Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures for creating and enhancing wildlife-rich habitat within your garden. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 6: Create wildlife ponds in low-density pond areas

This measure recognises the importance of ponds to wildlife and promotes their creation and wildlife-friendly management. Garden ponds do not have to be large and will soon attract wildlife if you do not add fish. PM6 is a non-mapped measure as it would be beneficial anywhere. The LNRS also promotes the creation and enhancement of ponds and surrounding habitat in particular locations called ‘pondscapes’, defined within Potential Measure 7.

Potential measure 16: Create new or restore lost hedgerows

This measure encourages the creation of new hedgerows or the reinstatement of hedgerows that have been previously lost from the landscape. PM16 is non-mapped and would be beneficial for nature anywhere within Worcestershire. The building of newer homes, particularly on larger housing estates, may have resulted in the loss of existing hedgerows from the landscape and garden boundaries of new homes often consist of fences, which have no value for wildlife. If space allows, consider creating a native species hedge along your boundary. Older or larger gardens within Worcestershire may have existing boundary hedgerows which could be enhanced (see Potential Measure 17).

Potential Measure 21: Enhance condition of pre-veteran, veteran and ancient trees

This measure recognises the significance of Worcestershire for veteran and ancient trees and the species that use them, and the importance of extending their life by carrying out appropriate, sensitive management. There are almost 3,000 such trees recorded on the Worcestershire Ancient Tree Inventory; they are considered ‘Irreplaceable Habitat’ within the LNRS. PM21 is mapped to a buffer around trees recorded on the Worcestershire Ancient Tree Inventory and the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory. Older or larger gardens may contain such trees, and they should also be retained and protected when new houses or housing estates are built.

Potential Measure 26: Enhance wildlife value of traditional orchards

This measure recognises the importance of Worcestershire for traditional orchard habitat and the species that it supports. It suggests actions to ensure that surviving old orchards are maintained and restored for wildlife benefit. PM26 is mapped to traditional orchards recorded on the Worcestershire Habitat Inventory. However, many older or larger gardens within Worcestershire contain single or small numbers of fruit trees that are the remnant of once much more extensive orchards. These old trees have huge value for wildlife and should be retained, with younger fruit trees planted nearby to offer continuity of habitat.

Potential Measure 28: Plant hedgerow fruit trees

This measure encourages the planting of fruit trees within hedgerows to provide food for wildlife, noting that species such as damson and crab apple are locally distinctive within parts of Worcestershire. PM28 is a non-mapped measure and could be delivered anywhere to benefit nature.

Potential Measure 38: Increase the extent, connectedness and quality of wildlife habitats within the built environment

This measure focuses on the opportunities that exist to create or enhance wildlife-rich habitats within the built environment. The measure suggests actions that can be taken within gardens and small areas of greenspace, as well as actions that can be incorporated into the design of new developments and within the public realm. PM38 is mapped to all of Worcestershire’s larger villages, towns and cities.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures for reducing the harms that artificial light at night can do to wildlife. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 45: Reduce levels of artificial light at night in the countryside

This measure seeks to reduce the impact of artificial light at night on wildlife within the wider countryside and suggests ways that this could be achieved. PM45 is mapped to buffer zones around existing Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity and movement corridors such as watercourses.

Potential Measure 46: Reduce the impacts of artificial light at night on wildlife within the built environment

This measure seeks to reduce the impact of artificial light at night on wildlife within the built environment and suggests ways that this could be achieved. PM46 is mapped to existing dark corridors within urban areas that should be protected to remain as dark as possible, and also to urban areas with the greatest amount of blue light pollution which are adjacent to wildlife-rich habitats.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures to recover species populations. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance. LNRS Priority Species are those that need bespoke action to support the recovery of their populations. Many other species are equally important within Worcestershire, but they can be helped by delivering measures to provide more, bigger, better-managed areas of joined-up habitat.

Potential Measure 54: Increase Hedgehog population

This measure seeks to make habitats within urban areas, and on farmland in the wider countryside, more hedgehog-friendly, to enable the species to recover its population numbers and thrive. PM54 is non-mapped and the suggested actions would be beneficial anywhere in Worcestershire.

Potential Measure 76: Increase the numbers and distribution of Stag Beetle

This measure promotes the creation and retention of deadwood habitats to protect and expand populations of Stag Beetle. PM76 is mapped to Upton-upon-Severn and its surrounds, as this is the core of Worcestershire’s Stag Beetle population. The principles of the measure – the provision of undisturbed deadwood habitat – could be delivered anywhere to benefit nature, as many other species of insect use this habitat niche for parts of their lifecycle.

Potential Measure 59: Increase nesting habitat and food sources for House Martin and Swift

This measure details the actions needed to ensure that House Martins and Swifts can access safe nesting sites and find the insect food that they need to successfully breed. PM59 is mapped to Worcestershire’s bigger villages and towns where larger colonies of these species have been recorded, however the actions could be undertaken anywhere as both species are seen across the county.