The Westcountry Rivers trust offers multi-disciplinary ecological consultancy through its commercial arm; Tamar Consulting Ltd.

Tamar Consulting covenants all its profits to support the charitable work of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. This not only generates core funding for the Trust, but also allows staff to work between the two entities during periods when there are fewer large Trust projects.

Tamar Consulting specialises in the project management and production of Environmental Statements for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).

Our consultants have specific expertise in ecological surveying, assessment and monitoring of flora and fauna in Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial habitats. We also design enhancement, avoidance, mitigation and compensation measures, often as part of the planning process.

Key Services

Ecological Surveys, Evaluation and Monitoring

    » Botanical Surveys including Phase I (JNCC) and Phase II (NVC methodologies)

    » Tree Surveys (BS 5837:2005)

    » EPS Surveys (including otters, badgers, water voles, bats and other protected species)

    »  NVC surveys and mapping

    » Watching Briefs for monitoring protected species

    » River Corridor Surveys and River Habitat Surveys

    » Habitat modelling procedures eg. HABSCORE and RIVPACS

    » Aquatic invertebrate surveys, identification and water quality assessment

    » Sediment and chemical water quality sampling for contaminants

    » Biological assessment of the trophic status of rivers/stillwaters

    » Intertidal and subtidal, rocky shore and sandy shore marine biotope surveys

    » Wetland site investigations, identifying hydrological pathways, form and function 

    » Pond and canal surveys including PSYM and NPS methodologies

    » Algae surveys (freshwater/marine, micro and macroalgae, benthic and pelagic)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

    » Ecological assessment for proposed developments according to IEEM guidelines

    » Project Screening and Scoping

    » Scoping studies and avoidance advice at an early stage in planning process

    » Mitigation strategy formulation

    » Preparation of Environmental Statements

    » Post-decision Monitoring

    » Auditing of Predictions and Mitigation Measures

Conservation Legislation Advice

    » Interpretation and advice on EU Directives

    » Protected species surveys and advice

    » Provision of advice in relation to Designated Areas

    » Evaluation of biodiversity data and assessment of site importance

    » Interpretation of chemical water quality determinands

Habitat Management, Restoration and Enhancement

    » Wetland & re-flooding design

    » ELS applications & the production of FEPs for HLS applications

    » Woodland Management Plans

    » Strategic catchment-scale feasibility studies

    » Production of river conservation and interpretation strategies

    » Site Management Plans for biodiversity conservation

    » Design of site-specific instream and riparian river works

    » Riverine and Stillwater Fisheries management

    » Pond creation and control of invasive species

Land Use and Integrated Water Resources Management

    » Land Use Planning – Ecosystem Approach

    » Sustainable Land Management Solutions Geomorphology/River Restoration

    » Water Resource Management (auditing, storage, mitigation, modelling)

    » Stakeholder Engagement & Technology Transfer (protocols, education, training)