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Abstracts (titles may vary slightly from the published programme) Professional Issues for Ecologists Working in the Renewables Sector (Bernice Roberts / Pete Etheridge, The Landmark Practice) Professional Ecologists are finding themselves under pressure to deliver robust technical analysis of renewable energy developments against very demanding deadlines. For many, this is a new area of work. Drawing on experience in planning for renewable energy developments, Bernice and Pete will set out issues and lessons for those working in, or thinking of entering, this challenging sector, exploring the knowledge and skills that are needed by the professional ecologist in this sector. The Use of Remote Sensing Surveys for Offshore Wind Farms (Stuart Clough, APEM) Stuart will outline the recent developments in surveying techniques for offshore renewable projects. He will explain how the advent of new technology based methods has improved the quality of data being used for impact assessment, and has led to the development of advanced modelling methods for investigating change over time. Bat Surveys for Windfarms – Best Practice (Matthew Hobbs, BSG Ecology) The Bat Conservation Trust survey guidance (2012) builds upon Natural England advice notes, drawing on new information and incorporating more detailed guidance for the carrying out of bat surveys at onshore wind farms. A key aim is to ensure consistency in collecting baseline information. The guidance adopts a two stage process for establishing an appropriate level of baseline bat survey. Following the guidance will help to prevent inconsistency, close data gaps, assist in micro-siting turbines, as well as informing the assessment process and provision of appropriate mitigation.

Bats and Small-scale Wind Turbines (Kirsty Park, University of Stirling) Small wind turbines (SWT, units generating <50kW) are now routinely installed in many European countries and the USA. In spite of the rapid growth in numbers, there has been little study of their impact on wildlife. Currently the vast majority of SWT require planning permission however, there is limited evidence upon which to establish planning guidance to reduce wildlife impacts. Kirsty will outline results from the first study to quantify the effects of SWTs on birds and bats which suggests that bats avoid operating SWTs but that this effect diminishes within 20m. Avoidance of turbines may have positive benefits through reduced mortality via collisions, but may also have important consequences in landscapes where suitable habitat is limiting. Kirsty will also present data demonstrating that the planning process and perspectives of Local Planning Authorities vary widely throughout the UK without a strategic approach to impacts on wildlife at a national level. Good Practice with Hydropower (Mike Evans, Environment Agency ) Mike will give an overview of various hydropower technologies and potential ecological issues. The presentation will introduce the benefits of environmental sensitivity mapping and explore effective mitigation and enhancement, particularly relating to fish. Delegates will also be introduced to the Environment Agency’s good practice guidelines to hydropower.

Impact of Renewables on the Marine Environment (Martin Attrill, Marine Institute, Plymouth University) A potential barrier to the development of the Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) industry is the concern over the environmental impact MRE devices may have on marine biodiversity. This presentation reviews the evidence for the operational impacts of offshore wind turbines, wave energy converters and tidal turbines on marine organisms, assessing the potential scale of impact on populations from collisions, operational noise, electromagnetic radiation and change of habitat caused by adding physical structure to the environment. The conclusions drawn suggest that there is a low likelihood of major impacts on marine populations from collisions, noise or EMF, although there may be potential for some disturbance at large scales of development. The provision of physical structure, however, is likely to have a larger impact on the environment which could be viewed as positive, potentially providing new habitat for colonisation, increasing stocks of commercially important species and providing some protection from damaging extractive activities

Renewable Energy and Biodiversity Impacts

7-8 November 2012, Cardiff

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

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by acting as de facto Marine Protected Areas.

The Consents Regime for Offshore Renewables (Ross Hodson, Marine Management Institute) The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) are an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB), established and given powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. This ground-breaking act brings together for the first time key marine decision-making powers and delivery mechanisms. The session aims to provide an overview of the role and functions of the MMO, an overview of the regulatory landscape for offshore renewables (with particular focus on the MMO’s role) and key challenges facing the industry.

Decision-making to Achieve Best Biodiversity Outcomes: Impediments and Possibilities (Hugh Watson, AMEC) Onshore wind farms represent a huge financial bonanza for landowners, heavily subsidised by us all as consumers. A large wind farm covers several square kilometres of land, less than 2% of which is actually occupied by the turbines, access tracks and other bits of infrastructure. This could have been a marriage made in heaven – a way of subsidising a shift towards more sustainable land management (particularly in the overgrazed uplands) and as a way of restoring, enhancing and creating habitats of importance for biodiversity over large areas. However, this potential has largely gone unrealised. Why is this? The distribution of bird activity in particular can have a powerful influence on the wind farm’s design. It can also profoundly affect land management, with a substantial proportion of the wind farm being managed to reduce biodiversity so that it is less attractive to raptors or wildfowl, and with biodiversity enhancement proposals being rejected for similar reasons. Is this level of precaution justified, or are we jumping at shadows and unnecessarily spurning the opportunity of achieving wider biodiversity benefits? More fundamentally, is the current emphasis on the strict protection of individuals of legally protected species necessary for the effective conservation of their populations, or can it actually be counter-productive, and if so what should we do about it? Habitat Displacement of Birds from Onshore Wind Farms (Matthew Denny, Denny Ecology) With EU renewables targets for 2020 and beyond looking increasingly difficult to meet without more widespread deployment of terrestrial wind turbines across lowland farmland, there is concern that such development would cause significant cumulative impacts to farmland biodiversity which has fallen dramatically anyway due to agricultural intensification. In collaboration with Newcastle University, Matthew explored the potential turbine displacement effect on wintering birds, the results of which were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology in 2008. The study demonstrated minimal displacement effects. This talk will present this study and its finding with particular relevance to planning and policy. Initial results from current research focusing on breeding farmland birds will also be discussed.

Radar monitoring of migrating pink-footed geese – behavioural responses to offshore wind farm development (John Allan, FERA) In the context of growing demand for offshore wind energy production in recent years, much effort has been made to determine the collision risk that offshore wind turbines pose to birds. Currently only limited data exists on species-specific migrating birds’ avoidance rates and associated mortality at offshore wind farms. During a four-year study, bird detection radar was used to monitor behavioural responses and flight changes of migrating pink-footed geese in relation to two offshore wind farms during and after construction. Radar recorded a total of 979 goose flocks migrating through the whole study area, of which 630 were visually confirmed as 43,249 pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus. This study demonstrated that migratory geese responded to offshore wind farms by adopting strong horizontal and vertical avoidance behaviour. For the first time, wind farm avoidance rates have been recorded for this species, these rates will allow more robust impact assessments to be undertaken both of this species and waterfowl in general. Authors - Pawel Plonczkier and Ian Simms - The Food and Environment Research Agency Do Wind Turbines Disturb Water Birds? (Richard Nairn, Natura / University College Cork) This study investigates if there is any evidence to support the widely held view that water birds (swans, geese, ducks, waders, gulls and others), are displaced from the area around operating wind turbines near the shoreline. The current literature is ambiguous on the question of disturbance, with some authors claiming that water birds are displaced by up to 800m from turbines while others recording habituation and normal activity of birds much closer to operating turbines. This study focuses on the questions of potential displacement of water birds and impacts on their foraging ecology as a direct result of proximity to wind turbines. The study also investigates if non-breeding water birds behave differently due to the presence of the turbines in their wintering habitats. The foraging activity of two focal species, Bar-tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher, are compared at wind farms and at nearby control sites. Birds and Wind Farms – Is Construction the Big Risk? (Benedict Gove, RSPB) The presentation will cover a selection of the wind farm research undertaken by RSPB over recent years. The RSPB studies seek to further our understanding of the effects of wind farm construction or operation on bird populations. To date most research that RSPB has undertaken relates to breeding birds in the uplands, where many UK wind farms are located. Given the conservation status of many of our upland birds, it is crucial to understand how wind farms impact on these species. Some of these projects have finished and are published in peer reviewed journals, others are ongoing.

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Studies have showed that Red Grouse densities declined during construction, but recovered by the first year post-construction. Curlew and Snipe declined within wind farms during construction relative to pre-construction densities, but there was no evidence of recovery post-construction. These species appear particularly vulnerable to wind farm displacement and the magnitude of these effects are consistent across both spatial and temporal studies. Densities of three passerine species showed positive effects of wind farm construction, possibly due to habitat disturbance during construction, creating a more open sward. Reference: Pearce-Higgins, J. W., Stephen, L., Douse, A. & Langston, R. H. W. (2012) Greater impacts of wind farms on bird populations during construction than subsequent operation: results of a multi-site and multi-species analysis. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49: 386-394.

Windfarms and Peatland Habitat Impacts – What is The Evidence? (Tom Dargie, Boreas Ecology) An accurate answer to the above question requires a good baseline and thoughtful monitoring, perhaps over several decades. Impact evidence relating to peatland will be reviewed in two contexts. First, surface habitat change is considered: habitat loss, the effects of drainage and emerging evidence for extensive microclimate change within and downwind of turbine arrays. Second, windfarm impacts on the peat carbon store and balance are reviewed, including the Scottish Government-funded Carbon Calculator Model and ongoing research into carbon losses via aquatic pathways. The important recent role of the CLAD (Carbon Landscapes and Drainage) NERC-funded Knowledge Exchange Programme will be emphasised. Each context is related to the planning process and draws on the consultancy experience of three IEEM ecologists in dealing with windfarms on peatland: Tom Dargie of Boreas Ecology, Rachel Hirst of Applied Ecology (formerly with Land Use Consultants) and Cameron MacIver of Cameron Ecology. The effects of renewable energy policy, the evolving nature of knowledge and the inevitable lag in planning response are recurring themes which are woven into this presentation which is largely Scottish in background. The role of habitat information in the EIA process is reviewed, together with Habitat Management Plans offered as mitigation and compensation for windfarm development. The National Bats and Wind Turbine Project (Fiona Mathews, Exeter University) Wind turbines can pose a risk to bat populations, and in some parts of the world these risks are significant. This presentation will provide an update on The National Bats and Wind Turbine project which seeks to understand whether bats are affected by wind turbines in the UK, and develop methodologies for effective post-construction monitoring. The use of search dogs and acoustic monitoring at the nacelle will be discussed. LPA Perspective – The Hopes and Dreams (Adrian Lea, Cornwall Council) The presentation will outline information which decision-makers would expect to be contained in a planning application for a renewable energy development. It will highlight the stages, work and information necessary to increase the chances of submitting a successful planning application. It will stress the importance of community engagement and pre-application discussions and recognise the need to provide certainty and commitment, and how this translates into delivery on the ground. Timely Accurate Advice – A Crucial Role for Statutory Consultees (Owen Saward, REG Windpower Ltd) The ‘average’ on-shore wind farm can involve up to ten years planning and development from site identification through to operation. Ecological constraints and opportunities are one of the first to be considered in the development programme and early, meaningful dialogue between developers and statutory consultees should form the basis of a successful project. So, why doesn’t it happen more often? Working with Stakeholders and Informing the Science for Energy Decisions (Steve Evison, Resources for Change) The session will cover some of the challenges we face in a rapidly changing world were science is perhaps no longer held as providing all the answers for society to make decisions. In fact, in some instances, the pendulum has perhaps swung so far that science is even questioned as relevant at all. For science to play a role, we need to start by asking the right questions. We also need to understand how it informs decisions, alongside other aspects. This creates numerous challenges for consultation, engagement and dialogue which will take many people well outside their comfort zone. It challenges the way we work, from forming the problem and identifying the questions we need to address, right through to how we identify the answers. Drawing on experience from around the world, both of success and failures, Steve will develop our thinking around these tricky issues. ‘Where does, will and can science play a role?’ Steve will raise some of the challenges, discuss some examples and start to suggest some potential ways for scientists and the public to work together effectively. Realising the Value of Windfarm Environmental Assessments (Mick Green, Ecology Matters) Since the introduction of TAN 8 planning note on renewable energy in 2005, large areas of Wales have been surveyed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for proposed windfarms. These surveys generally follow the same methodologies based on national guidance and potentially provide a valuable archive of ecological information. Collectively the information also has potential to inform cumulative impact assessments and highlight key issues for wind farm developments. However, most of the information is scattered across a range of environmental

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statements and supplementary information reports and there is a danger that the value of this data will never be realised. This presentation describes efforts to pull all this information together as well as future plans for use of the archive and its value for developers and regulators. Protecting Biodiversity during Construction of Renewable Projects (David Lewns, The Badger Consultancy) Nowadays, the benefits of having an ecologist responsible for protecting biodiversity during the construction process is well understood within the ecology sector, although some sectors of the construction industry still do not fully recognise the benefits. Renewable energy projects come in all shapes and sizes, and many of the challenges and pitfalls associated with the role of the Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) are the same for all types of construction. The need for good quality reliable surveys, the benefits of early involvement in the design, an understanding of the constraints offered by the ecological aspects of the site that is sufficiently broad and detailed, as well as an understanding of the environmental, engineering and physical constraints involved in the construction itself are all common aspects to the role of an ECoW. The often remote location of renewable schemes and their impacts on uniquely sensitive habitats (such as uplands), as well as the scale and geographical spread of many schemes, offer a challenge to all involved including the ECoW. Renewable Energy - A Proven Track Record for Delivering Biodiversity Offsetting: Development and Implementation of an Approach in Scottish Borders (Andy Tharme, Scottish Borders Council) Scottish Borders is a preferred area for onshore renewable developments. These complex developments have presented the planning authority with considerable challenges and to address this they proposed a creative solution through a package of compensatory measures for biodiversity in the region. This included measures to benefit Black Grouse and increase the resilience of upland habitats to climate change in Scottish Borders, linking with the emerging flood protection schemes for the towns of Selkirk, Galashiels and Hawick. To achieve this required a number of vital ingredients - a strong policy framework; supportive planning and legal officers; developers who are receptive to creative means of delivering compensation; and vitally, a means of delivering the compensation through existing biodiversity programmes via the Council and the Local Biodiversity Action Plan partners. Since the initial scheme was initiated in 2009, a further seven have been developed. This approach has recently won an award from the Scottish Government and RTPI Scotland for Quality in Planning 2012. Delivering a Vision for Biodiversity with the Renewables Industry (Stewart Lowther, ATMOS Consulting) Large scale renewable energy schemes, particularly wind projects, offer a unique opportunity within the environmental consultancy sector to develop and implement biodiversity enhancement projects at a landscape scale. This concept is explored during this session, with examples of current and planned projects. Also discussed will be the objectives of Habitat and Species Management Plans, the need for strategic visions, the possible mechanisms by which they may be attained and the attitudes of commercial developers to habitat enhancement schemes.

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Speaker Biographies

Andy Tharme (Scottish Borders Council)

Andy has been Ecology Officer at Scottish Borders Council since 2002, providing advice to statutory planning process and co-ordinating the Scottish Borders Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP). He is the current acting Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) representative for Scotland. Andy has authored Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) for Biodiversity and co-authored the Scottish Borders Woodland Strategy and SPG for Wind Energy. From 1994 to 2002, Andy worked for RSPB on red kite reintroduction, Corncrake BAP and recovery strategy, grouse moor management

and ground-nesting birds, lowland waders, farmland birds and red-throated divers surveys. Earlier contract work includes the Joint Raptor Study Langholm, Countryside Council for Wales, Nature Conservancy Council and Durham University.

Adrian Lea (Cornwall Council)

Adrian studied planning at Manchester, quarrying at Doncaster and waste management at Leeds. He has over 20 years planning experience, particularly relating to minerals, waste and energy, and is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Chartered Institution of Waste Management and a fellow of the Institute of Quarrying. In 2009 Adrian was employed by Cornwall Council as the Manager of the Natural Resources Planning Team, responsible for minerals, waste and energy planning throughout Cornwall and dealing with many planning applications for wind farms, solar farms and geothermal power stations. Since then his role has changed to Planning Delivery Manager, responsible for delivering major projects throughout Cornwall.

Dr Benedict Gove (RSPB)

Benedict is a senior conservation scientist at the RSPB, specialising in bioenergy and onshore and offshore wind power, site protection issues and related impacts on birds and wildlife. He has spent over ten years of research and analysis on various projects relating to anthropogenic impacts on wildlife and the environment, including subjects such as the effects of novel agricultural technologies (e.g. bioenergy crops, genetically modified plants, phyto-remediation) and examination of the effects of pesticides in the natural environment.

Bernice Roberts MIEEM (The Landmark Practice)

Bernice is a Director at The Landmark Practice. She has an MSc in Landscape Ecology and is an associate member of RTPI and IEMA. She heads up the Practice’s Environmental Planning unit and has extensive experience in a variety of development sectors, from site finding through to long term operational management and monitoring. She has acted for developers of both large and smaller scale wind and PV projects over recent years, prepared advice for planners in the workplace tackling applications for new energy technologies, and lectured on EIA for renewable energy development.

Prof Brian Morgan (Cardiff Metropolitan University)

Brian’s main focus is entrepreneurship and leadership, though he began as an economist and was a Senior Economic Advisor in Whitehall, before moving to Wales to take up the post of Chief Economist for the Welsh Development Agency (WDA). He then founded the Leadership, Enterprise and Economic Development Research Unit (LEED) at Cardiff University Business School before moving to UWIC to develop their new centre of excellence - CLEC. He is also a practising entrepreneur, starting up and directing a number of successful businesses.

David Lewns MIEEM (The Badger Consultancy Environmental Ltd)

David has been balancing the requirements of people with wildlife and habitats since the late 1980s. He spent his early years in forestry and reserve management, and teaching practical countryside skills. He has worked as an Ecological Clerk of Works since the early 1990s, speaking on the role of ECoW at the IEEM Edinburgh conference in 1994. He has worked on a wide range of schemes across the UK, including major infrastructure and renewable projects, and more recently on habitat manipulation and offsetting projects. David is a trained trainer, a trained counsellor and holds licences for newts, bats and badgers.

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Dr Fred Slater CEnv FIEEM

Fred has been a member of the Directorate, Board and Council of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society and represented professional interests on the Environment Agency (Wales) Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Advisory Committee for over 10 years. He has sat on the Welsh Assembly Government’s Biomass Strategy Group, the Welsh Assembly Government Agriculture Research Advisory Group and Cardiff Foundation for Environmental Research. His interests range from the impact of roads on wildlife, to environmental impact assessment, river habitat restoration to Indus River Dolphins and from ecotourism to bio-filtration. He is the author of over 150 reports and

publications, mainly about the ecology of mid-Wales. Dr Fiona Mathews MIEEM (University of Exeter)

Fiona is Senior Lecturer in Mammalian Biology at the University of Exeter. She has worked on bat conservation issues as a volunteer, professional ecologist, and academic for more than 15 years. Her team now work on finding practical solutions to bat conservation issues ranging from wind turbines to light pollution.

Hugh Watson CEnv MIEEM (AMEC Environment and Infrastructure UK Ltd)

Hugh worked in ecological research (mainly otters) and conservation (otters, rain forests and Northumberland) before becoming a consultant, initially freelancing but for the past 14 years with AMEC and its predecessors. Within ecology his interests are very diverse and he has experience in many sectors, but much of his work over the past 11 years has related to wind farms, both onshore and offshore. Currently, he is particularly focused on trying to understand bat and wind turbine issues and the most appropriate ways of addressing these.

Jane Davidson IEEM Patron (INSPIRE - Institute for Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Efficiency)

Jane is Director of INSPIRE, the sustainability institute at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Previously she was the Minister for Environment and Sustainability for Wales, where she was responsible for the Welsh Government agreeing to make sustainable development its central organising principle. She is passionate about the environment and resource efficiency and has been given a number of accolades for her work, such as the third most influential environmentalist in the UK for the Independent on Sunday in 2009. As well as being a Patron of IEEM, she holds honorary fellowships from CIWM (Chartered Institute of Waste Management) and CIWEM (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management) and has recently joined WWF's UK Council of ambassadors.

John Box IEEM President

John is an Associate with Atkins Ltd. He has over 25 years experience in ecology and nature conservation and has worked in both the private and public sectors. He has wide experience of habitat creation & restoration and habitat translocation. John has a particular interest in urban ecology and is a member of the UNESCO UK-Man & the Biosphere Urban Forum, a working group of urban ecologists and environmentalists. He was a member of the Steering Group for the Highways Agency project to provide national advice on habitat translocation that was published by CIRIA in 2003 (C600, Habitat translocation – a best practice guide) and of the RSPB Steering Group for their Habitat Creation Handbook for the Minerals Industry (2003).

Dr John Allan (The Food and Environment Research Agency)

John is Head of the Fera Wildlife Programme, responsible for 70 specialist wildlife biologists providing advice and support to government and commercial customers. Amongst its other duties, the programme carries out assessments of likely wind farm impacts on birds and other wildlife. The programme specialises in the use of bird detection radar systems to monitor bird and bat movements before, during and after wind farm construction.

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Dr Kirsty Park (Stirling University)

Kirsty is senior lecturer in conservation biology at Stirling University. After a BSc at Leeds University she went on to study bat ecology for a PhD at Bristol University. Her research is broadly concerned with the effects of anthropogenic change on biodiversity and how best to manage it. Much of this addresses questions relating to animal ecology and conservation in managed environments (e.g. urban, agricultural, forestry). While working mainly on vertebrates (particularly bats), recent projects have looked at the response of invertebrates (bumblebees, moths) to conservation measures.

Maf Smith (Renewable UK)

Maf is the Deputy Chief Executive of Renewable UK - the professional body for the wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with 664 corporate members, Renewable UK is also the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association. Prior to this, Maf worked at the grid and regulatory consultancy Xero Energy and was seconded to the Department of Energy and Climate Change to work on Electricity Market Reform. Between 2006 and 2011, he was Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Scotland for the Sustainable Development Commission and advisor to the Scottish Government. Between 2002 and 2006 he was Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, Scotland’s leading renewable trade association.

Dr Maggie Hill MIEEM (Countryside Council for Wales)

Maggie is a Regional Director of CCW, covering South & East Wales. She led input to the DECC Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study (2008-2010) and has worked on other major infrastructure projects in the Severn including the Second Severn Crossing and Cardiff Bay Barrage. She joined CCW in 1997 as Head of Maritime & Earth Sciences before becoming Regional Director in 2004. Before this she worked for and was Director of an environmental consultancy based in Liverpool. She has a degree in Botany from Oxford University and PhD in estuarine ecology from Liverpool.

Prof Martin Attrill (Plymouth University Marine Institute)

Martin is a marine ecologist and Director of the Marine Institute at Plymouth University. He has over 100 peer reviewed publications, mostly on patterns of marine biodiversity in time and space, supervised over 30 PhD students and has been coordinating research within the Marine Institute on the environmental impact of marine renewable energy. In May 2012 he was invited to advise the UN in New York on the impact of marine renewable energy on biodiversity as part of their information consultation session within Oceans and the Law of the Sea.

Martin Harper (RSPB)

Martin has been the RSPB Conservation Director since May 2011 and oversees the Society's work on conservation policy and advocacy, research and acquisition of nature reserves. Prior to joining the RSPB in 2004 as Head of Government Affairs, Martin spent five years as Conservation Director at Plantlife International and previously ran the Wildlife and Countryside Link. Educated at Oxford and University College London, Martin undertook fieldwork in the Comores and Mongolia before embarking on a career in policy and advocacy.

Matthew Denny (Denny Ecology)

Matthew has been a professional ecologist for 20 years, working first in applied research for RSPB and then in consultancy. He has been director of Denny Ecology for six years. His specialism is in human-induced animal disturbance, particularly of birds and bats, and the impacts of renewable energy developments.

Matthew Hobbs MIEEM (BSG Ecology)

Matt is a Senior Consultant with BSG Ecology and is based in Monmouth. He is an all-round ecologist and project manager specialising in ornithology and bat ecology. One key area of his work is the renewables sector and he has provided advice for a number of onshore wind farms in the Midlands, Wales and south-west England. Matt has presented research papers concerning birds, bats and marine mammals to several national and international conferences and is a co-author of the BCT bat survey guidelines for onshore wind farms.

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Mick Green CEnv FIEEM (Ecology Matters)

An ecologist and conservationist with a wide background in research and survey, policy and consultancy. Mick has worked with and for a wide range of organisations from Government to NGOs. He has been involved in aspects of the renewable energy industry, especially wind, since 1988 and is currently involved in a range of projects, mainly across Wales.

Mike Evans (Environment Agency Wales)

Mike has worked for the Environment Agency and its predecessor bodies for 20 years. Prior to this, he worked for a variety of non-government organisations promoting sustainable development both at home and abroad. He is currently the Strategic Environmental Planning Manager for Environment Agency Wales, covering waste, industrial regulation, sustainable development and climate change. He started working on hydropower three years ago, with the challenge of making permitting processes easier and quicker, both for developers and Agency staff.

Owen Saward CEnv (REG Windpower Ltd)

Owen is a Development Manager at REG Windpower Ltd, responsible for Environmental Impact Assessment project management for a portfolio of small to medium size wind farm projects. He has worked as an Environmental Planner since 1996, in both the public and private sector, including major project teams in a number of Local Planning Authorities. For six years he was Director of his own multidisciplinary planning practice in the south east of England. He is a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI) and Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), as well as an Associate of the Institute of

Environmental Management and Assessment (AIEMA), a Licentiate Member of the Landscape Institute and a Professional Arboriculturalist (M.Arbor.A). Prof Penny Anderson IEEM President

Penny Anderson Associates is one of the longest established specialist ecological and environmental consultancies. Penny has specialised in amongst other areas the upland environment, particularly its restoration and management for ecosystem services. She seeks to restore the range of habitats and functions across the uplands, including functioning blanket peat, enhanced acid grasslands, enhanced or restored dwarf shrub heath and advises on grazing, woodland establishment and restoration and other management solutions. Penny believes that healthy habitats across the range in the uplands can support better ecosystem services more effectively and hopefully withstand the effects of climate change for longer.

Pete Etheridge MIEEM (The Landmark Practice)

Pete is a Senior Ecologist at The Landmark Practice. Before joining Landmark, Pete worked mainly on large scale upland wind farm and major transmission line projects in Scotland. In 2010 he moved to south-west England, joined Landmark and now works primarily on ‘medium wind’ and large scale solar parks in south and south-west England. Pete has overseen renewable energy projects at all stages, from initial site feasibility studies, through ecological impact assessments, to post-consent ecological monitoring.

Dr Reza Ahmadian (Cardiff University)

Reza is Senior Research Assistant at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering; Research Associate on MArine Renewable ENergy (MAREN) and Smart Coast; and member of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IES).

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Richard Nairn CEnv FIEEM (Natura Consultants)

Richard is Principal Ecologist at Natura Consultants in Ireland. He is also a post-graduate researcher at University College Cork where he is studying the displacement impacts of wind turbines on waterbirds. His main research interest is in the ecology of waders. He has published a number of books and recently co-edited a volume entitled Bird Habitats in Ireland. Richard has been involved in professional conservation work since the 1970s and in environmental consultancy since 1990. He is a founder member of IEEM and was elected a Fellow in 2007.

Ross Hodson (Marine Management Organisation)

After studying for a BSc in Marine Biology and MSc in Clean Technology at Newcastle University, Ross gained regulatory experience within Local Authorities. He joined the Licensing Team at Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) in 2009 and has been involved in the vesting of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the implementation on the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Ross is currently working as a Senior Marine Licensing Manager at the MMO where he is responsible for the day to day operations of the Renewables Licensing Team.

Steve Evison (Resources for Change)

Steve’s early career was spent in practical environmental management, through which he realised the importance of working with and through people. He has worked at a wide range of decision making levels, from community groups and local organisations through to national and international bodies. He has significant experience in designing and using interactive and participatory methodologies, both for community and organisational development. He is an experienced facilitator, often using these skills to help organisations develop cross-sectoral strategic thinking. Steve’s continuing interest in the environment was a key driver in his establishment of Resources for

Change, whose mission is based on balancing social, economic and environmental improvements. He also runs an eco-tourism site on the Welsh Border. Prof Steve Ormerod FIEEM

Steve Ormerod is recognised as the world’s leading applied freshwater ecologist of his generation for research into catchment-scale effects on freshwater biodiversity, ecosystem quality and ecosystem services. Academic positions include senior editorship of Wily Inter-disciplinary Reviews in Water (WIRES). He has been a member of the Countryside Council for Wales Council, Freshwater Biological Association, British Trust for Ornithology, the Rivers Trust and is a former President of IEEM. As an expert member of the National Ecosystem Assessment Panel for Defra and the devolved administrations, he co-led the assessment for fresh waters, more recently acting as co-ordinating peer-reviewer of Defra’s entire research programme on Environmental Stewardship. Current public roles are as Deputy Chair of Welsh Water’s Environment Advisory Panel and Chair of Council of RSPB, Europe’s largest wildlife charity.

Stewart Lowther CEnv MIEEM (Atmos Consulting Ltd)

Stewart is Managing Director of Atmos Consulting Ltd, an environmental consultancy with extensive experience of renewable energy projects. He has been involved in a broad range of renewables technologies, both onshore and offshore, for some 20 years. His current project work focuses on developing appropriate mitigation techniques on peatland sites; preparing Habitat Restoration Plans particularly in forestry and uplands; and acting as an expert witness at public inquiries. He has previously served on the Institute’s Training Education and Career Development (TECDC) committee.

Dr Stuart Clough (APEM Ltd)

Stuart is an aquatic ecologist with 19 years’ experience in the environmental consulting industry. He joined APEM as Director in February 2006 and took on responsibility for the company’s remote sensing division in 2009. Under Stuart’s leadership the division has expanded to a fleet of five aircraft and has become Europe’s leading provider of digital aerial surveys to the offshore wind industry, delivering over 200 aerial surveys for many of the world’s leading windfarm developers. Stuart began his career with the Institute of Freshwater Ecology in 1992, publishing a number of peer reviewed scientific papers and becoming a specialist in fish migration.

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Dr Tom Dargie CEnv MIEEM (Boreas Ecology)

Tom is an environmental scientist with a Sheffield University ecology PhD. After an initial academic career, he turned to independent consultancy in 1988 and is a founder member of IEEM. Research and consultancy abroad have focused on Spain, North Africa, South America and Sri Lanka. His UK business has completed major baseline habitat surveys for national agencies using GIS as a core skill, including all sand dunes in Scotland and saltmarsh surveys of the Severn and Dee macrotidal estuaries. For the past 16 years he has also provided advice, Ecological Clerk of Works and monitoring services to onshore wind farm proposals involving impacts on peatland habitats.

Tony Juniper IEEM Patron

Tony is an independent sustainability and environment advisor. He is Senior Associate with the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership and Special Advisor with the Prince’s Charities International Sustainability Unit. Tony advises international companies, writes on many aspects of sustainability and is a member of several boards and advisory panels. He is the author of the award winning Parrots of the World, Spix's Macaw and How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take To Change A Planet? He was a co-author of Harmony, with HRH The Prince of Wales and Ian Skelly. His new book What has Nature ever done for us? will be published in 2012. He began his career as an ornithologist working with Birdlife International. From 1990 he worked at Friends of the Earth (FoE), was the organisation's Executive Director (2003-2008) and Vice Chair of FoE International (2000-2008).