Clarkson & Woods are proud to be co-authors on the third edition of Solar Habitat. This is an annual report published by Solar Energy UK in collaboration with ourselves, Wychwood Biodiversity and Lancaster University. It pools ecological monitoring data from solar farms in order to examine trends and provide a robust evidence base in terms…
Winter in the Somerset Levels can be cold and damp, but it is also a great time to pull on the wellies and see some amazing wildlife. Located in the heart of Somerset are the Levels, a flat expanse of floodplain east of the Severn Estuary. Traditionally, the county would flood during winter and only…
Open Farm Sunday is a charity managed by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming). It is a unique opportunity for anyone to gain an insight into farming life and to learn about the wonderful work our farmers do. The event takes place on one Sunday every year with over 1600 farmers taking part since it began…
How long have you worked at Clarkson & Woods? I started at Clarkson & Woods in 2010 as an assistant ecologist when we were Michael Woods Associates. Since this time, I have seen the company change from our original team of 4 into the passionate, friendly, and knowledgeable team of 25 we now are today.…
We regularly run in house training sessions to share knowledge between the team. Today was the turn of one of our resident bird experts Mike, to teach us all about surveying wintering birds, particularly farmland species. He had tips for identifying species of conservation concern and differentiating these from more common species that they can easily be…
A flexible approach to working hours is not new to Clarkson and Woods. The seasonal nature of our business means that at certain times of the year we work long hours into the night, or start before dawn. Staff have always been encouraged to balance long days with shorter ones to avoid burn out. Traditionally…
How long have you worked at Clarkson & Woods? I joined Clarkson & Woods in spring 2023 when I was glad to be offered a role as an Assistant Ecologist. Before my interview here I was planting trees for a Bristol-based arboriculture team and before that, on an internship with Avon Wildlife Trust, I learnt…
How long have you worked at Clarkson & Woods? Originally from Nancy, Lorraine in the north-eastern part of France I first joined Clarkson and Woods back in 2018 working as an intern as part of my end-of-studies internship. This was part of my masters degree where I was studying general agronomy and environmental sciences at…
How long have you worked at Clarkson & Woods? I came to Clarkson & Woods just over 18 months ago as a Senior Ecologist, but this is rather misleading because I also worked here many years ago between 2012 and 2017. I re-joined the company last year because my experience was so positive. I was…
We know that solar farms that are well designed and managed with a focus on wildlife have the potential have a positive effect on biodiversity, however, there has been limited research into this area. In 2022 Solar Energy UK in conjunction with Clarkson and Woods, Lancaster University and Wychwood Biodiversity published a standardised methodology for…