As an organisation that works with the natural environment, the Met Office recognises the importance of protecting and enhancing biodiversity.
We recognise the need to promote biodiversity at our Exeter head office and at our UK frontline sites by providing suitable and sustainable refuge for local wildlife.
Biodiversity at our site
At our head office we have:
- introduced areas of wildflower meadow, improved pond and woodland areas
- changed formal flower beds around the site to increase species diversity and provide nectar for insects through much of the year
- organised monitoring programmes by staff volunteers to include the regular surveys of the butterflies, birds, bats and reptiles on site.
To date over 400 different species of plant, animal and insect have been identified, with new species appearing each year.
In the video below, Dr Richard Fox, Head of Recording at wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation talks to Prof. Adam Scaife, Head Monthly to Decadal Prediction at the Met Office, about the effects of climate change and weather on butterflies and takes a tour of the wildflower meadows surrounding our head office:
As a result of the way we manage our site, the Met Office has been awarded the prestigious. Wildlife Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark Award
Only a handful of companies have met this standard and we are the first public sector body to do so. This reflects our ongoing commitment to increase biodiversity at our Exeter head office and frontline sites, while also reducing our overall environmental impact.
We are happy to offer advice and guidance to other organisations that are interested in enhancing biodiversity at their sites and achieving the Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity Benchmark Award, please contact our Biodiversity team.
Last updated: Sep 15, 2015 7:57 AM