Tim talks with Cheshire Wildlife Trust's Evidence & Planning Manager, Rachel Giles...

The conversation covers Rachel's career, her interest in and work to conserve Cheshire's Local Wildlife Sites and the sometimes daunting, but very important subject of Net Gain. As we face an unprecedented global crisis for biodiversity, how can the government mandated net gain for biodiversity from development be successfully and measurably achieved? And what can we learn from some of the old giants of ecology as we go about making sense of it?

Thanks:
Stacey Body - Production
Kelly Lomas & Gif Lemon - Artwork
'Still Pickin', Kevin Macleod - Theme tune

Related links:
Local Wildlife Sites
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/local-wildlife-sites

SSSi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest

Green Revolution
https://www.thoughtco.com/green-revolution-overview-1434948

Avoidance, mitigation, compensation
https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/buildings-planning-and-development/avoidance-mitigation-compensation

Rank grassland definitiion: https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100404256

Interesting EN doc about neutral grassland:
file://ce-userdata/cehomedrive$/AG255Y/Downloads/in13.9%20(1).pdf

Brownfield sites

Home builders perspective:
https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/what-is-a-brownfield-site/

Conservation perspective:
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/habitats/towns-and-gardens/brownfield

Telegraph article citing the CPRE study promoting "brownfield first": https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/25/england-has-enough-brownfield-land-one-million-new-homes-says/

Biodiversity 2020 targets: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/biodiversity-2020-a-strategy-for-england-s-wildlife-and-ecosystem-services

The Northern Forest
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/we-plant-trees/the-northern-forest/

Habitat Banking
https://www.environmentbank.com/habitat-banking/

Green Infrastructure
https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/sustainability-transitions/urban-environment/urban-green-infrastructure/what-is-green-infrastructure

E. O. Wilson’s Half Earth Project
https://www.half-earthproject.org/

James Lovelock
http://www.jameslovelock.org/