Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium 2025

T﻿he Biological Recording Company provide a range of events focused on educating and training biological recorders and biodiversity professionals in the United Kingdom.entoLIVE Webinarsare free 1-hour virtual events exploring the science of insects and other invertebrates. Each webinar will feature an invertebrate scientist and are suitable for adults of all abilities – a passion for invertebrates is all that’s required!V﻿irtual Symposiumsexplore a subject in more detail through a series of talks from subject experts. These longer events have a small charge and are often available with an 'earlybird' discount.F﻿ield Recorder Daysare 1-day events where experienced and novice recorders come together to record the wildlife of a site. Records are generally collated through iRecord and shared with the site manager, Local Environmental Record Centre and relevant National Recording Schemes/Societies.E﻿arthworm Training Coursescover topics such as biology, ecology, sampling techniques and identification.

The Biological Recording Company

The annual Biodiversity Net Gain Virtual Symposium will look at the challenges, successes and lessons learned to date. Join the discussion.

Virtual Symposiums

Our virtual symposiums cover a wide range of topics, from worldwide research to biological recording to biodiversity net gain. Our ecoTECH webinars focus on novel technologies being used in the ecology sector.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) became mandatory in England for small and major developments in 2024, with nationally significant infrastructure projects also being mandatory from late November 2025.This virtual event will bring together professionals from a range of sectors to discuss their experiences and lessons learned from working with BNG.The presentations will be recorded and shared with those who booked via a password-protected website following the event.

<h3>Speaker Programme</h3>This event will be hosted by Dr Dan Carpenter (Digital Ecology) and feature four presentations, each followed by Q&A sessions:<ol><li>BNG: A Big Issue for Small Sites? with Peter Massini (Future Nature Consulting)</li><li>Assessing Habitat Condition for BNG: How Consistent Are Ecologists? with Ivonne Salamanca (Bangor University)</li><li>Considering Bats in Biodiversity Net Gain with Jo Ferguson (Bat Conservation Trust)</li><li>Mandatory BNG in Practice: Findings from an Early Research Project with Ellie Savage (Institution of Environmental Sciences)</li></ol>

<h3>BNG: A Big Issue for Small Sites?</h3>Peter Massini (Future Nature Consulting)BNG is an important and much needed policy intervention to ensure that development results in better outcomes for nature. But is a one-size fits all legislative approach proportionate and effective when applied to small sites where the adverse ecological impact of development is minor? The presentation will unpack this issue and explore solutions.After a 30 year career working as an ecologist and green infrastructure policy-maker in London, Peter now runs his own consultancy providing advice to clients from the private, public and third sectors. His work ranges from undertaking PEAs and BNG assessments for small schemes close to where he lives in Sussex, to high-level policy reviews and policy development for local authorities, NGOs and other institutions.

<h3>Assessing Habitat Condition for BNG: How Consistent Are Ecologists?</h3>Ivonne Salamanca (Bangor University)England has recently introduced a requirement that all new developments result in a ‘net gain’ for biodiversity. There are important questions about the extent to which the Statutory Biodiversity Metric can be consistently applied by ecologists and measure real change in biodiversity.An online survey with UK ecologists explored how well they could apply the criteria used to assess habitat condition in the biodiversity metric, where participants were randomly shown photographs of four UK habitats in good/poor condition and were asked to assess their condition, using the criteria. The results reveal substantial variation in how ecologists apply the criteria. Further guidance will be needed to improve the consistency of condition assessments in the context of Biodiversity Net Gain.Ivonne Salamanca is an ecologist with a decade of experience in wildlife surveys, particularly focusing on mammals in the tropics. Ivonne's research on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) through Bangor University aims to bridge the gap between development and biodiversity conservation. By critically examining DEFRA's biodiversity metric and using quantitative modelling, Ivonne hopes to assess its effectiveness in measuring biodiversity changes and inform decision-making for sustainable development.

<h3>Considering Bats in Biodiversity Net Gain</h3>Jo Ferguson (Bat Conservation Trust)The Bat Conservation Trust will cover how species in particular bats should be considered as part of the BNG assessment and delivery plans, including covering relevant best practice guidance in this field.Jo Ferguson is an urban ecologist and Principal Consultant working for the Bat Conservation Trust and Greengage Environmental. She has over 20 years of experience in both voluntary and professional sectors, from practical land management to ecological consultancy, both in the UK and abroad. She is passionate about creating provision for biodiversity, in particular bats, within the built environment and promoting collaborative industry working to achieve goals for nature and people.

<h3>Mandatory BNG in Practice: Findings from an Early Research Project</h3>Ellie Savage (Institution of Environmental Sciences)BNG is a key environmental delivery challenge, with longstanding and widespread concerns about its preparation and implementation. A joint project ’Mandatory biodiversity net gain in practice’ by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (the IES) and Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) was launched in July 2024 to establish an initial understanding of how BNG is working on the ground. This presentation will discuss key findings from the project so far, including from a survey, workshop and interviews with IES and ALGE members.Ellie Savage is a Policy Officer at the Institution of Environmental Sciences (the IES), a professional membership body representing over 6,ooo environmental scientists. As well as supporting IES policy work she manages the work of its Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC), including the BNG in practice project.

<h3>Event Partners</h3>This event is delivered jointly by the <a href="https://www.biologicalrecording.co.uk/" title="https://www.biologicalrecording.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Biological Recording Company</a> and <a href="https://digital-ecology.co.uk/" title="https://digital-ecology.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Digital Ecology</a>.