Company Background

Botanical, Environmental & Conservation (BEC) Consultants Ltd is a group of professional and highly experienced ecologists. Since its establishment in 2000, this ecological consultancy has provided high quality specialist advice to a wide range of clients including the National Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications,  European Commission DG Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, National Transport Authority, Teagasc, Waterways Ireland, National Biodiversity Data Centre, Kildare County Council, Arup and Roughan & O’Donovan. Working from offices in Dublin, BEC Consultants is involved in projects throughout Ireland and at European Union level. The company has built strong links with government departments, state bodies, local authorities, university faculties, NGOs, local community groups (e.g. TidyTowns) and consulting engineering firms, and strives to work in tandem with these institutions to provide an excellent service.

As the projects listed demonstrate, BEC Consultants offers a wide range of expertise in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecology. We specialise in ecological research projects such as the National Survey of Upland Habitats and Irish Semi-natural Grasslands Survey. We also conduct Appropriate Assessments, Ecological Impact Assessment as part of the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports, habitat mapping, management plan preparation, specialist botanical surveys and practical conservation work, such as rare plant translocation. The company has consulted on national and international biodiversity research strategy projects. Much of the work the company has undertaken over the last two decades has been in the assessment and monitoring of Annex I habitats. BEC staff have been at the forefront of the interpretation and identification of these internationally important habitats in an Irish context and have literally ‘written the manual’ for many of these habitats. In so-doing staff of BEC Consultants has developed unrivalled national expertise in the assessment of many Annex I habitats. Working with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and National Parks & Wildlife Service, BEC Consultants is using multivariate analysis to develop the Irish Vegetation Classification. This is an exciting step forward in how the recording of vegetation communities in Ireland will be conducted over the coming decades. Data utilised by BEC Consultants are analysed and stored using the best practices available in statistical analysis, database management and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

All BEC Consultants staff are highly trained ecologists with a wealth of experience and, in many instances, a significant reputation in ecology, botany and conservation management. The senior staff are full members of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), which requires adherence to a code of professional conduct, and several of our staff are Chartered Environmentalists (CEnv) or Chartered Ecologists (CEcol). The company is committed to a programme of Continuing Professional Development and staff members regularly attend conferences and formal training courses in Ireland and the UK. BEC Consultants is also committed to the dissemination of ecological information and regularly contribute to national and international conferences, and make available as many of our reports as possible through our publications page. Our field survey work has resulted in the collection of vegetation data from over 6,000 relevés and these have been submitted to the National Biodiversity Data Centre Health and safety considerations are of paramount importance to BEC Consultants and are managed through the application of a comprehensive Safety Policy Document. The company has Professional Indemnity, Employers Liability and Public Liability insurance.

Environmental Policy

We are committed to doing business in an environmentally-friendly way through our Environmental Policy Document, which informs all staff of actions to be taken to protect the environment. The Policy covers actions such as our biosecurity protocol for fieldwork through to office materials which can be recycled. We use environmentally-friendly suppliers such as Klee Paper. Recycled materials are used wherever possible and paper is re-used within the office. Obsolete I.T. equipment, cardboard, paper, plastics, printer cartridges, batteries and glass are all recycled. Old equipment, such as GPS units and pH meters, is donated to outdoor education centres and charities that can make further use of them. Journeys within Dublin, including commuting to and from work, are made by bicycle, on foot, or using public transport. All other journeys use public transport where feasible.