Amey, headquartered in Oxford, has helped protect the local wildlife and environment in a volunteer effort at a nature reserve that shares its name.
Work took place at the Edward Richardson & Phyllis Amey (ERPA) nature reserve in Lechlade near the Cotswold Water Park. The site has historic links with Amey, having been named after the last site manager and the sister of the former Amey chairman.
Volunteers worked with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to create safe habitats for protected and rare species, including ponds for dragonflies and log piles for Great Crested Newts. This involved clearing ditches and vegetation by hand and using a mini digger kindly donated for the day by A-Plant.
The work is particularly important because dragonflies are a diminishing species due to factors such as climate change, habitat destruction and pollution. A third of the dragonfly species are in decline and three species have died out in the last 40 years. Therefore dragonflies are a national priority for conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).
Amey employs nearly 600 people in the Oxford area and has a strong track record in promoting sustainability, having been awarded a gold ranking in Business in the Community’s (BITC’s) 2010 Corporate Responsibility Index (CRI). This Index is the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility.
Russ Langley, Environment & Audit Manager for Amey says: “The Edward Richardson and Phyllis Amey Nature Reserve is a uniquely important ecological habitat and we are keen to protect it through our work and in the community.”
Lynn Toon, Head of Fundraising and Marketing for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust says: “We are immensely grateful for the on-going assistance provided by staff members from Amey. By donating the equipment and volunteers we’ll be able to create wildlife habitat for future generations to visit and enjoy.”
