Leeds-headquartered technology consultancy BJSS sets out to restore green space in the Yorkshire Dales

At a time when climate change and the depletion of natural green spaces are of great concern, BJSS is looking at ways they can provide solutions.

Today, the global technology and engineering consultancy BJSS has announced an ambitious programme to preserve and restore over 125 acres of land in the Yorkshire Dales.

The large hay meadow, which sits three miles northeast of the Ling Gill National Nature Reserve in the Yorkshire Dales, partly comprises a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its rich biodiversity. With its recent initiative, BJSS has assured the long-term protection of the site and, alongside local farmers and conservation charities, is looking at ways to further enrich the land with plans to extend the SSSI site and reintroduce native broadleaf trees to the surrounding area.

Mark Robison, Board Director at BJSS, says: “As a successful and growing technology company that champions sustainability through our work and the solutions we offer, we believe that we have an urgent responsibility to protect the natural environment we all benefit from as we continue to expand our operations. This restoration programme will be pivotal in helping us achieve our wider net-zero aspirations.”

Britain’s wildflower meadows are rapidly declining, with around 95% disappearing over the last 50 years. Hay meadows are among the most biodiversity-rich terrestrial ecosystems, but modern life has made these green spaces a rarity. And as part of this initiative, BJSS employees are expressing their keenness to get involved in the restoration process.

“Our employees value that, as an organisation, we care deeply about the natural environment,” says Andrew Vincent, BJSS Co-founder, who has long recognised BJSS’ role in increasing biodiversity and restoring natural beauty.

“There is a need for us all to do more, but there’s only so much we can do as individuals. Businesses hold the key to unlocking a more sustainable and environmentally friendly planet, and that’s why I’m delighted to see BJSS making moves to preserve and support local biodiversity.”

Jason Reynolds, Owner of Simply Ecology Limited, who is a long-term partner to the BJSS team and is playing an integral role in restoring the hay meadow, says:

“The importance of businesses restoring green space and getting their staff involved in such initiatives is vital. Businesses have a responsibility not just to protect and restore the natural environment, but to educate, inform, and support their employees in making an equally important contribution to protecting our natural world.”

Protecting the land isn’t all BJSS intends to do. The company also plans to enrich the environment in several ways, including creating a habitat that attracts local wildlife, such as the treasured red squirrel that, without conversation management, could become extinct in England in approximately ten years.

The restoration programme is a long-term journey and will be completed in collaboration with local authorities and farmers. The first steps of the programme will commence this autumn and will include the following activities:

• Baseline botanical survey - BJSS will carry out a detailed survey of the SSSI and neighbouring land to understand the botanical features and habitat types
• Understanding the current management regime - BJSS will work closely with local farmers to ensure the continued symbiotic management of both farmland and the hay meadow
• Conducting soil sampling - BJSS will obtain several soil samples from the site to assess the nutrient content – a key determining factor in species variety
• Collecting seeds - Late in the summer, BJSS will collect seeds from the SSSI and replant them in the neighbouring land
• Forest design - BJSS are in the final stages of the design phase to plant over 2o hectares of native broadleaf forest alongside the SSSI