We have a great opportunity to shape the future of nature conservation in Berkshire by providing our individual input to the local nature recovery strategy. The purpose of this document is to identify locations to create or improve habitat most likely to provide the greatest benefit for nature and the wider environment. This strategy will influence how resources are spent on the conservation of habitats and species in our county over the next decade or more.
Please complete this survey - https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=MsFu2pacUkGSWMs4GZc0kbeDNv-zvnlNtmFlsHa2cApUNFk0RUFJSUczWU5PT1hUODk0WFJBN1lVUy4u
To help you do this, I recommend that you:
Watch this video (with the sound on) to be inspired by Berkshire’s nature - https://vimeo.com/875589913
Focus on the positive things that will give us more of the nature that you love (and not the negative things like development and pollution – the LNRS team have more than enough information on the negatives!)
Think about your favourite natural place in Berkshire. What type of habitat is it? Why is it special to you?
Read on for tips on filling in the survey.
Grab a cuppa and allow yourself half an hour.
Your answer to the first question will determine what questions you get asked next. This first set of questions should be fairly easy to answer. So, my advice starts when you get to the long question with a circular picture alongside it.
The question with the graphic looks complicated but all you are being asked to do is put 10 habitat types in order of importance. The information on ecosystem services is there to make you think about all the different reasons why a habitat might be important.
A couple of bits of jargon have slipped into the habitat description, but I think there is enough information to explain all but one. Wood pasture is fields, traditionally used for grazing, containing mature trees (think of the open parts of Windsor Great Park).
Make a note of the three to five habitat types that you put top of the list.
The next question uses language from the government’s guidance but is basically asking if you think a habitat type is missing or if you think there’s is something really important (and positive) that could be done for Berkshire’s nature that isn’t covered by the 10 listed habitats.
The following set of questions is looking for your ideas on how to improve, or create more, priority habitats. I suggest that you only complete these questions for the top few (three to five) habitats in your prioritised list. The last question in this block asks for your ideas on how to improve, or create more, of the additional habitats, or to deliver the action(s) for nature that you suggested. Take time to read the text before the questions in this set.
You then reach the next mandatory question, and you can tick as many options as you want.
You then get the opportunity to say what one natural thing you enjoy seeing the most in Berkshire. I recommend that you don’t spend too long thinking about this and go with your gut.
The next question is a bit of an odd list, so use ‘other’ if there is no obvious option that fits you
The remaining questions are for your final thoughts about the survey plus details about you.