Riverbank Badger Exclusion
Stonbury was enlisted by the Environment Agency to relocate badgers and install netting to exclude wildlife from a section of river embankment in preparation for strengthening works.
In preparation for strengthening works to be completed on an area of riverbank showing signs of erosion, Stonbury was enlisted to relocate badgers inhabiting the area by installing temporary mesh and one-way gates. The mesh and gates were required to encourage badgers to use an alternative nearby sett which was identified by an Environment Agency ecologist.
The two-week programme involved laying purpose-made badger netting over three separate areas, one of approximately 50-metres-squared and two smaller areas of approximately 25-metres-squared. As the terrain was uneven, the team employed the use of tracked plant with distance sensors.
All plant movements were undertaken with fully trained banksman guiding. Due to the proximity to the river, only personnel trained in Water Safety Awareness were deployed.
Once the meshing was completed, one-way gates were installed at all entrances to the existing badger sett. The badgers were encouraged to exit the old sett and enter the new set with the use of bait. The newly meshed area was monitored for a 21-day exclusion period by the EA’s Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) to gain sign off for the stabilisation works to follow.
