Simon is batty about wildlife
Date Published : 30 January 2006
A Walsall Council worker is passionate about his job protecting the borough’s rich wildlife from damaging development. Simon Phipps works to vet planning applications for their impact on wildlife.
But in his spare time the 46-year-old has also set up a bat group, leads nature walks and a hobby of sea kayaking which gives him a better view of the flora and fauna. His duties have seen the eagle-eyed worker work late hours to carry out dusk and dawn surveys for bats at properties earmarked for demolition.
He said: “I’m responsible for keeping records of wildlife in Walsall so we can see how they may be affected by development. I’ll make a recommendation to the planning case officer befire a final decision is taken. It’s seen me work very late some nights and I’ve started work as early as 3.30am when I’ve carried out a bat survey. It’s important that we see how any development harms wildlife when we’re considering whether or not to approve it.”
Aside from bats, Simon makes regular site assessments for great crested newts which are a European protected species. The former student at Riland Bedford School in Sutton Coldfield also uses the giant EcoRecord database which plots habitat records across the West Midlands to help him build a wildlife picture.
But the task is a labour of love for Simon who helped found the Birmingham and the Black Country Bat Group for like-minded enthusiasts. He said: “There are so many misconceptions about bats, but that’s changing. They don’t get stuck in your hair and none of the 16 British bat species drink your blood. All our bats are small insect eating animals.
“Bats can turn up in all sorts of places across the Black Country. They can be found in trees, in old buildings, bridges and even in industrial units. Such a lot of my work is very interesting. It’s more than a job to me. I spend a lot of spare time looking at wildlife sites so I can improve my insect and botanical skills. I’ve also carried out regular guided bat walks at Park Lime Pits for the council’s countryside officers.”
Simon is also a dedicated sea kayak enthusiast and has visited the Outer Hebrides and Norway as part of his pursuit. He is also taking part in the Birmingham and Black Country Flora oproject which is the biggest mapping project ever carried out in the region.
Simon graduated from Thames Polytechnic in 1983 and has since studied part time to add a degree in Ecology from the University of Wolverhampton and a Masters degree in Environment Management at the University of Central England. The regeneration manager also manages the council’s team of tree preservation officers.