Nature-positive and the environment
Find out how Bodinglee Wind Farm will work with nature to support the local environment and enhance how we interact with it.
What is nature positive?
Think people and planet
Nature-positive means enhancing the resilience of our planet and societies to halt and reverse nature loss. It has become a movement, with leaders from governments, businesses and civil society committing to action. A nature-positive approach enriches biodiversity, tackles climate change, purifies water and often employs nature based solutions to achieve this.
Improving biodiversity
Considering how things are connected
Bodinglee Wind Farm will displace hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year to help tackle climate change. Due to the scale of the project, there is an opportunity to positively influence the local biodiversity in the area too.
Biodiversity is an issue that many local people are passionate about. By working together with local people and community councils, we have designed a number of initiatives which will be delivered as part of the Bodinglee project.
Assessments and studies
Creating better projects through collaboration
Our project team starts thinking about how a project interacts with its environment at the very outset. We undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment to guide the design process and conduct detailed wildlife and bird studies of the site (among other studies) and commission external experts to analyse the data. This helps us understand the local wildlife and how we can build benefits into our designs that support and enhance local nature and biodiversity.
Here are some of the possible nature-based improvements we can make at Bodinglee:
Native tree planting >
We will plant native broad-leaved tree species on the edges of commercial forestry plantations to soften the appearance of the plantations, improve biodiversity and absorb (sequester) more carbon from the atmosphere.
Peat bog restoration >
We will restore and manage natural peat bogs on-site and off-site. Peat bogs are fantastic for storing carbon dioxide to help us tackle climate change. They also provide habitat for a range of species.
Heather restoration >
We will restore iconic heather landscape on the local moorland on and around the site. Heather plays a key role in natural habitats, and will also benefit the visual appearance of the landscape.
Upland birch scrub >
We will plant upland birch scrub along watercourses on and nearby the Bodinglee site. This will benefit a range of local species including the Black Grouse and improve the character of the landscape.
Community spaces for nature >
We will help facilitate the purchase or use of land for nature-based projects such as community gardens, flower meadows, or beekeeping. This provides a space for communities to engage with nature, grow food, learn about the natural environment and come together.
Access to land
We will increase access to land for the local communities and visitors by creating new footpaths linking the villages of Douglas, Roberton and Rigside. there will be new signage and interpretation boards focused on the natural environment on and nearby the site.