Maintaining and improving the biodiversity of Farnham, Surrey
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We are generating a record of the existing biodiversity within Farnham. We are collecting records from partner organisations and comissioning our own surveys to fill in the gaps. Citizen science will be a key means of gathering this information, such as garden surveys.
We are creating a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), to both maintain and improve the biodiversity of Farnham. This involves advising existing habitat management plans and the creation of wildlife corridors, linking our wild spaces and garden habitats.
We aim to be a key source of information for land managers, big or small, whether you manage Farnham Park or your own small garden. We shall encourage management practices which optimise the flourishing of biodiversity across the town and rural areas of Farnham.
The State of UK Nature Reports, 2013 and 2016. Despite the progress made, these paint a disappointing picture with 15% of our native species under threat of extinction and 53% are in decline.
State of Surrey’s Nature by Surrey Wildlife Trust, 2018. Paints a worrying local picture with Surrey’s statistics worse in some respects than the national average.
A salutary lesson. There was a notable, thriving colony of Great Green Bush Crickets along The Bourne stream near the Fox pub until the 1990s. It disappeared perhaps because of new sewage works and tree growth taking over the grassy stream banks.
As an environmentally conscious town, Farnham considers it should do all it can to conserve and enhance its biodiversity. This is called for in the Neighbourhood Plan but at present there is no unified approach towards achieving that. We believe a good technical solution is needed.
If biodiversity is to be conserved and enhanced , a firm knowledge base is needed. Hence the requirement for a reliable inventory of habitats and species.
The excellent conservation work already going on is based on scattered sites in an uncoordinated way. Arguably, better results will be possible in all town areas with improved liaison and a degree of coordination.
Farnham is not an island. There is good work going on all round. A specific example is SWTs Living Landscapes Project with its network of Biodiversity Opportunity Areas with equivalents in Hampshire. But they stop at the boundary of the urban area. One exception is the Wey corridor
Although Farnham has a naturally rich biodiversity there are serious threats to its plants and animals from a combination of greatly increased human development, pollution, habitat loss and Climate Change. It is important therefore to make every effort possible to conserve and enhance biodiversity. This applies to both public and private sectors...
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The hedgehog is one of Britain’s most iconic animals - its charismatic demeanour and voracious appetite for insect pests in gardens make it a firm favourite. Although mainly nocturnal it used to be a common sight. Nick Allen of the Farnham Biodiversity Group recalls how he once had the rare treat of seeing not one but three.
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At this time of the year, while out walking or relaxing in your garden you may be fortunate to see Britain’s largest beetle, the Stag Beetle, either on the ground or flying. Males are up to 75mm long and have impressively large antler-like jaws. Females are less impressive being smaller (up to 50mm long) and with smaller jaws
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If you look up while out walking in Farnham in summer you may very well see the most amazing of all birds, not the now familiar red kite but a much smaller bird — a dark, scythe-winged bird, reminiscent of a bow and arrow: the swift. Other than incubating eggs and feeding their chicks, swifts do everything in the sky: they feed, sleep, bathe...
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A proposal for a Farnham Biodiversity Partnership was launched today on 8th Feb 2019 at the Farnham Town Council offices at Farnham. Representatives from prospective partnership organisations were present, where Noel, Steve and Martin oulined a mission and vision for the project. The meeting was well received by all.
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An interactive map, which defines the geographical scope for the Farnham BAP has been produced. The area of interest comprises all of the Farnham wards. Although the focus is within this area, habitat corridors linking this area to neighbouring wild spaces are also important, to allow species to move freely into and out of Farnham.
Read morePlease feel free to contact the group management for any aspects of the Farnham Biodiversity Action Plan.
