About Us

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Ecological surveys in Queensland - an Endangered Australian painted snipe

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​Jonathan Ayres MCIEEM CEnv FLS BSc (Hons)

ARDEA ECOLOGY LTD is operated by Jonathan Ayres. Formerly a Principal Ecologist with Jacobs in the UK, Jonathan has also worked as Associate Director of Ecology with Wardell Armstrong in the UK and as a Senior Ecologist with Sinclair Knight Merz in Brisbane, Australia.

Jonathan has well over 15 years professional ecological consultancy experience and has worked full time as an ecologist in the UK and in Australia. Currently based in Alsager on the Cheshire - Staffordshire border, Jonathan is able to undertake surveys across the UK. 

Jonathan has wide experience of fauna and flora survey in the UK and has carried out numerous surveys for birds, bats, reptiles, badgers, water vole, otter and phase 1 habitat surveys across the UK for a range of clients.

Jonathan has worked on and managed a range of high profile and major development projects including pipeline projects, road schemes, mining, military, housing, BREEAM/CSH and renewable energy projects including solar, wind and energy from waste plants.

Jonathan holds Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage survey licenses for Bats and Great Crested Newts covering England, Wales and Scotland and a barn owl survey licence for England.

Jonathan has held a number of mitigation licences for bats and worked on numerous licences for great crested newts.

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Venomous snake training, King Brown Snake, Queensland, Australia

​In Australia Jonathan was involved in a range of survey works as part of development projects across the Queensland and South Australia regions. The majority of work involved undertaking surveys for threatened fauna species and vegetation across a range of taxa, Environmental Impact Assessment reporting, environmental permits and referrals, species management plans and mitigation works. Specialist activities included reptile surveys, bird surveys, bat surveys and fauna trapping using a range of field techniques.

Jonathan also worked as part of  a Local Planning Authority enforcement team for a number of years and has wide experience of the UK planning system and current environmental legislation and is currently working part time as an ecologist with Stoke on Trent City Council advising the planning team on all aspects of ecological matters and assessing the ecological impacts of planning applications.

Jonathan is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM), a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) with the Society of the Environment (SocEnv) and a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (FLS).

As a freelance photographer Jonathan has worked for a number of agencies and projects including Alamy, Natural History Museum London and various books, websites and magazines. As a member of the National Union of Journalists Jonathan has worked on news, editorial and a wide range of photographic works. Jonathan has a large catalogue of photos from Australia and the UK that include a range of subjects.

​Jonathan also has strong IT skills and has extensive experience of post processing imaging and editing as well as website design and blog creation.

Jonathan holds professional indemnity and public liability insurance up to a value of £5 million with Hiscox. ​

Eastern brown snake

Common lizard