We are very pleased that CGO Ecology was 'Highly Commended' in the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) annual awards ceremony in London last week. Our involvement on the A338 rebuild project from 2009-2016 in Dorset reached the final three in the 'Innovation' category of the Best Practice Awards programme.

We were Dorset County Council's reptile consultants for the project, which involved 17km of temporary road verge loss, all of it occupied by reptiles, including 10km occupied by rare sand lizards and smooth snakes. Instead of the usual capture and exclusion fencing approach (which would be disproportionately damaging, ineffective and expensive), we used vegetation management of road verges, in tandem with heathland enhancement of neighbouring land.

Our thanks are due to Dr Annabel King and Dr Phil Sterling at DCC who coordinated the project's ecological aspects, Natural England's open-minded local officers, and all of the project partners. Well done to all involved, including many CGO Ecology staff and subcontractors past and present. 

Natural England wrote this review of the project, in advance of last week's awards.