Lepus believes in planning at the landscape scale to deliver sustainable development. 

RECREATIONAL DISTURBANCE TRAINING FOR NATURAL ENGLAND Natural England provides advice to applicants and statutory decision makers on the potential impacts of development proposals on the natural environment. A key part of their statutory remit concerns impacts to national and international designated sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Ramsars which are often impacted by recreational activities causing recreational disturbance. Recreational disturbance refers to someone taking part in a recreational activity that causes a change in behaviour of wildlife, damage to habitat or physical harm or death of wildlife. In this capacity, the Natural England East Midlands Area Team sought bespoke training on recreational disturbance in order to aid their casework handling. Lepus has worked closely with the team to deliver a comprehensive training plan which included a morning session of classroom-based learning, followed by a site walkover and Q&A session. All attendees took part in a site visit to Sherwood Forest (SSSI and SAC) which allowed for the practical application of key learnings with commentary covering topics discussed in the classroom-based session. Supplementary training materials were provided to aid with the continued application of key learnings, allowing the team to quickly identify potential disturbance impacts from different types of development and suggest ways of mitigating impacts where applicable. Lepus is available to deliver training in recreational disturbance for your organisation and can deliver a package which is tailored to your organisations specific needs, or locality. Please contact enquiries@lepusconsulting.com to discuss

TEAM AWAY DAY: FORAGING AND BOTANY IN NOTGROVE  In our ongoing mission to foster environmental education and sustainable practices, our environmental consultancy team recently participated in a foraging course held in the picturesque Cotswold village of Notgrove. The Notgrove Estate offered the perfect backdrop for this hands-on learning experience. With its diverse ecosystems, the area is rich in flora and fungi, making it an ideal location for understanding the abundance of edible plants and mushrooms that can be foraged throughout the year. The course was hosted by Wild Food UK who run courses across the country, at varying times of year with the aim of encouraging peoples connection to nature. Our day began with a warm welcome and an informative introduction to Wild Food UK and the foraging experience that lay ahead. We were briefed on the countryside codes, with particular emphasis on the Foraging Code, which highlights the ethical and responsible practices necessary for sustainable foraging. The group then set off on a walk around the Notgrove Estate’s expansive grounds. Led by an expert foraging instructor, we were taught how to identify a variety of edible plants and mushrooms. Each plant we identified had its own history of being used in cooking, medicine, and folklore and it was fascinating to learn. The day concluded with a wild food meal that included a selection of foraged dishes prepared by our instructor, each showcasing the plants and fungi we had gathered during our walk. In addition to the hands-on experience, each participant was sent a comprehensive set of course notes a few days after the course. This included links to articles and resources related to the plants and mushrooms we encountered during the day, providing us with an opportunity to continue our learning journey. For our consultancy team, the foraging course was an invaluable experience. It deepened our understanding of local ecosystems, and enhanced our awareness of the biodiversity that surrounds us, reinforcing the importance of sustainable practices in all aspects of environmental work. We left Notgrove with not only a greater appreciation for the natural world but also the tools to integrate foraging and sustainable food practices into our personal and professional lives.