Communication

Getting the message across

Communicating our work is something we take pride in. The output of most of our projects is in the form of some kind of report or publication. This may take a written form as a conventional piece of research or review, or may be an alternative such as a compilation of annotated maps, illustrated fact sheets or leaflets. We also regularly undertake oral presentations, particularly where we are working with a partnership or wider group, and are able to provide webinars or lead face to face events.

Meeting

Keeping in touch with clients is a fundamental part of our work. Face-to-face meetings are often the best way of exchanging ideas and information, but after an initial meeting, we usually progress our work through Teams calls, telephone calls and emails. We have the facility to host Teams and Zoom calls and can set up dedicated email addresses as needed; for example, for questionnaire returns.

Writing

Our reports are written to a high standard using our own in-house format and style guide. We aim to use clear English to communicate our ideas and avoid unnecessary jargon. We make use of visual aids such as charts, maps, diagrams, graphs, word-clouds and photographs to make our reports stimulating, memorable and accessible.

We write in a variety of formats and adapt our style to the job in hand; for example, we produce information sheets for general readers, technical advice for specialists, scientific papers, reviews and reports for a diverse range of readers. In addition to writing our own material, we also edit text produced by others. For example, we edited the Floodplain Meadow Handbook and the Proceedings of the 11th National Heathland Conference.

Visual interpretation

Visual interpretation is an important part of our work, particularly in relation to Countryside Access. We often produce leaflets and display panels in-house, for example for consultation events. We hold an extensive image library of habitat and species photographs from around Britain and Ireland. We also work with a digital design agency, darkHouse Multimedia to produce leaflets and information sheets for wider distribution, such as a leaflet of walks around Newton Poppleford, and a series of illustrated factsheets for people interested in managing their local common or green.

Presentations

Our staff have extensive experience of presenting to a wide range of audiences. We often undertake presentations at the end of a piece of work, particularly when it has been commissioned on behalf of a wider partnership. In addition, we are keen to present our work at national events, and have presented at the National Heathland Conference, Society of Ecological Restoration Conference, Birdfair, Managing Landscape Change (CORDIALE Landscape Atlas work), Butterfly Conservation Symposium and CIEEM annual conferences.