2026 Awards

Undergraduate Student Project

Sponsored by:

Jemima Beynon – An investigation into wildfowl populations at Tophill Low Nature Reserve

Sasha King – Range Shift or Return to an Historic Baseline in Northeast Atlantic Basking Shark Population?

Postgraduate Student Project

Sponsored by:

Adam Ixer – Do soundscapes reflect differences in tropical rainforest habitat quality and bird communities?

Cheuk-chi Yau – Trait-based evaluation of species prioritisation in onshore windfarm EIAs: Do current scoping and collision-risk assessments reflect ecological vulnerability?

Climate and Nature Action 2030

Sponsored by:

Dialogue Matters working with EnvSys and Natural England – Peatland Restoration Roadmap

LUC and The Wildlife Trusts’ Climate Change Adaptation Toolkit
Peatland Restoration Roadmap

In Practice

Sponsored by:

‘Bots on the ground’ vs. ‘boots on the ground’: the future of robots in terrestrial ecological surveying – Patrick J.C. White FCIEEM et al. (Issue 127, March 2025)

Improving confidence in eDNA surveys: Insight from Grassland Fungi – Matt Wainhouse MCIEEM (Issue 127, March 2025)

Notes on a Nightingale: The Opportunities of Scrub Restoration – Thomas Webb (Issue 130, December 2025)

NGO Impact

Sponsored by:

African Ocean Biodiversity Atlas by Ocean Rock Base

Riverlands by National Trust

Promising Professional

Sponsored by:

Member of the Year

Sponsored by:

David Lewns MCIEEM

Dr Caroline McParland CEnv MCIEEM

Sarah Cox CEcol CEnv FCIEEM

Best Practice Small-Scale Practical Nature Conservation

Sponsored by:

Limb Brook Nature-based Solutions Demonstrator Project – Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, Sheffield City Council

Puddington Habitat Bank – Environment Bank

Best Practice Large-Scale Practical Nature Conservation

Sponsored by:

Broughton Sanctuary

Bucklebury Common heathland and wood pasture restoration – The Bucklebury Estate

Chalksole Farm Habitat Bank – Biodiverse Consulting

Best Practice Small-Scale Project Design for Mitigation, Compensation and Enhancement

Sponsored by:

Burnley Road Pipe Bridge Removal – Mott MacDonald Bentley

Cheltenham Crematorium – RSK Biocensus and Cheltenham Borough Council

Best Practice Large-Scale Project Design for Mitigation, Compensation and Enhancement

Sponsored by:

Chalksole Farm Habitat Bank – Biodiverse Consulting

Mansfield Sustainable Flood Resilience – Severn Trent Water

Outstrays Managed Realignment Scheme – Environment Agency, JBA Bentley, Associated British Ports

Stroud Sewer Strategy: River Frome Water Vole Mitigation Project – Wildwood Ecology, Galliford Try & Ramm Sanderson

Best Practice Knowledge Sharing

Sponsored by:

Assessing the Multiple Benefits of Natural Flood Management – Wildlife Trust, RSA and Stantec

Brownfield Habitats and Biodiversity Net Gain Compensatory Habitat Guide – West Midlands Combined Authority

Best Practice Stakeholder Engagement

Sponsored by:

Allestree Park Community Rewilding Project – Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Derby City Council & University of Derby

Gadebridge Park river restoration project – Environment Agency

Best Practice Innovation

Sponsored by:

Biodiversity Net Gain Insurance Product – DUAL Climate Risk & Resilience and Stantec

Innovation at Scale: Habitat Suitability and Connectivity Modelling – Mott MacDonald

Waxcap Detection Dogs – Kirsten Oliver & Steve Pullan (Severn Trent Water), Kat Junczur (Canine Detection Solutions)

Small Consultancy of the Year

Sponsored by:

Burton Reid Associates

Keystone Environmental Ltd

Nicholsons

Medium Consultancy of the Year

Sponsored by:

Bowland Ecology Ltd

Ecology by Design Ltd

JBA Consulting

Large Consultancy of the Year

Sponsored by:

Arcadis

AtkinsRéalis

Jacobs

RSK Biocensus