RSK Biocensus First Thursday Club
July 23, 2020Run by RSK Biocensus, RSKโs ecological business, the First Thursday Club is an opportunity to hear about new legislation, policy and best practice relating to the natural environment, and how it affects your business, through a series of webinars.
Each month, we will provide some concise lunchtime CPD and answer your questions on different aspects of ecology and sustainability.
Register now to get your monthly ecological episode delivered straight to the comfort of your own desk.
1. Avoiding Borisโs โnewt-counting delaysโ to build back green
Thursday 6 August, 12:30โ13:15
Inspired by Boris, we are talking all things newt. Have you been beset by โnewt-counting delaysโ? Or do you find amphibians have a โmi-newtโ (sorry) effect on your progress? Weโll spare you the natural history lecture (fascinating though newts are) and dig a little deeper into new survey techniques using environmental DNA, understanding the new licensing policies for great crested newts, and how to decide on the best approach for your site.
Your August guide is Steph Wray, one of the directors of RSK Biocensus and the chair of CIEEMโs Strategic Policy Panel. Steph has 25 yearsโ experience in helping developers to do more than just stay on the right side of wildlife law. She cares so you donโt have to โ but, after 30 minutes of talking to her, you probably will care too.
Missed the webinar? Playback here
2. Badgers on development sites
Thursday 3 September, 12:30โ13:15
Donโt be badgered by badgers on site! Get good advice as early as possible and we can work things out for you and the badgers. In this talk weโre going to give you some background on these fascinating critters, dispel a few myths and describe how we resolve conflicts between badgers and development schemes.
Your September guide to all things badgery is Richard (Dez) Delahay, a director of RSK Biocensus and a professor of wildlife biology at the University of Exeter. Dez has many years of experience studying badgers, managing them and helping a range of clients to deal with their presence on development sites.
3. Bringing the BREEAM home โ Bat Boxes and Beyond โ up to 79 credits under one roof
Thursday 1 October, 12:30โ13:15
Roberta Epps from RSK Biocensus joins forces with Lorna Hurst from the RSK Carbon, Climate & Sustainability team to talk about the exciting opportunities we can offer our clients to maximise their BREEAM successes. Focusing initially on the land use and ecology credits, which make up a high proportion of those available, weโll discuss how RSK Biocensusโ early involvement can tick-off those credits in a straightforward and cost-effective way, while our professional ecologists take a proactive and innovative approach to enhancing biodiversity to fit in with every projectโs budget and aspirations.
Weโll explain why it makes commercial sense to involve RSK at the very beginning of your planning process, when our various in-house specialists, headed by our Lead Assessors, can offer a one stop shop for working towards over 70 BREEAM credits and putting your project well on its way to achieving an Excellent or Outstanding rating.
Finally, weโll discuss how BREEAM and the relevant feed-in services also link to meeting the new London Plan, which is mandated for all large developments referable to the Mayor of London; requirements include life cycle assessments, energy statements and circular economy statements.
4. Where thereโs a weir, thereโs a way! Navigating the pitfalls of fish passage
Thursday 5 November, 12:30โ13:15
Many species of fish undertake significant migrations within river systems to access spawning areas or to seek out new refuge or feeding areas. Fish passage issues are therefore important considerations for fisheries managers or others who own or manage in-river structures that may act as barriers, or at least as significant obstacles, to the free movement of fish.
The issue of fish passage has long been considered for salmonid species and, more recently, for the European eel. Other fish species have, until fairly recently, received somewhat less consideration. New legislation relating to free passage for all fish species has now been in preparation for several years, but issues such as Brexit and, more recently, COVID-19 have delayed its submission to parliament for approval. Notwithstanding this, UK regulators frequently require that modifications to existing structures, or the construction of new in-river structures, consider fish passage for all species.
In this webinar, Dr Peter Walker, an experienced aquatic ecologist who has worked on hundreds of fish-passage projects, will introduce the main issues surrounding fish passage and outline the processes that should be undertaken to address them.
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ RSK is proud to stand alongside members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
๐ People deserve to be their authentic selves and love freely without fear.
You can read Graeme and Abigail's full stories next week in RSK insights. Keep an eye on our social media for more information.
#rskfamily #pride #pridemonth #loveislove #lgbtq
๐ธ #selfiesonsite ๐คณ
Ryan Dunderdale, Senior Surveyor at Central Alliance, providing technical support and on-site training to datum plate install teams down in Bristol.
Want to join our team? View our latest opportunities ๐ www.rskgroup.com/careers
#RSKgroup #behindthescenes #meettheteam #RSKfamily #RSKonsite #engineering #construction
๐ In the June edition of our #employeespotlight, we spoke with with Rosie Pearce at Stephenson Halliday and Carmen Snowdon at WRc Group to find out about their recent achievements ๐
๐ Congratulations to you both!
Click the link in our bio to find out more!
#rskfamily #employeeapprecitation #team #landscapeinstitute #instituteofwater #architecture
"If you donโt feel valued, represented and respected in your workplace, then inevitably your #wellbeing will suffer.โ
๐ In our latest edition of #ADayInTheLife, we spoke with Ellen Lapworth-Maisey, Wellbeing, #Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at RSK โ a fascinating position that helps to create an inclusive and empowering #culture for all RSK staff.
Click the link in bio to learn more!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #diversity #inclusion #mentalhealth
๐ธ #selfiesonsite ๐คณ
Some pictures of the Envireau Water staff on site.
Want to join our team? View our latest opportunities ๐ www.rskgroup.com/careers
#RSKgroup #behindthescenes #meettheteam #RSKfamily #RSKonsite #waterindustry #construction
๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
#RSKSteps came to an end on Tuesday 31 May after a month of stepping adventures.
๐๐ป ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐:
โ๏ธ1449 participants
โ๏ธ332,268,416 steps
โ๏ธยฃ1500 raised for our chosen charity, MIND!
Read more about this fantastic challenge in our bio!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #wellbeing #health #mentalhealth #walking
#RSKEvents
๐ Join Dirk Van Look and Chris Hughes on our webinar all about #PFAS โ perfluoroalkyl substances, which are both human-made and known to be harmful to humans.
๐ก We will showcase real-life examples to demonstrate how RSK is responding and developing capabilities to assess these emerging #contaminants.
Find out more and register now in our bio!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #PFAScontaminants #foreverchemicals #chemicals
๐ In light of #PrideMonth, we are sharing information about how to become a better ally. #Pride offers a sense of solidarity and a platform for expression.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts!
#RSKGroup #rskfamily #LGBT #LGBTQ+ #inclusion #diversity #LGBTally #Pride2022
๐ข RSK is pleased to announce it has further expanded its presence in Ireland by acquiring one of the most reputable tree care companies in the country.
๐ณ Dermot Casey Tree Care was founded in the 1970s by Managing Director Dermot Casey and is one of the most highly regarded tree surgery companies in Ireland, with more than 50 years of experience.
Find out more in our bio!
#RSKGroup #RSKfamily #treecare #landscape #treesurgery #landscaping #nature