Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd

Bird's Nest Orchid Translocation

The Bird's Nest Orchid thrives in deciduous woodland and is found throughout Britain, though is a rarity in the county of Surrey.

Surveys during the planning stage of the project identified a population of Bird's Nest Orchids within beech woodland at the northern end of the A3 scheme, also the location of the new A3 underpass. Through mitigation a large portion of the beech woodland was retained, however, the small section of woodland home to the Orchid had to be removed. A decision was therefore made to trial the translocation of the plant to a similar nearby woodland habitat.

Prior to the commencement of the translocation works, success rate were considered low due to the difficulties in collecting sufficient soil containing the Orchid and fungus complex which enables it to survive. The Orchid's sensitivity to varying environmental conditions was also a significant issue. The following summer, however, a flowering Orchid was found at the new location. This signifies an important break through for a species which has never been translocated before, in aiding biodiversity, the break down of dead leaf matter and the recycling of nutrients.

Read more: Case Study - Birds Nest Orchid

Back to selection