News

We do of course build lots of ponds, but from time to time we need to fill some in! The safe relocation of Great crested newts, aquatic life and vegetation went swimmingly, and we’re pleased to say they’re enjoying there new home!

With ever moving time constraints, Akers have recently added two S800 Vermeer Skid steers to there fleet pushing our daily limit to around 1500m of newt fencing each, ‘Wow’ just watch us go now!

Some of the staff at Akers have had to get there head’s back into the books this year and we are proud to say we now have added to our ever growing list of attributes, with more Qualified Excavator, Dumper and Skidsteer loader operatives, CS30/31 Chainsaw operatives, C.A.T detector technicians,  renewed CHAS certification and CSCS Professional and Supervisor cards being held.

A big well done team!

Over 150 Great Crested Newts have been successfully translocated to our newly constructed nature reserves.

In November 2014 we arrived on site to begin the creation of two nature reserves designed specifically for great crested newts and amenity use. This included the construction of 10 new ponds, 1,000m of winding gravel footpaths and the planting of thousands of carefully selected trees and plants.

Due to the tight time scales involved, our teams pushed on through the winter months to ensure the reserves were built in time for spring.

The two reserves were completed in March 2015 and wildlife quickly moved in. Over 150 Great Crested Newts have been safely moved from a development zone into the holding areas which will form part of the green infrastructure for a large housing development.

More information here

This week a successful final search at a site in Canterbury allowed this Adder to be safely translocated.

Akers were asked to come up with a low impact method of removing vegetation from a ditch.

The ditch bed needed to be left intact and clear of debris to allow ecologist to monitor for Water Vole activity.

Our solution was to carry out the work using scythes so that clean cuts could be made close to the ground and all arisings easily removed by hand.

The result was fantastic.

We only took receipt of our new 56hp alpine tractor three weeks ago and already it’s been out managing vegetation across the country including sites at Southampton, Chippenham & Garforth.

The tractor is light enough to transport by trailer yet powerful enough to cope with the demands of overgrown sites.

Its’ features include a bi directional cab, extra wide agricultural tyres, low ground pressure and a low centre of gravity.

At Akers the protection of the natural environment is at the heart of everything we do. Even if an operation appears destructive to the passing observer we will have gone to great lengths to ensure minimal disturbance to the natural environment. This is particularly important when carrying out environmentally sensitive woodland clearance works.  Everything, from choice of equipment to time of year at which to commence works is carefully examined.

For example, the nesting season in the UK, as defined by Natural England, is from March 1^st until July 31^st therefore it is unwise to carry out woodland operations at this time. All nesting birds, including those often considered vermin such as crow or pigeon are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Particular attention must be paid to ground nesting species, particularly during access and egress from the site in question.

Other species which could be affected by woodland operations include all seventeen species of British bat, the Dormouse, Great Crested Newt, Otter, Sand Lizard, Smooth Snake and in some cases the Natterjack Toad. As specialist ecological contractors, all our staff are trained to recognize these protected species.

Akers are particularly concerned with minimizing the environmental impact of our vital mitigation work and therefore choose equipment wisely. For example: we use vegetable based chain oil when operating chainsaws in sensitive areas and plan safe areas for storing fuel so as to minimize any risk of contamination to water courses or vegetation.

Much of the work we undertake is done under strict licensing from Natural England and we work closely with ecologists and land owners to ensure that the conservation of our National environment is not compromised. This could mean operating within the management plan of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or within the license obtained for a named species such as Great Crested Newts. Training our staff to a high standard ensures that any mitigation works carried out are done safely, professionally and with the welfare of the environment at the forefront.

Staff from Keepmoat took to the streets in December to bring Christmas cheer to local children and our very own Chris Smith added the finishing touch by volunteering to be Santa for the evening.

Lots of families came out to visit the mobile grotto and join in our festive singsong with loads of children able to tell the man in red what they really wanted for Christmas.

Santa and his elves handed out presents to everyone they met before flying back to the North Pole to get ready for the big night.

A fantastic evening was had by all with everyone promising to be good ALL YEAR LONG!

Akers hope you all had a wonderful festive season and wish you a prosperous 2014.

Winter is definitely upon us and last week’s gale force winds resulted in several large trees being blown over across our Leeds site. The team responded instantly to ensure that the areas were made safe, making short work of the downed trees and quickly clearing the pathways they had blocked. Keepmoat have asked us to take on additional tree felling duties alongside our regular contracted maintenance to ensure that other potentially dangerous trees are taken care of in the same way. Akers have prioritised this work and are onsite, identifying and removing any trees which could cause a risk to people or property, ensuring minimal disruption to residents in the run up to Christmas.