Working in partnership with Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust have created a short training course, plus useful fact sheets, to help Parish staff and councillors understand the true impact of the biodiversity crisis, and how best to tackle the issue using Parish powers and resources.

This is a repeat of courses run in 2020 and 2021, the courses focus on Biodiversity Loss, national policy changes to tackle the losses, the role of parish councils and how they can take forward action to deal with the ecological emergency.

This includes topics from how to deal with planning application responses and neighbourhood planning to introducing biodiversity into open spaces such as allotments, cemeteries, verges and recreation grounds. 

A local Parish Councillor who attended the Biodiversity Training in July 2021 said; "It was brilliant. I would like to send the factsheets to fellow Parish Councillors, I know they would benefit greatly."

There are two identical courses running in February and March, each involves three sessions of I hour duration, spread over three weeks. They are free to attend and all delivered online. It is recommended that councillors and unelected representatives of the Council such as volunteer Tree Wardens and others attend the course.

The session also offers the opportunity to ask questions to expert on biodiversity: Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Head of Conservation, John Clarkson. 

The next course dates are now available to book on to, if you wish to participate, please email Lucie Hoelmer at Environmentteam@leics.gov.uk

The upcoming course dates are as follows:

7.30pm to 8.30pm:

Thursdays - 24th Feb, 3rd & 10th March

Tuesdays - 15th, 22nd & 29th March