Naturally Wild Education and Media

In the summer, Graeme and Jack formed a new business called 'Naturally Wild Education', which provides professional wildlife related training and education. This business has proven success in delivering education-based exhibitions and through these exhibitions, we help clients with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Naturally Wild Education also provides clients with access to our Digital Media - from video through to digital stills and the finished printed article – which can be used in CSR or other areas of their business.

As part of the education branch we have been in demand all year, providing expert knowledge and information to the press and media across the UK. Graeme has made numerous appearances on national television, mentoring a budding young ecologist (at the age of 13) and his passion for great crested newts, and also several spots on national radio and on a number of regional radio shows.

Our media gallery has been used in the press, with photography and film sold to Natural History authors. You can take a look at a selection of our work on our social media channels, which you can link to from our website.

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New year, new staff, new premises

The existing team will be bolstered in 2015 with the addition of a number of key staff to meet the demands of a changing marketplace, and the evolution of Naturally Wild. Keep track of job opportunities with Naturally Wild on our blog and in the press.

Our Head Office is expanding and will provide double the space of the current premises. We will use the winter months to complete the move and train new office staff. Our postal address will be as follows:

Naturally Wild Consultants Ltd.

Unit 1 Stephenson Court

Skippers Lane Industrial Estate

Middlesbrough

TS6 6UT

A new satellite office in the south of England will allow for further expansion in that region, allowing Naturally Wild to manage projects locally in southern regions. Graeme has been busy interviewing staff to cater for this development.

All Naturally Wild staff will complete a rigorous training programme, with planned Personal Track Safety (PTS) certification and Individual Working Alone (IWA) for those team members working on Network Rail projects, along with a comprehensive review of CSCS training and First Aid Training. Ecological staff are also starting a new program of training as part of their individual development.


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Preparing for growth in 2015

The Naturally Wild team has enjoyed a year of unprecedented success in 2014. We have undertaken ecological projects as far apart as the Highlands of Scotland and the very southernmost tip of England, and pretty much everywhere in between.

Although it has been exceptionally busy, we have always delivered for our clients on time, thanks to some exceptional teamwork. We have worked together to complete delivery of European Protected Species (EPS) Licences and NERC-linked projects for great crested newts, bats (including greater and lesser horseshoe) and a number of badger projects.

As 2014 draws to a close, we are preparing to build on this success in the New Year, with a number of new initiatives planned over the winter to ensure we are ready for 2015.

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A catch up over coffee

Well it's been a couple of months since our last blog entry, and this certainly hasn't been because there has been nothing to write about...!
Between an amazing, wildlife jammed trip to The Gambia, developing the brand spanking new Naturally Wild Education and delivering Wildcat Warrior Training days in between our usual hustle of spring surveys, there has been very little time to kick the wellies off with a coffee and ginger snap, and type up a few of the more intriguing Naturally Wild tales.
Over the next couple of weeks we will share with you the adventures, projects, species, expansions and ponderings that have taken up the majority of our days over the last couple of months, including;

• An incredible trip to The Smiling Coast of The Gambia as an ecologist & student advisor with the University of Cumbria.

• The development of our innovative social enterprise; Naturally Wild Education.

• The delivery of our Wildlife Warriors Training Day to Acharacle Primary School; beautifully located in the centre of prime Scottish wildcat habitat!

• Updates and photos of the projects & species we work with regularly.

We might also throw in...

• Ponderings on some newly launched notions & campaigns to conserve wildlife and rewild landscapes.
• Upcoming projects which you can apply to volunteer with!

In the mean time, why not have a look at our Facebook page and get involved in our group discussions. Or if you're on the edge of your seat & just can't wait to hear more about any of the above, give us a call or a quick email and we'd be happy to answer any of your questions.
We might even invite you in for a coffee and ginger snap...

Speak soon!
- Heather

Welcome to the team, Jess!

We would like to introduce you to Jess Mitchell -the latest member of the Naturally Wild team who has joined us as an experienced ecologist. Jess started her role today by joint supervising the removal and installation of amphibian fencing on an on-going project in the North East, and is already proving herself as a valuable member of the team!

We think the growth of our team calls for a celebration, cake anyone...?

Welcome, Jess!
 

Jess's contact details will soon be available on the Naturally Wild website.

Rehoming pipistrelles in Dumfires & Galloway

Today, Graeme and Phil have been on site in Dumfries and Galloway to supervise a building strip, prior to its demolition. This ecological mitigation was required in order for the project to obtain a European protected species licence (EPSL).

During the internal strip a roost of 10 common pipistrelle was uncovered; which Graeme efficiently relocated into a bat box which Naturally Wild installed in the surrounding woodland in advance of the works.

We are passionate about what we do, which is why we gladly travel the length and breadth of the country to ensure that the mitigation we advise for pre, during and post demolition works is appropriately selected and undertaken, with our full guidance and support.


These common pipistrelle were roosting in the cracks and crevices inside the building.
 



Our ecological consultancy has evolved

Say hello to our new corporate identity and website

We’re very excited to launch our new corporate identity and website today – we hope you like them. Thanks to Q-Logix Ltd for a fantastic job.

We have evolved over the last few years and now provide a range of cost-effective ecological consultancy, education and media solutions to a wide range of clients across the UK from individual homeowners to large multinational corporations.

 The old branding and website didn’t quite fit where we’re going so we’ve developed a fresh, new look which better reflects what we’re about and the work we do. What do you see in our logo, and what does it suggest to you?

 

 

Clients told us that the old website was too cluttered so we’ve stripped it down and given it a much clearer structure and sharper visual style. We’ve also improved integration with social media platforms (such as this blog). You can now check out our tweets, posts, updates, photos and video footage at the click of a button.

 We’re here to serve our customers so let us know what you think:

hello@naturallywild.co.uk

We'd love you to follow us:
Facebook (Naturally Wild)
Twitter (NatWildEcology)
Instagram (NatWildEcology)
Youtube (Naturally Wild Consultants)
Flickr (naturally.wild)

Great Crested Newts: Site Maintanence in the Sun

Over the past three days, myself and some hard working volunteers have been preparing Naturally Wild's largest great crested newt trapping site for the upcoming trapping season; due to start as soon as temperatures begin to steadily rise. We have successfully reinstalled pit-fall traps throughout the site, based in Teesside, which had risen above ground level due to fluctuations in temperature.

We also created a series of hibernaculum within the reserves of our release site. For those who may be a little unsure, hibernaculum are areas of refuge sought by a specific group of animals; in this case, we created hibernaculum for great crested newts and other native amphibians. As great crested newts particularly seek out areas of refuge underground, we dug appropriately sized holes which were then filled 3/4 with gravel, and topped with soil - a very cosy place for amphibians to hibernate during the upcoming winters.

We have been lucky enough to be working outside whilst it has been beautifully sunny, with only slight showers (for a change...!), helping us all to enjoy our days of dedicated digging. As we are all huge wildlife enthusiasts, we were thrilled to have two sightings of Roe deer whilst working in our release site. We were downwind from one particular doe, so had the privilege of watching her natural behaviour in a clearing until she briskly ventured into the dense conifer plantation.

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to the Naturally Wild volunteers: Lauren (and, of course, Cyrus!), Phil, Carl, Catherine and Tom for helping out with our GCN site maintenance works.
We look forward to working with you again soon!

If you are interested in volunteering with Naturally Wild this year, send us an email via the 'Contact Us' tab and we will get back to you!

- Heather

Started work on a series of videos

Here at NW we have started work on a series of identification videos for UK amphibians.

These are aimed at giving simple guides on all our species including Great Crested Newts, Smooth Newts, Palmate Newts.

A good day

Special thanks to the entire team for a great day!

Venomous Room

As the only Ecological Consultancy in the UK holding a current Dangerous Wild Animal licence we at Naturally Wild are in a unique position.

We have the ability to take in species such as the Adder Vipera berus. 

We can care for them and where appropriate release them to suitable habitats.

As part of our improvements we are in the process of a complete rebuild of our venomous room.

The first two phases are complete and the facility should be "live" by the end of the month.

Graeme

I have no idea what I'm doing

I've taken it upon myself to try and get the hang of this but...

Phil

Graeme enters the modern age

Hello from Naturally Wild! We are trying to set up a blogging account. Heaps of laughing as not a single one in the team have the slightest clue.

Give us ecological surveys, handfuls of great crested newts and bats over this.

So if you would like to see what we are up to, please follow us!

Graeme