By Clare Rooney, Biodiversity Training Programme Manager
As concerns grow about biodiversity loss, it’s clear that meaningful change starts with understanding — this blog explores why baseline biodiversity knowledge of land is essential for any business to meet their biodiversity duty and how we can help bridge the gap.
Baseline knowledge matters
Ask an ecologist, and the fundamental thing to do for any new site encountered is to get the baseline assessment right – but how can we ensure the right starting point for habitat management, restoration or creation, if the baseline knowledge isn’t there in the people who first encounter these sites?
Not everyone making habitat management or development decisions will be an ecological consultant.
From global targets to local realities: A UK perspective
The clock is ticking now on international targets set as part of the Global Biodiversity Framework and adopted by countries worldwide at COP15 in December 2022. Of 23 global targets designed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, the headline target is “30 by 30”—i.e., by 2030, 30% of land, freshwater and seas will be conserved for nature, and 30% of degraded habitats will be restored.
Despite thinking globally about the targets, the best way to act for nature recovery is localised. That brings us back to the knowledge base of the people on the ground working to implement the now-required Local Nature Recovery Strategies. These strategies align with national and international goals to identify locally relevant ecosystems in need of protection and restoration.
And yet, despite global momentum, the reality in the UK is stark.
The State of Nature report published in 2023, looks at 50 years of UK biodiversity data, and the unfortunate headline is that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
However, through a positive lens, we’ve never had a better understanding of how to restore nature, and future modelling can never fully account for human ingenuity and innovation. Our challenge is not just scientific — it’s educational. We must raise the level of understanding and action at every level of society to bridge the gap between global ambition and local impact.
Why biodiversity matters
Understanding the value of biodiversity is fundamental to this effort.
It is biodiversity that has provided all we have needed for our survival since our origins as a species. Four billion years ago, planet Earth was inhospitable. It was hot, dry and the atmosphere was toxic with no free oxygen. Miraculously, the first signs of life emerged in shallow waters, and from these humble beginnings, life forms steadily altered the hostile conditions, providing ecosystem services that enabled the ever-increasing emergence and evolution of diverse species.
Biodiversity continues to provide wellbeing, food, medicine, fuel and ecosystem services, including climate resilience through carbon sequestration, air pollutant filtration and flood prevention. Yet despite these intrinsic, commercial and climatic benefits, we are in the midst of what many scientists are terming the sixth mass extinction — a period of accelerated species and habitat loss. The difference this time is that human activity is the key cause. 25% of all globally recorded species are under threat, with one million species facing extinction within decades unless the planet acts. Ecosystems may tolerate the loss of one or two species, however, when we begin to lose several or certain keystone species, it can cause ecosystem collapse.
Biodiversity Literacy: A missing piece
As biodiversity is so important, understanding it shouldn’t be confined to a small number of specialists.
As climate change awareness is being successfully embedded through the Carbon Literacy Project™, I believe that we urgently need a parallel movement to drive increased ‘Biodiversity ‘Literacy™’, to ensure that foundational understanding, or ‘baseline’ knowledge, is there throughout (but not limited to) those involved in land services or development.
This levelling-up should support (not replace) the highly skilled work of ecological consultants and other specialists and drive better decision-making for nature recovery from the outset, when the planet needs it most.
Our response
That’s why we’re stepping up with a solution aimed at bridging this critical gap.
This year, the Field Studies Council Biodiversity Training Programme is prioritising the development and launch of supportive training for businesses and other organisations to foster that much-needed foundational biodiversity literacy. We are widening our funnel of learners to speak not only to the enthusiasts, the specialists, and the biodiversity professionals, but also to those who are not any of the above, but are very much stewards of biodiversity in different ways.
The training will build understanding of the concept of biodiversity — from species through to habitats and ecosystems. Learners will gain an appreciation of the variety of metrics used to assess biodiversity, including Natural England’s now-statutory Biodiversity Metric used to quantify and measure changes in biodiversity to achieve a mandatory 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) post-development in England. This metric uses the parameters of habitat type, condition, and size as a proxy for biodiversity when assessing a site.
Opportunities for businesses to lead
The course will conclude with considerations for the management and creation of spaces for nature. There are already many positive strategies to help businesses adapt so that development no longer needs to be the enemy of nature.
Promoting biodiversity through green infrastructure such as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDs), green roofs, permeable surfaces or urban forestry not only enhances biodiversity but also contributes to ecosystem services. These services include carbon sequestration, air and water pollutant filtration, extreme weather defences and reduced pressure on drainage infrastructure. All of these actions position nature as the economic choice.
This brings me back to my original point that the choices a business makes to aid nature recovery need to be rooted in the baseline considerations of what is already there. We best serve nature by working with it.
Leading by example
We’re not just advocating for others — this is something we’re deeply committed to within our own organisation too.
The Field Studies Council itself has a Nature Recovery Strategy for 2025–2030 covering all the sites we manage and protect. The focus is on-site rewilding to aid nature recovery. Each site has an action plan concerning protected species, habitats and invasive non-native species. The planned activities from these contribute to relevant Local Nature Recovery Strategies.
However, even within our organisation, there is still the need for building baseline biodiversity literacy and wider engagement with volunteers and partners to meet targets and monitor successes.
I believe this will give the new Biodiversity Literacy training that we have launched real authenticity and opportunities to share case studies of real-world learning.
Get started by joining our online Biodiversity Literacy course. Book individual spaces and small groups online, or get in touch to discuss on-demand and bespoke training: [email protected]