CGO Ecology has a new employee, Sarah Atkinson, who has joined us an an Ecologist on a short-term contract to work on the A338 Spur Road reptile translocation. Sarah graduated from Plymouth University in 2008 with a BSc (Hons) in Wildlife Conservation.

CGO Ecology Ltd would like to welcome a new member of staff. Mike Hobby was employed as Assistant Ecologist in mid-March 2010, and will be working with us over the coming months. He has previously worked for CGO Ecology on a self-employed basis, assisting our reptile translocation work at the Weymouth Olympics park & ride scheme in 2008. He is currently working primarily on the A338 Spur Road reptile translocation. Mike hails from Pyle in Mid-Glamorgan, South Wales.

After what has been one of the coldest and snowiest winters in the UK in living memory, spring should be just around the corner. As we move into March, the ecological consultancy calendar starts to become very full. CGO Ecology Ltd is based in Bournemouth, Dorset on the south coast of England, but works across the UK. Our immediate diary commitments include a rapidly-filling programme of springtime survey and mitigation works.

As spring approaches, at least in theory, the verges of the A338 Spur Road near Bournemouth are set to see a lot of activity. With the Christmas period over, and much of the vegetation clearance now completed, CGO Ecology has begun supervision of reptile exclusion fence installation with Dorset County Council. This is necessary before capture and removal of reptiles on the verges in the spring. The work will continue over the next few weeks along stretches of verge that are contiguous with large areas of reptile habitat such as heathland. In such areas, reptiles will keep re-colonising the verges from neighbouring land unless the temporary fencing is put in place.

As the 2009 reptile and amphibian season has drawn to a close, CGO Ecology is now concentrating its efforts on preparatory work for the coming season in 2010. The major maintenance works on the A338 dual carriageway near Bournemouth will require significant clearance works on the road verges, and installation of reptile exclusion fencing in early 2010. Reptile captures will begin in March 2010. Current lane closures are not due to reptile mitigation work. CGO Ecology is also involved in reptile mitigation projects relating to gravel extraction proposals in Ringwood Forest. Current licence applications to Natural England will determine the execution of these projects.