Ecology Services

We supplement our farm income with off-farm ecological consultancy work across west Wales and beyond. Matt Sutton Ecology (now Wyndrush Wild Ecology) was established by Matt and Vicky in 2011 after Matt took voluntary redundancy from his job as Senior Conservation Officer with the Countryside Council for Wales in Pembrokeshire (our past experiences are detailed here). Our ecological consultancy provides:

  • a conservation land management ‘design and build’ service (in conjunction with specialist conservation contractors) ON THE JOB FOOTAGE here
  • high quality habitat surveys – including NVC, Phase I, extended Phase I and Preliminary Ecological Assessments (for building developments, wind turbines, hydro-power, solar farms etc.)
  • One Planet Development ecological surveys
  • Biodiversity and Landscape Enhancement Plans
  • Protected Species work – reptile surveys, bat surveys (NRW licence held by Vicky), bird surveys, otter surveys, rare plant surveys, bryophyte surveys (Matt is the county recorder for Pembrokeshire for the British Bryological Society)
  • specialist vegetation or species monitoring, including NVC / Phase II and ‘Common Standards Monitoring’
  • ecological advice to landowners, including ‘Wildlife on Your Farm’ reports

Regular work has involved:

  • Numerous Bat Scoping and Bat Activity Surveys throughout west Wales (for bat surveys please ring Vicky on 07905 505357)
  • Bat Licence Applications to NRW, and subsequent supervision and monitoring programmes
  • Numerous Preliminary Ecological Assessments / Extended Phase I / Ecological walkover surveys for building developments in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan
  • Numerous Preliminary Ecological Assessment surveys for One Planet Development applications in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire
  • ‘Wildlife on your Farm’ surveys, with land management and conservation grant advice for landowners in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion
  • Bryophyte Surveys across Wales

Recent contracts have included:

  • Bryophyte Survey of Lake Vyrnwy woodlands (RSPB)
  • Bryophyte Survey of proposed Newgale Relief Road, Pembrokeshire (AtkinsRealis)
  • Management for rare bryophytes, St David’s Airfield (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority)
  • Habitat works for southern damselfly and pond creation, Blaencleddau, Pembrokeshire (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority)
  • Goldilocks Aster Survey, Castlemartin Range, Pembrokeshire (Bumblebee Conservation, Natur am Byth)
  • Vegetation assessments and Vertigo angustior survey, Pendine Range (Buglife, Natur am Byth)
  • Marloes Mere: delivery of wetland enhancement works (National Trust)
  • Review of Grazing at Castlemartin Range (Natur am Byth)
  • NVC Survey, Grassland Quality Assessment and Mapping and Monitoring of Tank Disturbance, Castlemartin Range (Landmarc)
  • NVC Survey of proposed development land, Machynys (ARUP)
  • Breeding Bird Survey, Nantymyn Mine, Rhandirmwyn (Private Client)
  • Bryophyte Survey, Pendine Range (Tetratech)
  • Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and Management Recommendations: Gilestone Farm and Mynydd Illtyd Common (Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority)
  • Invasive Non-native Species Management Plan, Afon Arth Catchment (Oxygen Conservation)
  • Bat Hibernation Surveys, Castlemartin Range (Landmarc)
  • Bryophyte and Lichen Survey, Nantymwyn Mine, Rhandirmwyn (Private Client)
  • Flail-mowing management with AJB contracting in association with wind-farm habitat management plan, Brechfa Forest (RWE)
  • Contract supervision for peatland restoration works at Esgair Hengae, Ceredigion (Elan Valley Trust)
  • The Marloes Coast Project: Review of Management and Options for further Habitat Creation Work (NRW)
  • Monitoring of Transition Mire and Quaking Bog at Rhos Goch SAC, North-west Pembrokeshire Commons SAC, Gweunydd Blaencleddau SAC, Crymlyn Bog SAC (NRW ‘Lifequake’ Project, in conjunction with Jon Hudson Ecology)
  • Reptile Survey, Marloes (Welsh Water)
  • SSSI Management Agreement negotiations with NRW on behalf of a SSSI owner in Pembrokeshire (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Breeding Birds Survey, Afon Teifi at Cardigan (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Bryophyte Survey: Coed Esgair Arth SSSI, Ceredigion (Oxygen Conservation)
  • Otter Survey: Gweunydd Blaencleddau, Dowrog Common and St David’s Airfield Heaths SAC Sites (NRW ‘Lifequake’ Project)
  • Identification of Management Actions required on SAC and non-SAC sites, St David’s (Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership)
  • Wintering Birds Survey, Afon Teifi at Cardigan (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Bryophyte Survey: Little Hills, Gower (Private Client)
  • Bryophyte Surveys at sites around St David’s, including Dowrog Common, Waun Fawr, St David’s Airfield and Harglodd Isaf (Pembrokeshire County Council / Connecting the Commons project)
  • NVC Survey of Cwm Ivy Marsh, Gower (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Survey of Rare Plant Populations on Gower (Three-lobed Water-crowfoot, Goldilocks Aster and Broad-fruited Cornsalad) (Buglife / Natur am Byth)
  • Bat Roost and Activity Surveys, Hobbs Point, Pembroke Dock (RSK Biocensus)
  • Common Standards Monitoring of Grasslands at Cae Blaen Dyffryn SSSI, Lampeter (Plantlife)
  • NVC Survey, Cernydd Carmel Grasslands (Natural Resources Wales)
  • NVC Survey, Llangorse Lake (Brecon Beacons National Park Authority)
  • Priority Habitat Assessments to inform woodland creation proposals, various sites in west Wales (Tilhill)
  • Bryophyte and Lichen Survey, Llangolman (Private Client)
  • Reptile Survey, St Dogmaels (Private Client)
  • Wetland Restoration advice at Marloes Mere, Pembrokeshire (National Trust)
  • Bryophyte Survey of Brownslade and Linney Burrows, Castlemartin Ranges (Landmarc)
  • Ecological Survey and Watching Brief at Pendine Range, Carmarthenshire (Volkerlaser / Qinetiq)
  • Bryophyte Survey of Target Mover Gullies, Castlemartin Ranges and Management Plan recommendations (Landmarc)
  • Heathland Re-creation project management at Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm, St David’s (Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership)
  • Connecting the Commons – breeding bird, invertebrate, reptile, bat, rare plant, bryophyte and NVC survey of sites on and adjacent to Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm, St David’s (Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership)
  • Survey of Aculeate Hymenoptera on a brownfield site in Pembroke Dock (private client)
  • NVC Survey of Glaslyn Marshes, Porthmadog (Natural Resources Wales)
  • NVC Survey of Gower Sand Dunes (JBA Consulting)
  • Breeding Bird Survey, Brynau Neath (Woodland Trust)
  • Breeding Bird and Bat Surveys, Ward’s Yard, Milford Haven (RSK Biocensus)
  • Pond Creation, Manorowen (Private Client)
  • Assessment of Peat Depth and Quality to inform peatland restoration works in Tywi Forest (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Survey of Cotoneasters and other Invasive Non-native Plant Species in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Evaluation of Grassland Projects in Wales (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Bryophyte Survey of Cae Blaen-dyffryn, Lampeter (Plantlife)
  • Bryophyte Assessment of North Pembrokeshire Woodlands SAC (Natural Resources Wales)
  • NRW Evidence Report Bryophyte Survey and Monitoring at Castlemartin Range SSSI final version (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Survey of the rare liverwort Petallophyllum ralfsii at Pendine Burrows (Qinetiq / AJB Contracting)
  • Habitat Management Work at Brechfa West Wind Farm (RWE Renewables)
  • Cors Fochno SAC Monitoring (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Survey of Stipitate Hydnoid Fungi (‘Tooth Fungi’) in Pembrokeshire (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Bryophyte Monitoring at Stackpole NNR and Castlemartin Cliffs and Dunes SSSI (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Heather Seed Harvesting at Mynydd Bettws Wind Farm (ESB)
  • Seeding work at Mynydd y Gwair Wind Farm (Innogy)
  • Meadow and Wetlands Conservation training days (People’s Orchard of St Dogmaels)
  • Saltmarsh Survey, South Wales Estuaries (Natural Resources Wales)
  • NVC Survey at Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes (Matt Pickard Ecology / JBA)
  • NVC Survey at Esgair Mwyn lead mine, Ceredigion (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Survey for Multi-fruited River Moss Dendrocryphaea lamyana on Afon Teifi (Ceredigion County Council)
  • Otter Survey, Newcastle Emlyn (Private client)
  • Bat Roost Surveys to Inform A40 Road Scheme from Llandewi Velfrey to Narberth (BioCensus)
  • Bat Tree Assessments, Llandewi Velfrey (BioCensus)
  • Pond creation in north Pembrokeshire (Private client)
  • Turf-roofing a timber barn near Haverfordwest (Private client)
  • Design and implementation of a forest garden and meadow re-creation project in Pembrokeshire (Private client)
  • Orchard pruning (Private clients)
  • SSSI Management Agreement negotiations with NRW on behalf of a SSSI owner in Ceredigion (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Saltmarsh vegetation monitoring on Welsh SACs, in conjunction with Matt Pickard Ecology (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Breeding bird survey, habitat survey and protected species surveys at Llys-y-fran Reservoir, Pembs (BioCensus / Welsh Water)
  • Cordwood and cob wall-building in bird hide, Carmarthenshire (Private client)
  • Installation of 14 square metres of green roof on a new build in north Pembrokeshire, using locally sourced growing medium and plugs of native Pembrokeshire coastal plants (Private client)
  • Installation of 120 square metres of green roof on a new build in north Pembrokeshire, using locally sourced growing medium and plugs of native Pembrokeshire coastal plants (Private client)
  • Translocation of marshy grassland turf from a development site in Carmarthenshire (Private client / Carmarthenshire County Council)
  • St Kilda Green Roof Design (Galliford Try)
  • Coronation Meadows – wildflower meadow restoration and monitoring (Plantlife)
  • Farmland Bird and Plant Survey (National Trust)
  • Penlan Heathland Re-creation Project – Extended Phase I Survey, Provisional NVC and Condition Assessment & Recommendations for Future Management (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority)
  • Assessment of Non-Designated Grassland Sites in Wales (Natural Resources Wales)
  • NVC Survey, Condition Assessment and Management Recommendations for Valero Grasslands (Biodiversity Solutions)
  • Pond creation and meadow restoration for a private client in Carmarthenshire
  • The Marloes Coast Project – Conservation work at Trehill Farm, Marloes 2003-2015 (National Trust)
  • Dyfi Grasslands – Identifying and mapping species-rich grasslands within the Dyfi catchment 2015 (Natural Resources Wales)
  • Three-lobed water crowfoot Ranunculus tripartitus in Pembrokeshire survey work 2015 (Freshwater Habitats Trust).
  • Welsh Conservation Grazing Case Studies (NRW)
  • NVC survey of Stackpole NNR (CCW)
  • A Survey of Summit Vegetation on Pumlumon SSSI (CCW)
  • Habitat Restoration for Southern Damselfly on Anglesey (CCW)
  • Monitoring the Southern Damselfly on Anglesey SAC (CCW)
  • Meadow and Pond Restoration for a private client in Pembrokeshire
  • Numerous Extended Phase I / Ecological walkover surveys for on-farm wind turbines in Pembrokeshire and across Wales
  • Pre-development invertebrate surveys
  • Reptile Surveys