The ecologists at Crossman Associates can provide an eDNA sampling survey to confirm the presence or absence of great crested newts. eDNA sampling of your pond, lake or ditch is available from mid-April to late June.
Fast and effective
This is a fast and cost effective survey that often means you won’t need any further surveys to inform your planning application. The results of the eDNA analysis are valid for one year. An ecologist will only need to make one visit to your site to carry out the survey.
If you have great crested newts
If your sample confirms great crested newts are present, Crossman Associates can carry out further surveys and provide a mitigation plan tailored to your proposals. Your site may require between three and six visits to confirm a newt population size or breeding status in support of a mitigation plan.
If your site requires further surveys, these should be carried out between April and June, ideally over several weeks. Newts are still in their aquatic habitat during this period and are easy to detect. If this survey window is missed, it may be possible to carry out aquatic surveys in August or terrestrial searches during the summer and autumn, but these are less reliable.
During the eDNA sampling survey, a Crossman Associates ecologist will take several samples from your pond, ditch or lake and send them, by courier, to be analysed by a Natural England recommended forensic team.
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