If you ask your neighbours why they live in Surrey, I’m certain that any number of reasons will be mentioned. The county has wonderful transport links, vibrant communities as well as accessible countryside.
However, did you know that Surrey is also the most densely wooded county in England with more than a fifth of its land covered by trees? It is also known for its extensive tracts of lowland heathland and chalk downland. The Rivers Hogsmill and Wey rise from the latter, creating a rare ecosystem that has global importance -the freshwater ‘Chalk’ stream. Further wetland sites include rich heathland mires, floodplain Alder woodlands and ancient field ponds. These diverse environments support a huge variety of wildlife species, and the Trust manages many fine examples.
Mike Waite, Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Director of Research & Monitoring and author of The State of Surrey’s Nature, will talk about the enviable biodiversity that Surrey enjoys. This will be discussed alongside the actions currently under consultation for the new, legally underpinned Local Nature Recovery Strategy (‘LNRS’), which takes all these habitats into consideration.
After a morning classroom session Mike will guide a bespoke but easy countryside walk, from Nower Wood, taking in some of the classic, designated habitats of Surrey’s North Downs. This will take no more than 2 hours, packed with information and frequent rest-stops.
Tutor Profile – Mike Waite
Mike is Director of Research & Monitoring with the Surrey Wildlife Trust, where he oversees monitoring and research into the effectiveness of the Trust’s strategy on landscape scale conservation. Mike also chairs the Surrey Nature Partnership’s Biodiversity Working Group. He is a highly experienced ecologist with expertise in ecological planning and policy development, ecological impact assessment and mitigation, habitat management and creation, and species protection. Specialisms include higher plants, birds and increasingly, spiders. Mike was instrumental in the publication of the first statutory biodiversity strategy in the UK, for the Greater London Authority.
