The Government has published a revised version of its National Planning Policy Framework, the document that guides thousands of planning decisions every year. This is the first revision of the National Planning Policy Framework since 2012, and is a vital tool for Local Authorities. Local Wildlife Sites were omitted from the previous version of the National Planning Policy Framework, published in April, but following a campaign by The Wildlife Trusts they have been included in the revised document issued this month.
The Essex Barn Owl Conservation project is now in its 6th year, and our volunteer barn owl monitors have been busy checking for signs of occupation in the over 250 nest boxes that have been installed as part of the scheme.
Recently Essex WIldlife Trust Biological Records Centre received funding from Caring for God's Acre to run a number of adult education courses as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Beautiful Burial Grounds project. The first of these courses covered the identification and surveying of veteran trees within the landscape.