About Us
You are here: Home : About Us
The Urban Wildlife Network is the only organisation in the UK dedicated to nature conservation in towns and cities. The Network provides inspiration and information related to the protection and enjoyment of wildlife in urban areas. The Network will make the connections between overall regeneration objectives, peoples’ aspirations for their local environment, and delivery mechanisms such as local biodiversity action plans, community strategies and community action.
The Network’s role is advisory rather than operational, encouraging good practice, highlighting opportunities, responding to policy and other initiatives, giving an overview of ecological issues, and providing a “one-stop shop” for those engaged in urban design, management and development who need ecological information.
Our Secretary is Michelle Tyrtania, Coventry City Council, West Orchard House, Floor 2, 28-34 Corporation St. Coventry, CV1 1GF.
The Network is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. The President is Chris Baines and the members of its Executive are:
Michelle Tyrtania (Secretary), Coventry City Council
Pat Callaghan, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Newcastle and Potteries UWG
Mathew Frith, London Wildlife Trust
John Millar,Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Entomological Society (DaNES)
Alan Scott, London Wildlife Trust
Richard Scott (Treasurer), the National Wildflower Centre
Neil Wyatt, Chief Executive of Wildlife Trust Birmingham and the Black Country
Its main aims are to:
- Advance the education and awareness of the public and promote public involvement in all matters concerning wildlife and nature conservation in urban areas.
- Promote and increase understanding of the importance and benefits of nature, and natural systems and functions, in towns and cities.
- Encourage, advise and support members of the community, voluntary, private and public sectors involved in conserving, restoring and creating natural and semi-natural habitats in towns and cities, and to otherwise provide biodiversity in urban areas.
- Promote a strategic vision of urban living built on sustainable natural systems and enhanced connections between people and nature.
In his ‘Manifesto for Green Cities’ David Nicholson-Lord calls for, amongst other things:
- Scrapping the indicator that measures sustainability by the proportion of brown field sites redeveloped.
- Scrapping the target that 60% of new houses should be built on brown field sites.
- Having a new sustainability indicator measuring people’s satisfaction with the urban environment.
- Having a target for the proportion of managed urban land in designated greenway strategies.
- Mandatory standards for the quantity and accessibility of urban open spaces.
- More imaginative green space design.
- Greener housing design.
- Habitat creation.
- River and wetland restoration and sustainable drainage.
- Legislative and institutional changes to facilitate this manifesto.
Download the Manifesto
