Secondary Data provided by jCB

Midland Wildlife Trusts conference 23 June 1998

Today most people realise that successful industry does not have to cost the earth.

But, long before the environment became a universal concern, JCB was fashioning a nature reserve in the grounds of the factory.

Now 30 years later dozens of species of birds, animals, insects and water creatures and a host of grasses, sedges and plants live happily with one of the UK's most successful companies as their neighbours.

In the mid 1960's the front off the factory was marshy land which sustained extremely limited flora and fauna

In 1968 Joseph Cyril Bamford decided that the area should be turned into an amenity which would allow the workforce, the village of Rocester and nature to grow together in harmony

So a 24 acre lake containing 27 million gallons of water was dug out. Sir Anthony, the current chairman is as committed to encouraging conservation as his father is and each time the factory has been modernised the opportunity was taken to improve the setting still further.

The North Lake is in front of the main production building, South of the factory are artificial hills, a second winding pool covering 12.5 acres for wildfowl and a huge rockery. There is a third pool and all three lakes are filled with substantial stocks of Roach, Bream, Carp, Tench, Perch and Pike.

Biodiversity Project - Stafford 6 July 2000

Working with government, industry, landowners, communities and families, whether its creating a wildlife garden or supporting their local wildlife trust, more and more people are making a difference. Those are not my words, they come from the National Wildlife Trusts' annual review from 1999. And today people in industry realise that having a successful business does not have to cost the earth.

However, long before the environment became a universal concern, JCB was already realising that while its machines were taking something out of the earth, the business could also put a lot back in.

The Digger Wasp Project with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is one of the most recent examples. Everyone responds to fluffy animals with big appealing eyes, and so it is relatively easy to get support for campaigns to save or study them. The Doormouse initiative is a classic example as is the Skylark campaign but Digger Wasps and Mining Bees are something different.

In fact, last season, the Wasps Rugby Club changed their badge from a rather ferocious looking wasp because they were afraid that it would frighten the kids! But we realised that without the wasps and other unloved creatures you don't get the singing birds and fluffy animals. And the wasps gave us a very unusual opportunity to gain some promotion for the company. It helped that the wasps happened to be yellow and black. And that part of the support we could offer was in using our big diggers to help the country's smallest diggers. That gave us a very unusual story which captured the imagination of newspapers and television alike. So everyone won

Since then, we have begun work with the RSPB to adapt what would have been a rather uninspiring balancing lake between two factories at Cheadle into a nature reserve for wildfowl and other creatures. We are planting the banks with a wild grass, sedge and flower mix, which will be carefully husbanded by the team at the Wootton Estate to provide even better wildlife facilities. It's easy to maintain, the area would otherwise just drift into dereliction and it only takes a bit of imagination to turn it into a truly beneficial environment amenity.

Last weekend, we officially handed over an avenue of Lime trees planted outside Rocester to improve the approach to Denstone Village. The trees are already beginning to look impressive and in the years to come will provide a valuable wildlife haven.

This week, Dawn Phillips, at our heavy products factory in Uttoxeter, became one of the first 300 people in the country to pass the British Safety Council Diploma in Environmental Management. Her job is to establish management systems at her factory which take account of environmental requirements as well as business needs.

Back in the 1960's the lakes at JCB's International Headquarters at Rocester used to be marshy areas where machines demonstrated their digging capabilities to customers. Now, dozens of species of birds, animals, insects and water creatures live happily with one of the UK's most successful companies as their neighbours.

In 1968 Joseph Cyril Bamford decided that the area should be turned into an amenity which would allow the workforce, the village of Rocester and nature to grow together in harmony. So a 24 acre lake, containing 27 million gallons of water was dug out. Sir Anthony Bamford, the current chairman is as committed to encouraging conservation as his father is, and each time the factory is modernised, the opportunity was taken to improve the setting still further.

South of the factory, artificial hills, a second winding pool covering 12.5 acres for wildfowl and a huge rockery covered with shrubs, hide a vehicle demonstration yard from public view. There is a third, more enclosed lake further south, again completely hidden from the road. It covers 4 acres and was originally part of the defunct Cauldon Canal. All three lakes are filled with substantial stocks of Roach, Bream, Carp and Tench with the middle lake also having Perch and Pike.

The Quality of the water in the lakes is constantly under review and within the past three years the North Lake was drained for the removal of damaging silt. Comprehensive tree planting and management has been carried out. Softwoods have been removed and Oaks, Ashes, Limes and wild Cherries established. Across the road from the factory by the village, a small woodland park has been maturing for several years and at Wootton Farm, 400 acres has now been given over to organic farming.

As the whole area has matured, there has been a notable increase in wildlife activity. Mute swans hatched cygnets for the first time two years ago. Other nesting birds include Great Crested Grebes, Coots, Moorhens, Tufted Duck, Mallards and Red Crested Pochards. Herons regularly sit on the statues and fish.

Also this year, there are orchids growing in the bank just outside the building. The commitment to conservation earned JCB awards from the Civic Trust and Business and Industrial Panel for the environment. And we will be explaining more about our support of the Biodiversity project at the Staffs Wildlife Trust Conference with David Bellamy, being held at our Rocester factory in October.