Partners

The Trust works in partnership with many other organisations, groups and individuals. These include:

Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (BRERC)

BRERC maintains environmental records for the former Avon area, compiling and updating data (eg on species distribution) which can be made available to local authorities and organisations such as the Trust.

English Nature

English Nature is the statutory body which achieves, enables and promotes nature conservation in England, working with a wide range of partners including voluntary organisations such as the Trust. As well as giving advice on and making grants available for site management, English Nature supports the Trust through helping to fund initiatives such as the North Somerset Levels & Moors Project

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body which has statutory duties in relation to pollution control, waste management, water resources, flood defence, conservation and so on. The Agency works in partnership with organisations such as the Trust to fulfil its nature conservation responsibilities, for example through supporting the North Somerset Levels & Moors Project and the Wessex Otters & Rivers Project.

Environmental Business Consortium

The Environmental Business Consortium is a unique consortium made up of five of the region's major environmental organisations which have forged links to help provide the local business community with advice and support on all aspects of sustainable business practice.

Forest of Avon

One of 12 Community Forests in the UK set up by the Countryside Agency and the Forestry Commission, the Forest of Avon is an environmental initiative that is transforming the landscape in and around Bristol.

Forestry Commission

The Forestry Authority supports much of the Trust's woodland management work on nature reserves through its Woodland Grants Scheme.

Landmark Environmental Consultants

Set up by the Trust as a trading company, Landmark has successfully expanded over the years, offering services such as environmental impact assessment, environmental planning, landscape architecture and graphic design.

Local Authorities

The Trust works closely with all four of the unitary authorities in the former Avon area - Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES), Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council. This work includes:

• monitoring and where appropriate commenting on planning issues; lobbying for the better protection of wildlife

• furthering the aims of Local Agenda 21 (eg through involvement in working groups)

• developing partnership initiatives such as the Bristol Wildlife Project , the North Somerset Levels & Moors Project and the education/visitor programme at Willsbridge Mill

• securing funding for projects, such as the programme of Capital Projects on Nature Reserves (supported by Bristol, B&NES and South Gloucestershire), and the acquisition of nature reserves (eg North Somerset helped match grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the purchase of Walborough and Puxton Moor )

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

The Trust helps to promote DEFRA's Countryside Stewardship Scheme (which is an incentive for managing land for the benefit of wildlife) by providing advice to landowners on how to apply for grants. This work is focused through the Biodiversity Project and the North Somerset Levels & Moors Project

The Sensory Trust

The Sensory Trust works to ensure that all people, regardless of mental, physical or sensory impairment have the right to experience, learn from, enjoy and actively participate in the environment.

The Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts are a network of 46 local Trusts dedicated to the achievement of a UK richer in wildlife. The work which the Trusts carry out in a national context includes lobbying for the better protection of wildlife and raising public awareness of wildlife issues.