Tag: Professional

NHBS Guide to Newt Survey Equipment

Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus) – CC Leonora (Ellie) Enking via Flickr

Great Crested Newts are the UK’s most strictly protected amphibian, requiring licensed ecological surveys if a development may affect them. As the first signs of spring emerge, ecologists are preparing for the start of this year’s newt survey season. Below, we have compiled a list of the most common newt survey methods and the equipment needed for each, so that you can ensure you have everything you need as the survey season approaches.

Netting
NHBS Traditional Amphibian Net

Netting for adult and larval newts can be a useful tool in both survey and relocation. Here at NHBS, we have designed an amphibian net specifically for the safe and efficient capture of newts. The net bag is attached by a wide velcro collar which prevents newts from becoming caught between the frame and the bag. The bag can also be removed from the frame to be disinfected between sites. The seams have been carefully placed so that they do not come into contact with the front edge of the net, and the material of the bag is a soft 2mm mesh. The net head is 300mm wide and comes with a sturdy, wooden 1.2m handle. We also sell a diamond-shaped amphibian net that comes in either standard depth or deep. Its shape is ideal for easy and safe capture for amphibians and is also available in a collapsible frame for easy transport between sites.

Dewsbury Trapping

The Dewsbury trap is an innovative design of newt refuge trap that is exclusive to NHBS. The clever design of this trap ensures that any trapped newts have access to both fresh air at the top of the trap and a thermally stable refuge at the bottom of the pond. They can be easily deployed from the edge of the pond meaning that not only is this trap safer for newts, but it is also safer and more convenient for surveyors too. In preliminary trials the Dewsbury trap was found to be more effective at catching newts than traditional bottle trapping methods and can be left unattended for up to 24 hours meaning night visits are not necessarily required.

Please note: we recommend that you contact your national licensing authority (Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, etc) before you purchase this trap. The Dewsbury Newt Trap is not included within either the Level 1 or Level 2 Natural England Class Survey Licence and a separate licence is required

Bottle Trapping

Bottle trapping is a popular method of surveying for both detecting and assessing populations. It can, however, become quite labour intensive, especially if you are looking to cut bottles into traps yourself. To save yourself some valuable time, we sell pre-cut bottle traps with the head inverted and ready to deploy. These can be bought in packs of 40 or 120 and are cut from 2L PET bottles with a 28mm neck diameter. Alternatively, we sell the whole bottles if you would rather cut the traps yourself.

Torching

Torching is a less invasive and effective method of counting/observing newts without the need for capturing them. Torches are recommended to be between 500,000 and one million candlepower and need to ideally last several hours at a time. The Cluson CB2 range is very popular among ecologists and provides 1 million candlepower with long lasting battery life and an easy-to-use pistol type grip. 

Drift Fencing

Fencing can either be used to temporarily exclude or contain newts in mitigation projects. It can also be used to aid the capture of newts for relocation and is typically a short barrier with the base buried underground. Our Tristar Newt Fencing comes in rolls of 100m, is made of UV stabilised polythene sheeting and tinted green. It is designed to resist weather damage and has a life expectancy of 5 years, making it ideal for temporary mitigation projects during development works. It is easy and simple to put up and can be fixed into place with our soft wood stakes.

Pitfall Traps

Often, pitfall traps are used alongside drift fencing in order to trap and translocate newts in relocation projects. They consist of a container that is buried underground often flush with the edge of drift fencing. Both rectangular buckets and round buckets have been shown to be effective and we supply several options depending on your preferences.

Recommended Accessories

Light & Dry Micro First Aid Kit

 Bamboo Canes

dialMax Vernier Dial Caliper

Snowbee Granite PVC Thigh Waders

Snowbee Lightweight Neoprene Gloves

Replacement Amphibian Net Bag
Broad Spectrum Disinfectant Tablets

Breaksafe Thermometer
A note on licensing

Please note that Great Crested Newts and its habitat are protected by law. Any Great Crested Newt survey work must be undertaken by a licensed ecologist. Different levels of license are required for different survey and mitigation methods. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/great-crested-newt-licences#great-crested-newt-survey-and-research-licences

Neil Middleton on the 4th edition of Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists

The 4th edition of Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines is the latest update of the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) Guidelines and features new content on biosecurity, night-vision aids, tree surveys and auto-identification for bat sound analysis. Several key chapters have been expanded, and new tools, techniques and recommendations included. It is a key resource for professional ecologists carrying out surveys for development and planning.

Neil Middleton is a licensed bat worker and trainer. He is the Managing Director of BatAbility which offers bat-related and business skills development courses and training throughout the UK and Europe. He kindly agreed to take the time to write an article for us which will help ecologists and bat workers assess some of the key content and changes within the 4th edition of the Bat Survey Guidelines, and evaluate how this is likely to impact you, your colleagues and your business.

I have been asked to write this blog for NHBS regarding the recently published 4th edition of the BCT Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines. Straight away I feel I should say that, broadly speaking, we (BatAbility) are supportive of the overall spirit of intent that these new guidelines are seeking to achieve.

The contributors to the finished work and the editor of the final draft will have, I’m sure, had much debate about the final wording of the guidelines. It certainly cannot have been an easy task to come up with approaches that a broad range of experienced people, each with different backgrounds, were able to fully agree upon (or at least not disagree). In addition to which, these guidelines need to cater for all the component parts of the UK, where differences in legislation, planning, licensing etc. apply.

What follows are my thoughts on why you need to be up to speed with what’s happening. When I discuss some of the points you need to be aware of, it’s not that I am criticising or disagreeing with what has been produced, it is more that I am encouraging you to think about things that may not immediately be apparent when it comes to impacting (positively or negatively) upon your daily business operations.

Broadly speaking, these Good Practice Guidelines are what we all need to be referring to now for guidance and, barring any new properly released formal material direct from BCT (i.e. it doesn’t matter what someone says on a social media post or during a webinar) that either updates, changes or gives additional explanation to what is in the 4th edition, this is where we, as a community, are at. BCT have confirmed that a few changes to the text will be made by way of an amendment document and this, in conjunction with printed Q&A material resulting from BCT webinars (November 2023 and February 2024), will prove to be essential complimentary reading for everyone relying upon these guidelines during their day-to-day work.

At this stage, I feel that it is also important to say, and BCT have been very keen to emphasise this point (e.g. during their webinars on the subject), that the guidance is very clear about deviating from its approaches where specific cases and/or experienced, professional judgement suggests that a different approach can be taken for good reason, provided that it is fully disclosed and discussed within generated outputs (e.g. reports going to local planning departments). The material produced is described as ‘guidelines’ after all, and should not be used prescriptively when common sense, good scientific rationale or proportionality, as examples, suggests otherwise.

These updated guidelines were keenly awaited by bat workers for some time leading up to their publication.The driving force behind the update was thought mainly to be the integration of Night Vision Aids (NVAs) into our bat survey approach, as initially described within an Interim Guidance Note published in May 2022 and covered in this article on the BCT website.

I mention this for two reasons. Firstly, it’s what I feel almost everyone was genuinely expecting. Secondly, these revised guidelines don’t (as anticipated rightly or wrongly!) fully address some of the specific aspects of where the NVA debate is going to finally arrive. Regarding this aspect of bat work, the finer detail around this matter is now being tackled by a review panel, and BCT will inform us as/when they are in a position to do so. In the meantime, the Interim Guidance (2022) remains as an additional, essential point of referral. Having said that, within these new guidelines there are regular pointers, reminders and requirements that NVAs should be incorporated within survey design.

So, why do we need to pay any attention to these new guidelines? If they are not telling us about the specifics of the NVA approach, then you may very well think that there’s not much value in getting your own copy and reading through, yet again, what was there before. Yes, you may very well think that. Yes, you would be very wrong.

There is so much in here that is going to make your life as a bat consultant different to how it was up until last year (2023). There are undoubtedly elephants potentially in some people’s rooms. But an hour after sunset when it’s too dark to see, some people may not be aware that elephants lurk (well not unless they have an NVA, and it’s pointing in the right direction). There are resourcing implications, cost implications, tendering implications, health and safety implications – there are all of these and more that you need to be aware of. And by implications I mean a mix of positives and negatives. It is a classic situation whereby in solving a range of issues and making clarifications on others, new issues and opportunities inevitably arise.

From a surveyor’s point of view, the dreaded dawn work is mostly redundant, although I feel there are still going to be occasions from a bat behaviour point of view, and from a health and safety point of view (e.g. working within busy town centre areas) where dawns could still occasionally be a better, or even a desirable approach. The guidelines certainly don’t say you should never do a dawn survey again, full stop.

From a business owner’s perspective there are matters that will need serious consideration and budgeting for. This could impact (again negatively or positively) upon your turnover, your approach to tendering, resourcing, the deployment of staff and equipment, as well as the careful balancing of your team’s time at their desks versus time in the field. All of this, of course, needs to be considered against the benefits to bat conservation. The challenge on the business model is not necessarily a bad thing, provided you are fore-armed and have seriously thought through how these changes impact upon your organisation.

Please don’t construe that I am not supportive of what these guidelines are seeking to achieve. In many respects, from a conservation perspective, I feel things have moved closer to where they should be. Balanced against this, however, I urge you to be aware that you need to get your head around the new approaches as a matter of urgency, and build into your day-to-day workings methods of adapting to the changes.

There is neither the time nor the space to cover it all here, and to do so would merely be to repeat what was contained in the guidelines in any case. What I am seeking to do is alert you to the fact that, despite how much you may have seen on social media etc. relating to the NVA debate, there are arguably equally as BIG matters contained within the new edition that don’t relate to the use of NVAs.

Here are some key points of where things have really changed, in my view:

  • Dawn surveys are pretty much redundant, as we are now pressed to doing dusk surveys with NVAs. This is great from a work-life balance, but it also removes up to 50% of the previously available time slots on your survey calendar.
  • NVAs are to be deployed on pretty much every emergence survey, covering the survey subject as fully as possible, with the associated implications for reviewing all that footage and storage of data. Video footage is much larger than the pure audio that you will have been accustomed to.
  • A licenced bat worker is required to be present for any field work where a licensable situation could occur, no matter how likely or unlikely, be that structures or trees. Following the definite statements in the 4th edition, there is no longer any ‘wiggle room’ on this issue.
  • Bats and Trees – aerial assessment (be that by ladder, rope or MEWP) is pretty much the desired approach, meaning that this will be a greater part of these jobs and, in conjunction with this, licensed bat worker(s) will need to be present.
  • Due to the increased requirement for licensed bat workers to be present far more often than previously was the case, and the increase in tree climbing work where licensed bat worker(s) should also be used, there are resourcing implications that need to be considered when it comes to training in these areas. It is important to be aware that not every licensed bat worker within a business is either capable of or desires to climb trees. Also, in some business models, the licensed person/people are in more senior positions where their presence in the field conflicts directly with the role they are being asked to perform for the business (e.g. team management, client meetings, tendering, business process improvement). So, for some businesses, depending upon their current resources of licensed bat workers, there may need to be a rethink.

What I have described above is most definitely not the full suite of changes, but hopefully it’s enough to demonstrate that you need to get on top of what’s in there.

The key message is, if you haven’t already got yourself a copy and read it through in detail, then as a matter of urgency you should do so. Then you will be able to consider how you are going to achieve what is required.

The 4th edition of Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists is available as a downloadable non-printable version direct from the BCT website.

Also available as hard copy from nhbs.com – remember to use your BCT membership number to get a 20% discount.

Biodiversity Net Gain: Credit Creation and Metric 4.0

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is the new scheme by the UK Government to improve the health of our environment, set to become mandatory in England in November 2023. For more information about this scheme, please read our first blog on BNG. This new scheme represents an important opportunity for landowners as a diversification option. Those that are interested in getting involved in this scheme should assess their lands’ economic productivity to determine whether they have any low-productivity land that could be used for habitat creation.

Wet meadow by Dominic Alves via Flickr
Credit creation

Credits are areas of land (usually a minimum of 10 hectares) with a biodiversity net gain plan in place that have been registered through the regulator. Developers can purchase these credits to offset any biodiversity loss that cannot be mitigated for on-site. Creating credits for BNG can allow landowners to generate reliable and environmentally friendly income from otherwise unproductive or low-productivity land. To do this, the landowner needs to:  

  • Have the area assessed using a preliminary ecological appraisal following Defra’s biodiversity metric. This will determine what the biodiversity value of the land is.
  • Have ecologists produce a net gain plan, based on 30 years of uplift. 
  • Have a specialist lawyer draft a 30-year legal agreement including the net gain plan.

These units must be registered with a certificate through the regulator. There are fees involved in this registration, including the legal fees of the regulator when certifying the credits. Once these credits are certified, the landowner can sell them on the open market. A developer will pay a fee to purchase credits and this sum will usually include the lease of the land for 30 years, as well as management services, estimated by some to be around £800-900 pounds per hectare per year. This could be paid either as a one-off payment or in regular instalments over the 30-year period, depending on the agreement. 

The onus is then on the landowner to deliver the net gain plan. 

Positives

Not only will this be good PR for landowners, these units, which would otherwise be poor-yielding or non-yielding, will now be able to provide the landowner with a reliable income. Given the continued disruption from inflation, climate change, bird flu, Brexit, the Ukraine conflict and so on, a consistent income may help to relieve some of the pressures from these uncertainties. Diversifying the portfolio of the landowner/business, such as a farm, can improve the resilience of the business.

This scheme will help to create increased biodiversity, which can lead to benefits for productivity improvements on farms such as increased soil health, pollination and resistance to pests and disease.

Increasing areas set aside for biodiversity and habitats will improve the overall health of our environment, helping to fight the impacts of climate change. This, again, can help to improve farm yields and resilience.

Drawbacks

The use of the land will be locked in for 30 years, as it will be secured by conservation covenants, and must be managed in relation to the net gain plan. As climate change continues to impact England, this may involve more and more work for the landowner, above and beyond the initial lump sum fee. This may also mean the loss of a more financially beneficial opportunity in the future.

Additionally, due to the general movement towards protecting the environment, any land used for BNG may then become an important habitat, therefore the land may not be able to be used for anything else in the future, even when the covenant expires. While this is a positive for the environment, as it would provide long term protection for important habitats, landowners should consider how this may impact future business opportunities.

Farm by Ian Livesey via Flickr

Changing the land from agricultural production could also have tax implications, as Agricultural Relief means some agricultural property is free from inheritance tax.

There is also little clear guidance on how BNG products will be accredited and monitored, therefore professional advice should be sought before entering into any agreements with developers.

Metric 4.0

The government recently published version 4.0 of the Biodiversity Net Gain Metric, which will most likely be the version used from November this year when the scheme becomes mandatory. The metric used for small sites has also been updated to align with this new version. The Biodiversity Metric 4.0 can be found on the Natural England website, and includes user guides, calculation tools, the small sites metric, condition assessment sheets and associated guidance documents.

What has changed?

After feedback from the consultation in autumn  2022, the guidance was streamlined and made more user-friendly, with habitat names changed to align with relevant habitat classifications, such as UKHab, and amendments made to the calculation tool and to the formula of the spatial risk multiplier, which will allow developers to consider how and where BNG can be secured and delivered while also assessing the likely number of units that would be required.

Chalk stream, a globally rare habitat, by Peter O’Connor via Flickr

Additionally, ‘bespoke compensation’ will now be required if any watercourse habitats that are classified as having ‘very high distinctiveness’ cannot be retained or enhanced. This type of compensation is required for all ‘very high distinctiveness’ habitats considered ‘irreplaceable’, such as peat bogs, to prevent the replacement of these high-value habitats with low-value habitats. Bespoke compensation includes habitat creation, enhancement or restoration, possibly on a large scale in recognition of the irreplaceability of the habitat lost or damaged. This bespoke design is needed as compensation for irreplaceable habitats cannot be determined by metrics and must be custom-made based on the specifics of the habitat lost or damaged.

What happens now?

Natural England will continue to work with a number of parties concerning any future changes and improvements to the metic, with major updates occurring every 3-5 years.

Summary
  • Creating credits can generate reliable income from non-yielding land. Landowners need to assess areas using a preliminary ecological appraisal, have ecologists produce a net gain plan and have a specialist lawyer draft a legal agreement.
  • These areas can be sold on the open market and could generate either a one-off payment or regular instalments over the 30-year period.
  • This would diversify to the landowners’ portfolio and potentially improve business resilience. However, the land would be locked for 30 years, the work involved may go above and beyond the initial income and changing the land use could have tax implications.
  • Version 4.0 of the Biodiversity Net Gain Metric has been published, with several changes including streamlining to make the guidance more user-friendly, changing habitat names to align with relevant habit classifications such as UKHab, and amendments to the calculation tool.
  • From now, Natural England will continue to work on the metric, with major updates occurring every 3-5 years.

Biodiversity Net Gain

What is Biodiversity Net Gain?

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a new scheme from the government which requires that all new developments improve the natural environment rather than degrade it. From November 2023 onwards, new developments must make sure that the habitat for wildlife is in a better position than it was before the development.

The developer must try to avoid any loss of habitat in the land that is being developed. If this is not possible, additional habitat must be created, either on-site or off-site; at an alternative area that the developer owns, by purchasing units from a land manager or by buying statutory credits from the government. A combination of all three options can be used to make up BNG, but approval from local planning authorities must be gained.

Who will be affected by this new scheme?

The main people who will be impacted by this new scheme are: 

  • Land managers 
  • Developers/construction 
  • Local Planning Authorities 
  • Ecologists 

If you own or manage land in England, you can get paid by selling biodiversity units to developers. Currently, the new scheme will only cover England, although existing regulation in Wales requires developments to provide a net benefit for biodiversity. Within Scotland, the 2019 Planning Act requires developments to provide positive impacts for biodiversity. 

How much gain is needed?

Under the Environment Act 2021, all new developments need to deliver at least a 10% net gain, with the habitats needing to be secure for at least 30 years. These areas must be either delivered on-site, off-site or via the new statutory biodiversity credits scheme. A national register will hold records and information of all net gain delivery sites.

How is this measured?

An area will be assessed based on its value to nature so that developers or land managers can understand the biodiversity value of a site. The biodiversity metric can be used to assess the value of the land, demonstrate biodiversity gains or losses, measure direct impacts on biodiversity and compare proposals for creating or enhancing habitats on- or off-site. Creating a consistent approach to biodiversity assessment will help planning authorities and communities to better understand the impacts that development can have on the natural environment and to provide the necessary monitoring to ensure that environmental improvements and mitigations for habitat loss are effective. 

Hedgerow by Andy Maguire via Flickr.

The metric will calculate the value of a site as ‘biodiversity units’, which are based on the size of the habitat, its quality or condition and location, including whether the sites are in locations identified as local nature priorities. For example, each habitat condition is assessed based on certain criteria, including essential criteria that must be met to achieve a good condition score. The condition is then scored as either poor, moderate or good. Other factors that affect the biodiversity value include how connected the habitat is with other areas and the rarity or diversity of the habitat and the species found in it.

There have been multiple versions of the biodiversity metric, starting in 2012 when the first metric was piloted. With each new version, changes have been made based on suggestions put forward by experts. Currently, biodiversity metric 3.1 is being used, but the government is advising that a future biodiversity metric 4.0 will be Defra’s standard from November 2023. The calculation tools and user guides can be found on Natural England’s Access to Evidence website.   

Once the values are obtained, the developers must deliver a biodiversity gain plan, setting out how the development will deliver this net gain and allowing planning authorities to assess whether the proposals meet objectives. The plan should cover:

  • how any adverse impacts on habitats will be minimised,
  • the biodiversity value of the onsite habitat pre- and post-development,
  • the biodiversity value of any offsite habitat,
  • if any statutory biodiversity credits will need to be purchased,
  • any further requirements set out in other legislations.
The UK has lost 90% of its wetland habitats. Image by Stephen Gidley via Flickr.
How will this impact the environment in England?

Development, land-use change and urban expansions are among the leading causes of biodiversity loss. The UK is one of the most depleted countries, having lost nearly half of our biodiversity since the 1970s. We are ranked in the worst 10% globally for biodiversity intactness. Overall, 41% of species in the UK have declined, with 26% of mammals at risk of extinction. We’ve lost 97% of our meadows, 90% of our wetlands and 80% of lowland heathlands. A scheme where development will no longer lead to biodiversity loss, but instead to net gain, is a step in the right direction to preventing further loss and helping to begin repairing our degraded environment.

Replacing any established habitats with new ones, however, will have a temporary negative impact on the environment, as newly created habitats can take years to be properly established. This would mean a short-term loss in biodiversity which may have serious consequences for vulnerable species. This is essentially the same issue with COP26’s Declaration on Forest and Land Use, which does not actually forbid the cutting down of forests, but rather aims to end net deforestation, with forest loss being replaced “sustainably”. However, replacing primary or old-growth forests with new growth has serious negative environmental consequences, as the highly complex ecosystems supported by old-growth forests have an irreplaceable value.

There is hope, however, as the Environment Act includes provisions which will exempt irreplaceable habitats from the BNG requirement, as the National Planning Policy Framework states that “development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats…should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists”.  This, therefore, will prevent the new scheme from weakening existing protection for these irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodlands.

Ancient woodlands, areas of woodland that have persisted since 1600 (1750 in Scotland), only make up 2.5% of the UK. Image by ines s. via Flickr.

Most important, however, is the need for accurate monitoring to ensure that the pre- and post-development biodiversity values are accurate. A recent report has shown that HS2 Ltd has been undervaluing existing nature and overvaluing its compensation measures, with biodiversity loss from Phase 1 of HS2 being at least 7.9 times higher than calculated, and loss caused by Phase 2a 3.6 times higher. The report found that habitats such as watercourses, ponds and trees had been completely missed out from the data and habitats such as well-established tree-lined and species-rich hedgerows have been valued lower than the new hedgerows HS2 Ltd is planning to plant. Inaccurate reporting will undermine the main aim of the BNG scheme, reducing its effectiveness and continuing the degradation of biodiversity in England.

What are the barriers?

There are several issues which may impact the successful implementation of this new method. The first is a lack of resources within local authorities. All new biodiversity gain plans must be approved by local authorities to make sure they are accurate and meet the correct objectives, therefore there must be someone with ecological expertise within the local planning authorities who can review applications and oversee the delivery of these plans. Additionally, local planning authorities may not be able to identify and set up off-site compensation measures needed if a net gain cannot be produced on-site.

Additionally, a lack of clear information, awareness or training for developers, land owners/managers, planning authorities and farmers is another barrier to the success of this method. If those involved are not given access to the correct training, it is unlikely that BNG will be implemented successfully, delaying developments and putting our environment at continued risk. A further issue includes cost implications, as delivering BNG will involve an extra cost that will need to either be absorbed by developers or passed onto customers. However, the scheme will open a new market for landowners, helping to provide environmentally positive incomes.

There has also been criticism about how the previous iterations of the biodiversity metric classified habitats. Scrubby landscapes, such as those dominated by bramble and ragwort, were classed as a sign of degradation, despite them being key features of many rewilding projects. Certain plants, such as docks, were considered ‘undesirable’ despite being a key food plant for many insect species. Due to these classifications, these areas might not be properly compensated for, meaning that the net gains planning would be inaccurate.

Ragwort, fed on by a cinnabar moth caterpillar. Image by caroline legg via Flickr.
Summary
  • From November 2023, all new developments must deliver a 10% biodiversity net gain, either through on- or off-site plans or by purchasing statutory credits.
  • The biodiversity value of the habitats on the development site must be determined using the Biodiversity Metric 4.0, which should be released in Spring 2023.
  • This scheme will help to reduce biodiversity loss and begin to repair the environment in England, but only if it is properly implemented and enforced.
  • A lack of funding, awareness and training could be barriers to the successful implementation of this scheme. Other issues such as additional costs and poor habitat classifications are also risks to success.
Resources

The government website on Biodiversity Net Gain.

CIEEM’s information on BNG.

The government website on the Net Deforestation pledge.

Report by The Wildlife Trusts on the accuracy of HS2 Ltd’s biodiversity value reporting.

A news report on the criticism surrounding how certain habitats have been classified.

Camphibian NEWTCAM Project, in partnership with LIST (updated)

NHBS is working with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), as part of the Camphibian Project, to help develop a novel approach that will improve amphibian monitoring using NEWTCAM, an underwater camera device. The Camphibian Project continues to improve and test the NEWTCAM to assess its value for biodiversity monitoring.

The problem

Amphibian species are facing global decline, due to a range of factors including climate change, habitat loss, infectious disease, and environmental contamination. As an important species group showing steep declines worldwide, amphibians are frequently used as biodiversity indicators, but our ability to document changes in amphibian population sizes and community structures is limited. Current methods for surveying and monitoring newts, such as eDNA, bottle trapping, netting and torching, are either unable to produce accurate population size estimates or very invasive, frequently risking the health of individuals. Furthermore, these methods can be weather dependant, as certain conditions, such as heavy rain or temperatures above or below optimal levels lead to surveys being called off. Reliable survey and monitoring methods are essential for assessing changes in populations and ecological communities, data which feed into environmental research and policy support.

The concept

The automation of field observations has been improved in recent years with the development of camera traps, but to date there has been no viable aquatic camera trap. The NEWTCAM (originally developed as the Newtrap) is an open underwater tunnel with an integrated camera and lighting system that automatically captures high resolution time series of standardised images of aquatic animals. The NEWTCAM can be left unattended in the water for several days because the animals are free to enter and exit the NEWTCAM and are not captured or handled in any way, greatly improving survey effort, detection rates, and reducing stress on the animals.

In common with all camera traps the NEWTCAM produces 1000s of images and/or videos. These are managed with the NEWTCAM Manager (a separate web application) which supports all the steps of image processing by:

  • Enabling the centralisation of data from multiple NEWTCAM devices, survey sites, projects, and even organisations.
  • The annotation of images and videos by species, stage, gender, and behaviour. The data can then be used as a reference image library to train a new AI algorithm or processed with an appropriate existing identification algorithm (for more information see RCNN).

In future, existing AI algorithms (e.g. for newts in North Western Europe) will be integrated into NEWTCAM Manager, enabling the analysis of data sets.

Standardisation

The NEWTCAM takes standardised images from a predetermined angle, for example the underside of a newt (or other target species), from which the species, sex, development stage, body measurements, and individual identification (if individual variation exists, such as the irregular pattern of dark spots on the underside of great crested newts) can be determined. This data can then be used to provide important information about the presence, population size and dynamics of the species or communities of interest.

Benefits when compared to traditional survey methods:
  •  Reduced disturbance to sensitive habitats because the NEWTCAM is placed in situ once, but can then record data for weeks or months.
  •  Zero handling of individuals because the NEWTCAM is an open tunnel that allows individuals to enter and exit at will.
  •  Reduced number of site visits compared to bottle trapping, netting, and torching.
  •  Easy deployment in the field meaning that more sites can be surveyed over a longer period and with a higher temporal resolution than when using standard methods.
  •  Standardised field observations – the NEWTCAM will enable the development of improved AI-based processing methods and their centralisation to produce well-formatted databases for large-scale and global change studies because the cameras produce images with the same size, resolution, background, specimen position and illumination.
  •  The potential to provide accurate population estimates through the identification of individuals (where individuating marking exist).
  •  Greater freedom to place the NEWTCAM at different sites and depths throughout the water body.
  •  Surveys can be carried out in adverse weather conditions including heat waves and heavy rain.
  •  The orientation of the NEWTCAM can be changed so that different target species can be filmed from different angles.
The Camphibian Project

The Camphibian Project – has two main aims, to improve the functionality, durability and versatility of the NEWTCAM and to assess its value as a user-friendly freshwater wildlife monitoring method.

These aims will be accomplished through a programme of technological development work at LISTs laboratories and the NHBS workshop followed by a series of field experiments conducted by LIST and early user field trials. These experiments will assess:

  • Whether NEWTCAM offers a reliable and robust approach for detecting and estimating the population size and dynamics of a wide range of amphibian species.
  • The NEWTCAMs ability to detect a range of different species and life stages in a wide variety of habitats.
  • Whether the data produced by the NEWTCAM is sufficient to produce reliable population estimates for species with individuating patterns at the larval stage.

As the NEWTCAM is developed, there will be opportunities for ecologists to test the equipment and the NEWTCAM will be displayed at conferences and events (details to be confirmed). If you would like to find out more, please sign up to our mailing list.
NHBS is providing funding alongside Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, and LIST (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology).

NHBS is providing funding alongside Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg and LIST (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology).

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Equipment in Focus: Professional Hand Nets

Designed and manufactured by NHBS, the professional hand net is a
popular net choice for pond dipping and kick sampling. It is lightweight,
durable and practical, and used by universities and professional
institutions.

The professional hand net is available with a wide variety of mesh sizes and two net depths: standard and deep. The frame and net bags can be bought separately, allowing you to customise your hand net depending on your requirements. The standard outer frame width is 250mm and other 200mm and 300mm wide versions are available. The hand net can also be bought with two- or three-part collapsible frames to allow for ease of transport.

The sturdy metal frame is manufactured using marine-grade aluminium with an inner brass frame for net bag attachment, granting considerable resistance to wear and tear in the field.

Both aluminium and wooden handles are available, the benefits of the wooden handle being that it floats and is comfortable to use in colder conditions.

Net and mesh sizes

Mesh sizes range from 53µm up to 2mm. Net bags are also available in both standard (30cm) and deep (50cm) sizes.

For extra durability small mesh sizes are made from precision welded nylon material and the 1mm and 2mm mesh bags are made from woven polyester material.

The 1mm mesh is the most commonly used size for aquatic and kick sampling and the 2mm is more suited for amphibian surveys. Smaller precision meshes can be used for sampling smaller organisms such as plankton and chironomids.

Changing nets

Net bags can be attached and detached from the frame so that multiple nets can be used with a single frame. This can be handy for washing and replacing nets or when using different net meshes for sampling different organisms.

To demonstrate how to attach a net to the hand net frame, we have gone step by step through this process.

Steps

Begin by removing the inner brass frame from the outer aluminium frame by undoing the set screws from the outside of the frame using an allen key or use a spanner to loosen the nuts on the inside of the frame.

After removing the nuts, set screws and plastic clips, slide the net bag onto the now free inner brass frame using the slots in the orange section of the bag. Ensure the two upper slots are positioned just below the corners of the frame. It may be preferable to remove the plastic tube that connects the ends of the inner frame before feeding the frame into the net bag and reconnecting it.

The plastic clips can now be clipped onto the brass frame in the slots of the net bag. Ensure the flat side of the clip is facing the outside.

Place the clip flush against the hole in the outer metal frame and insert the set screw through the hole in the clip and the frame. The holes in the outer frame are off-centred, so ensure the holes are nearer to you when fixing the clips to allow the brass inner frame to sit flush with the edge of the outer frame.

The nut should then be loosely tightened onto the set screw using a spanner or by holding the nut in place and using an allen key on the set screw.

Loosely tighten the other three nuts and ensure the inner frame is positioned correctly before fully tightening. The clips holding the brass frame should now be firmly fixed against the outer frame.

With the net bag now securely attached to the metal frame, the professional hand net can now be used in the field.

Replacement and related equipment

Our nylon Professional Hand Net Cover will help to protect and improve the longevity of the net, and is ideal for safe storage and transportation.

Replacements are available for the hand net fixings and the inner frame.

Extension pieces are also available for use with both the two- and three-part collapsible frames to allow for net extension. Extra joining ferrules are available too.

NHBS supplies a variety of specimen pots for storage and viewing of collected samples.

The Professional Hand Net can be found here. Our full range of professional hand and kick nets can be found here.

If you have any questions about our range or would like some advice on the right product for you then please contact us via email at customer.services@nhbs.com or phone on 01803 865913.

Professional Ecologists: Get Ready for Spring Surveys

February marks the approach of the busy spring survey season and is the perfect time to take stock and make sure you have everything you need for your upcoming fieldwork.

To avoid disrupting any survey work later on in the year, we recommend that you take the time now to inspect all technical equipment for any faults. This will allow you to organise any necessary repairs in plenty of time.

We also suggest organising and ordering any equipment you may still require ahead of time, including accessories such as SD cards and batteries.

To help you get equipped for your surveys, we have compiled a helpful list of the key upcoming surveys that are due to begin in the next few months, together with any essential equipment that they require.

February
  • Badger bait surveying is best undertaken from late February to late April. Use a peanut and syrup mix with different colour badger bait marking pellets for each sett.
  • February is also a key time to survey bat hibernation roosts. We stock all of the main passive bat detectors currently on the market, as well as a comprehensive range of endoscopes.
March
  • Reptile felts or corrugated refugia for the survey of reptiles should be put out a few weeks before surveys start to allow them to ‘bed down’. Refugia inspections tend to begin in March or April depending on weather conditions.
  • Newt surveys start in mid-March and continue through to June. We offer newt bottle-traps as either whole or pre-cut bottles. Bamboo canes that are used to hold the bottle-traps in place are available to purchase separately.
Dormouse nest tube
April
The Song Meter 2 range of passive bat recorders from Wildlife Acoustics
May
June
A note on licensing

Please note that some of the species mentioned above are protected by law in the UK. Any survey work on protected species must be undertaken by a licenced ecologist. Different levels of licence are required for different survey and mitigation methods. For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences.

If you have any queries you can contact our customer services team on 01803 865913 or via email at customer.services@nhbs.com.

SM4/SM4BAT SD Card Compatibility Fix

This is a Technical Support Bulletin from Wildlife Acoustics regarding problems that can occur when using the SM4 family of recorders with certain SD cards.

Overview

A number of customers have recently reported deployment problems when using SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC flash cards with their Song Meter SM4 family recorders. The issue can affect all Song Meter SM4 family products including the SM4, SM4TS, SM4BAT-FS, SM4M, and SM4MU (but excluding SM4BAT-ZC).

The failure generally manifests with schedules that make continuous back-to-back one-hour recordings and can result in recordings being lost. Corrupted .WAV recordings with a 256KB length and/or many .sm4dump files on the card are both indications. The issue only rarely affects schedules with short duty cycle recordings such as 10 minutes on the hour, or on triggered recordings on the SM4BAT-FS.

Note: Many of the above symptoms are normal at the end of a deployment as batteries fail. What is unique to this issue is it can occur while the batteries are fresh.

Solution

Wildlife Acoustics have released firmware version 2.3.3 that corrects this problem and may improve interoperability with other flash cards as well. We strongly advise customers to update to this latest version as soon as possible whether you are seeing issues or not. The firmware is available on the Wildlife Acoustics website after you log in to your account here: https://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/account/downloads/sm4.

Firmware version 2.3.3 also fixes an unrelated issue, introduced with firmware 2.3.1, which could result in corrupted cards that are formatted in exFAT and have the “dirty bit” set (this indicates an issue with unmounting the card previously).

Note: If you experience card corruption, Wildlife Acoustics have tools that can possibly recover recordings off the card. Contact their support team using the details below for more information.

Contact Wildlife Acoustics

Please contact support2021@wildlifeacoustics.com if you have any questions or concerns.

NHBS for Professional Ecologists

At NHBS we understand the needs of professional ecologists and are here to support you in your work. Here’s what we can offer you:

Specialist advice and support:
  • We have ecologists on our team who are experienced and knowledgeable about the products that we sell. Whatever you need to know about our equipment, before or after purchase, we are sure to be able to find the answer for you.
  • Should you experience any problems with the equipment you buy from us, we will make sure that it is repaired or replaced as quickly as possible. Just get in touch with us and one of our wildlife equipment specialists will be able to chat with you about any issues you are experiencing.
Huge product range:
  • We stock a huge selection of environmental survey tools and conservation products, including items for protected species survey and environmental monitoring. We also stock the UK’s largest selection of nest boxes and habitat products from suppliers big and small.
  • By sourcing all of your survey and conservation kit from one place, you can shop with ease and ensure that everything you need is delivered quickly and reliably.
  • Can’t find what you’re looking for? If there is a piece of kit that you need but you can’t find it on our website, get in touch and we’ll do our best to get hold of it for you.
Conservation Pro reward scheme
  • We do our best to make sure our prices are competitive and our customer service is second to none. With our Conservation Pro Reward Scheme we go even further by offering our frequent customers access to automatic discounts when ordering online, over the phone or via purchase order.
  • Receive discounts of up to 10% on a huge range of equipment and 5% on all books. You can even view your discounted prices when logged into your online account.
  • There are two levels – Conservation Pro 1 and Conservation Pro 2. To be eligible for Conservation Pro 1 you will need to have spent at least £8000 ex VAT within the last year and to be eligible for Conservation Pro 2 you will need to have spent at least £4000 ex VAT within the last year.
Bespoke manufacturing
  • If you can’t find what you are looking for, we are happy to help with designing and building the survey equipment you need.
  • Our team of engineers and seamstresses are experienced in metalwork, woodwork and textile construction and can chat with you about your specific requirements.
  • Simply fill out the form on our bespoke manufacturing page, including details of your project and the type of equipment you require, and one of our engineers will get back to you as soon as possible.
Bespoke Ichthyoplankton Net
BTHK Tree Roost Net

 

 

 

 

 

Support for European customers
  • To ensure continuity of service following Brexit, we have registered a company in Bonn, Germany – NHBS GmbH. The new business is fully registered for tax and VAT in Germany.
  • Order through nhbs.com in Euros as well as UK pounds. Transactions in Euros will be processed through NHBS GmbH, but all the ordering processes remain the same! You can continue to order by phone, email, website or even fax in either currency.
  • Switch between Euros and UK Pounds at nhbs.com using the currency switcher in the top right hand corner of the site.
  • You can also browse certain parts of our website in German language, and speak to our dedicated German speaking bilingual customer service advisor by calling +49 (0)228 5048 8063 or emailing info@nhbs.com.

NHBS In the Field – Dino-Lite WF4915ZT Wireless Microscope Kit

Within the last 15 years the availability and quality of USB digital stereo microscopes has vastly improved, and these fantastic devices are now regularly used by naturalists and hobbyists looking to view the hidden details of the natural world.

Dino-Lite are a well-known manufacturer of USB microscopes. Their range comprises basic models for those new to the field of microscopy, alongside cutting-edge models that produce stunningly detailed high-quality images and have additional features such as wireless video streaming.

We recently tested the Dino-Lite WF4915ZT Wireless Microscope Kit. This kit is from Dino-Lite’s professional range and it includes an AF4915ZT microscope and a WF-20 wireless adapter. The AF4915ZT is a dynamic microscope and has a number of features which are not available on more basic models. These include: Extended Depth of Field (EDOF), which helps achieve greater overall focus on surfaces with varying heights; Enhanced Dynamic Range (EDR), which helps when viewing objects with large variations in brightness; Flexible LED Control, which allows you to turn on/off pairs of LED lights to achieve the best possible illumination; and Automatic Magnification Reading, which allows the DinoCapture software to automatically register and display the current magnification.

Our aim was to see how easy and intuitive the device was to setup and use, and to explore the benefits offered by its advanced features and wireless functionality.

How We Tested

First we installed the included DinoCapture 2.0 software onto our computer. All DinoLite USB microscopes come supplied with this program loaded onto a CD-ROM, however it is also available online as a digital download. We tested the microscope using DinoCapture 2.0 on a desktop computer, however, you can also use this microscope wirelessly on either a smartphone or a tablet via the free DinoCapture app.

The WF-20 module was charged overnight and then connected to the AF4915ZT. The WF-20 was easy to attach, as the wired end piece of the AF4915ZT has two release buttons which, when pressed simultaneously, allowed us to gently remove this module and then connect the WF-20. When powered on, the WF-20 appears as a wireless network on any nearby Wi-Fi devices. Once connected to this network we were able to view a live feed from the microscope on DinoCapture.

We used the microscope to view a number of plant and insect samples.

Moth eye – viewed with Extended Dynamic Range
What We Found

The 1.3MP resolution is certainly a big improvement over some of the more basic models. Using the microscope at some of the higher magnifications is hugely rewarding, as you are granted some fantastic views of the minute details that are otherwise easily missed. The advanced features (as listed in the introduction to this review) may not be entirely noticeable to those new to digital microscopy, however, compared to older and more economical models they make operating this microscope far simpler. Previously, one would struggle at times to deal with structures having varying levels of brightness (particularly common with iridescent insects for example), and have little control outside of the overall LED brightness to try and address this. However, with the great LED controls and EDR the overall image can be brought closer together and previously obscured features become visible in much greater detail.

The EDOF is also a really helpful tool, especially at lower magnifications and on specimens with a variable structural height (which in our case was an acorn cup and a seed pod). Despite the differing heights, the microscope was able to keep most of the specimen in focus. Both the EDR and EDOF take around five seconds to process, meaning you can view the results and adapt your settings quickly to achieve the best image possible.

Manoeuvring the microscope freehand was relatively easy as it only has a few buttons on its main body, so there wasn’t any accidental mis-clicking. The focus ring is also light enough that it can be manipulated using only the middle and index fingers. Trying to keep the microscope steady and operate the DinoCapture software at the same time was rather difficult, especially at higher magnifications, and so when taking any images I opted to use the device with a stand (specifically the Dino-Lite RK06A). This allowed me to configure the microscope into the perfect position and then operate the computer without fear of losing that positioning.

When used in its wireless configuration we did find that occasionally there were moments of lag on the live feed. While these were only minor interruptions, it was certainly something that had to be considered when making any adjustments to the magnification and focus.

Leaf: (a) Normal mode, (b) with Extended Dynamic Range
Seed pod: (a) Normal mode, (b) with Extended Depth of Field
Acorn: (a) Normal mode, (b) with Extended Dynamic Range, (c) with Extended Depth Of Field
Feather
Our Opinion

Although we only used the WF4915ZT on a few select samples, it offered us a great opportunity to learn how to operate this advanced USB microscope. Thankfully the literature provided with the microscope was clear and easy to follow, and within 15 minutes of opening the box I was able to install the software and connect to the device in both its wireless and wired configurations. The image quality and the benefits offered by its advanced settings were also hugely impressive, particularly the EDOF, which really stands out as a key feature for this microscope.

While the wireless functionality of this microscope was a very interesting feature of the WF4915ZT, in practice it is not necessarily universally valuable. In the study of Natural History for example, most microscopy happens at a desk on pre-prepared specimens and as such you do not need the greater manoeuvrability that a wireless microscope offers. In other trades, however, these digital microscopes are used to inspect large objects (e.g. automobile manufacture) and in these situations a lack of trailing wires would be of huge benefit for the operator. In a situation where the operator does not have access to a computer/laptop, the Wi-Fi module allows you to connect to the microscope using a tablet or a smartphone, which is especially useful if you are planning to use it in the field.

In summary, we would highly recommend the WF4915ZT for any hobbyist or professional looking for a high quality and portable USB microscope. The AF4915ZT would be an excellent (and more economical) alternative for those who are unlikely to use the device away from a desk.

The Dino-Lite WF4915ZT is available through the NHBS website.

To view our full range of USB microscopes, visit www.nhbs.com. If you have any questions about microscopy or would like some advice on the right product for you then please contact us via email at customer.services@nhbs.com or phone on 01803 865913.