; the BTO will be accepting entries until the end of March.
Kate Aldridge added "The companies that have taken up the ‘Challenge’ are leaders in conservation on industrial landholding, but we know that many other companies take their responsibility to nature conservation extremely seriously. We would like to invite them to join the competition to find out which business sites in the UK are the best of the best for our wildlife.”
Notes for Editors
- Sites entering the BTO – EDF Energy Business Bird Challenge 2010 so far
1
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British Energy part of EDF Energy
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Hartlepool Power Station, Cleveland
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2
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British Energy part of EDF Energy
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Torness Power Station, East Lothian
|
3
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British Energy part of EDF Energy
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Dungeness B Power Station, Kent
|
4
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British Energy part of EDF Energy
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Hinkley Point B Power Station, Somerset
|
5
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British Energy part of EDF Energy
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Heysham Power Stations, Lancashire
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6
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British Energy part of EDF Energy
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Sizewell B Power Station, Suffolk
|
7
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Syngenta
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Jealotts Hill International Research Centre, Berkshire
|
8
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Huntsman Pigments
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Greatham Works, Cleveland
|
9
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Lafarge Cement
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Dunbar Quarry, East Lothian
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10
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Sabic (UK) Petrochemicals Ltd
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Brinefields and Cavities, North Tees Works, Cleveland
|
11
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Lafarge Cement
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Eastgate Quarry, County Durham
|
12
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Anglian Water
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Rutland Water, Rutland
|
13
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Anglian Water
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Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire
|
14
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Anglian Water
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Pitsford Water, Northamptonshire
|
15
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Anglian Water
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Alton Water, Suffolk
|
16
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Anglian Water
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Dunstable STW, Bedfordshire
|
17
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Hanson Aggregates
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Forcett Quarry, North Yorkshire
|
18
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Hanson Aggregates
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Ripon Quarry, North Yorkshire
|
19
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Lafarge Aggregates
|
Whisby Quarry, Lincolnshire
|
20
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Lafarge Aggregates
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Marfield Quarry, North Yorkshire
|
21
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Lafarge Aggregates
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Dry Rigg Quarry, North Yorkshire
|
22
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Northumbrian Water
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Birtley Sewage Treatment Works, Northumberland
|
23
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Northumbrian Water
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Scaling Dam, North Yorkshire
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24
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Tendley Quarries Ltd
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Tendley Quarry, Cumbria
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25
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Lafarge Aggregates
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Besthorpe Quarry, Nottinghamshire
|
26
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Southern Water
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Testwood Lakes, Hampshire
|
27
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EDF Energy
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Cottam Power Station, Nottinghamshire
|
28
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Magnox North
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Oldbury Power Station, Gloucestershire
|
29
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Tarmac
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Lound Quarry, Nottinghamshire
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30
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Tarmac
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Langford Quarry, Nottinghamshire
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31
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Tarmac
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Arcow Quarry, North Yorkshire
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32
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Tarmac
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Borras Quarry, Clywd
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33
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Tarmac
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Croxden Quarry, Staffordshire
|
34
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Dwr Cymru Welsh Water/UUOS
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Llandegfedd Reservoir, Gwent
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35
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P N Watts
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Vine House Farm, Lincolnshire
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36
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Blashford Lakes Partnership
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Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve, Hampshire
|
37
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Yorkshire Water
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Tophill Low Nature Reserve, East Yorkshire
|
38
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Hanson Aggregates
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Horton Quarry, North Yorkshire
|
39
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Essex & Suffolk Water
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Hanningfield Reservoir, Essex
|
40
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Essex & Suffolk Water
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Abberton Reservoir, Essex
|
41
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Essex & Suffolk Water
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Lound Water, Water Treatment Works, Suffolk
|
42
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Hanson Building Products
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Kings Dyke Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire
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43
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Aggregate Industries
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Lee Moor Quarry, Devon
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44
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East Midland Dev Agency
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The Avenue, Derbyshire
|
45
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Aggregate Industries
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Arnhall Quarry, Angus
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46
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Lafarge Aggregates
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Woolhampton Quarry, Berkshire
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47
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Bardon Aggregates
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Little Paxton Quarry, Cambridgeshire
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48
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Tarmac
|
Lower Farm Quarry, Berkshire
|
49
|
Pollybell Farms Ltd
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Holmes Farm, Nottinghamshire
|
50
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Thames Water Utilities
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Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire
|
51
|
Hanson Aggregates
|
Cassington Quarry, Oxfordshire
|
52
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Thames Water Utilities
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Kempton Water Treatment, Middlesex
|
53
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Lafarge Aggregates
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Panshanger Quarry, Hertfordshire
|
54
|
Aggregate Industries
|
Cleveland Farm, Wiltshire
|
- The Business Bird Challenge began in 1994 and is a unique partnership between businesses, the BTO and local communities, which encourages biodiversity on business and industrial sites. Held every two years, the Challenge has become a celebration of environmental initiatives by businesses throughout the UK, in the categories of Conservation, Community and Birds.
- The BTO is the UK’s leading bird research organisation. Over thirty thousand birdwatchers contribute to the BTO’s surveys. They collect information that forms the basis of conservation action in the UK. The BTO maintains a staff of 100 at its offices in Norfolk and Stirling, who analyse and publicise the results of project work. The BTO’s investigations are funded by supporters, government, industry and conservation organisations.
- The combination of EDF Energy and British Energy forms one of the UK’s largest energy companies. The new EDF Energy is the UK’s largest producer of electricity and the largest generator of low carbon electricity in Britain. Through Our Climate and Social Commitments we have launched the biggest environmental and social packages of any UK energy company.
It produces around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from our nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. We provide power to a quarter of the UK’s population via our electricity distribution networks and supply gas and electricity to over 5.5 million business and residential customer accounts.
Contact information
Kate Aldridge (Challenge Organiser)
Office: 01842 750050 (9am to 5.30pm)
Email: challenge [at] bto.org
Paul Stancliffe (BTO Press Officer)
Office: 01842 750050 (9am to 5.30pm)
Mobile: 07845 900559 (anytime)
Email: press [at] bto.org
Martin Butlin (EDF Energy)
Office: 01524 863565
Images are available for use alongside this News Release
Please contactimages [at] bto.org quoting reference 2010-03-09
The BTO has an ISDN line available for radio interviews
Please contact us to book an interview
Office: 01842 750050
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