We’re so proud of our team’s hard work in 2022. They’ve added value to their projects, learned new skills and got out into the community. So here’s a look back on a wonderful Woodrow year!
2022 was the year of ‘getting back out there’ for many of us. At the European Energy Commission Roadshow in November, Will Woodrow took part in a panel discussion about energy and the environment. This summer’s National Biodiversity Conference was our chance to inform the National Biodiversity Action Plan, a roadmap for an “all-of-government, all-of-society approach” to the global biodiversity crisis. And back in the Spring, we joined APEM and AQUAFACT at the 2022 Annual Wind Energy Ireland conference in Dublin, bringing our onshore and offshore expertise to the table. We held a recruitment event alongside Natural Capital Ireland, where we discussed Ireland’s unique and diverse biodiversity and how to support our proactive green agenda.
The Woodrow team pride ourselves on working with the community for the benefit of the natural environment. In 2022, Woodrow ecologists ran biodiversity workshops, teaching the community to identify tree species, propagate seeds, and create new habitats for birds and bats. We inspired the next generation of ecologists with a trip on the solar-powered Eco Showboat, a dune habitats walk at Streedagh Beach, and pollinator spotting and night time bat adventure walks. And our office manager Jo held a free two-hour workshop on willow sculptures with recent Ukrainian refugees at Ursuline College in Sligo. Follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/woodrow-sustainable-solutions) to find out where the team will be popping up next!
And our service offering is going from strength to strength. We expanded our agri-ecology services, providing specialist technical advice to support farm planners and land managers in their conservation aims. Back in the balmy summer, the team collaborated with APEM Ireland for freshwater pearl mussel training. Attendees were delighted to receive their accreditation to survey for and photograph these creatures, which are Ireland’s oldest-living animals, and are near extinction.
We also looked at our own environmental credentials. The APEM Group appointed Sharon Eastwood, previously a co-director of Woodrow, as Associate Director, Sustainability and Community Programmes. The demand for expert ESG (Environmental and Social Governance) advice for businesses and community groups has grown and a large part of Sharon’s new role will be to identify opportunities and partnerships to support other organisations in their own sustainability journey.
We weren’t without our plaudits this year. The APEM Group made waves when they were highly commended for Specialized M&A of the Year at the Global Environment Analyst Awards, nominated for the 2021 acquisition of Woodrow. James O’Connor’s research on freshwater invertebrates and microplastics was discussed at the Irish Freshwater Sciences Association conference.
Thanks to our clients and the Woodrow team for a fantastic year, and here’s to a prosperous 2023!