IMAGES taken by satellites are being used by an innovative mid Wales company to identify habitats remotely from space and help monitor climate change.
Environment Systems specialises in aerial and satellite image classification, 3D geo-processing and visualisation, and GIS data capture and analysis.
The company, based on Cefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth, provides consultancy and services to clients in the environment, agriculture, land and property sectors.
It is putting the finishing touches to a satellite map of Welsh habitats for the Countryside Council for Wales to update information a decade old.
Steve Keyworth, one of three directors of Environment Systems, which was formed four years ago, said: "By being able to identify and assess habitats remotely from space, we can provide an exciting new baseline of Wales and support a range of environmental policy activities including closely monitoring the effects of climate change."
Environment Systems is taking part in a major exhibition in Builth Wells this weekend.
The firm is part of the Wales landscape industry body Fforwm Tirlun stand at the Greener Homes and Buildings Show.
Fforwm Tirlun is supported by EGS (Wales), the Welsh Assembly Government's environmental goods and services business support programme.
The show opens at the Royal Welsh Showground tomorrow with a professional and trade day for around 200 delegates and continues with public days on Saturday and Sunday.
The show is organised by WAG with support from the Welsh Timber Forum and is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
Mr Keyworth said Environment Systems used digital mapping technology to play a key role in London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
It developed an information system for the London Development Agency to identify all the owners of land and property in the Lower Lea Valley required for the Olympic bid.
The contract to provide a property referencing service began in 2003, as the Olympic bid was being prepared, and is still ongoing.
Mar 6 2008 by David R. JonesA Mid Wales based business, which used digital mapping technology to play a key role in London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics, is to showcase its award-winning services at the Greener Homes and Buildings Show in Builth Wells this weekend.
Environment Systems Ltd, based on Cefn Llan Science Park in Aberystwyth, has developed a geographic information system (GIS) for the London Development Agency to identify all the owners of land and property in the Lower Lea Valley required for the Olympic bid.
The contract to provide a property referencing service began in 2003, as the Olympic bid was being prepared, and is still ongoing. The company sent out over1,700 requisition notices to individuals or companies with a possible interest in the land and property across 339 hectares of the Lower Lea Valley.
"The laws relating to land interest in the UK are complex, so the contract involved a great deal of work to develop a system that would handle all the information collected," explained Steve Keyworth, one of three directors of Environment Systems Ltd, which was formed four years ago.
"In order to put the Olympic bid together, they had to understand the land acquisition risks. Lord Coe said that understanding these issues early in the process removed some of the risks involved in the bid."
Environment Systems Ltd provides leading edge consultancy and services to help clients in the environment, agriculture, land and property sectors benefit from geographic information. The company specialises in aerial and satellite image classification, 3D geo-processing and visualisation, GIS data capture and analysis and training.
The innovative company is currently putting the finishing touches to a satellite map of Welsh habitats for the Countryside Council for Wales to update information that is 10 years old. "We are able to identify and assess habitats remotely from space that will provide an exciting new baseline of Wales, and will support a range of environmental policy activities including closely monitoring the effects of climate change" explained Mr Keyworth.
"We are also in the early stages of applying thermal images from aircraft to look at heat loss from buildings, which has great potential."
Environment Systems Ltd is part of the exhibit by Fforwm Tirlun, the Wales landscape industry forum, at the Greener Homes and Buildings Show. Also appearing under the forum's banner are RML Bioengineering of Ruthin, the British Association of Landscape Industries, Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based sector and Horticulture Network Wales.
The three day show opens at the Royal Welsh Showground on Friday with a Professional and Trade Day for more than 150 delegates and continues with public days on Saturday and Sunday.
The show is organised by the Welsh Assembly Government with support from the Welsh Timber Forum and is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
Besides exhibits from all the leading Welsh green building and energy companies, there is also a programme of drop-in seminars covering a wide range of topics and celebrity television presenter and author Dick Strawbridge will be making a star appearance at the show on Saturday.
For more information about the show, which is open from 9.30am to 5pm each day, visit www.greenerhomeshow.co.uk or call Tel: 0845 602 4087. On Saturday and Sunday tickets will cost £8 for adults, £3 for children and £19 for a family of two adults and two children under the age of 16.
The landscape industry should be at the cutting edge of the green agenda in Wales, according to Terry O'Regan, a landscape consultant to the Welsh Assembly Government.
Terry is attending the Greener Homes and Buildings Show in Builth Wells on March 7 - 9 to help draw attention to the important role that landscape can play in sustainable development. He will be addressing a seminar of professionals involved in many aspects of the construction and landscaping industries and will aver that Wales' green valleys may well be a shade short of sustainable!
As a member of the International Centre for Protected Landscapes (ICPL), based in Aberystwyth, Terry is part of a team of consultants assisting Fforwm Tirlun, the Welsh landscape industry forum, to prepare those involved in the industry for the challenges that lie ahead.
"Landscaping could have a major role to play in sustaining our natural resources," says Terry. "The use of trees, water, minerals and metals, fuel, herbicides and pesticides and working methods are just some of the areas requiring thought and action."
"Trees can significantly benefit both urban and rural environments. For example, they can store large amounts of carbon, provide oxygen and remove pollutants from the air. They reduce surface water run-off, which is important in helping to prevent flooding; they are a renewable building material and a renewable source of energy. Blocks of trees planted near houses provide noise insulation and have even been shown to help reduce heating energy costs (compared to houses in open areas)." ‡
"In planning a landscape, thought should be given to water, both its scarcity in drought periods and excesses during flooding; for example, by the use of plants that thrive in drought conditions and those that reduce surface water run-off as well as using alternatives to paving."
"Other landscape-related steps that could be taken include using fewer imported minerals and metals in hard landscaping features, fewer harmful pesticides and herbicides, reducing fuel usage requirements such as grass cutting and increasing the use of traditional landscaping skills and crafts to help preserve our cultural heritage."
"The aim should be a diverse landscape, responsibly and creatively constructed, managed and maintained."
"The industry needs to recognise the importance of its own role and the responsibilities involved. Equally, there is a need for the construction industry with which it is closely allied and wider society to recognise the importance of the landscape industry."
"The landscape industry is made up of many small enterprises, businesses and practices. Each can do its own sustainable bit, but by working together in co-operation, collaboration and creation, it can be an important force for change and a source for employment and development in Wales."
"I believe we will witness a growth in landscape awareness and respect, with public and private developers increasingly recognising they are landscape shapers - that each intervention, large or small, changes the bigger picture for better or worse."
Fforwm Tirlun is an informal network for organisations, businesses and individuals with an interest in landscape and the landscape industry in Wales. Sponsored by EGS (Wales), the environmental goods and services programme of the Welsh Assembly Government, its aim is to help the landscape industry in Wales win sustainable business.
The forum is attending the Greener Homes and Buildings Show with a range of its members who will be presenting their expertise in the effective use of the landscape to conserve and enhance the natural environment and minimise the impacts of climate change. These include Kehoe Countryside Services, RML Bioengineering Ltd, Environment Services and Horticulture Network Wales. Also participating will be the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) and Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based sector.
Gareth Roberts of ICPL said: "This event offers a great opportunity for landscaping businesses in Wales to meet potential buyers of their services.
"Improving and protecting the landscape is high on the agenda of the Assembly's Environment Strategy. As a result, local council planning offices, our National Parks and the Environment Agency, to name but a few, will be looking for suppliers who understand the issues and who can deliver results that benefit the community as a whole. Our role is to facilitate the process, helping to raise awareness that landscape companies in Wales can meet their needs."
"We will shortly be re-launching the Fforwm Tirlun website, providing a portal for buyers, suppliers and policy makers with effective links to established landscape industry providers. We hope to help take Fforwm Tirlun to the next level, becoming a meaningful voice for the landscape industry."