Ground Control shortlisted for two Ciria Biodiversity Challenge Awards

Chris Bawtree and Wildfell shortlisted for Biodiversity Champion and 'Nature Recovery Award

Ground Control has been shortlisted for two Ciria Biodiversity Challenge Awards, with Chris Bawtree shortlisted for 'Biodiversity Champion Award: Established Professional', and Wildfell shortlisted for 'Biodiversity Feature Award: Nature Recovery'.

Set to take place in November, 'The BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards 2026' celebrate the projects, organisations and people transforming biodiversity outcomes across the built environment, with a particular focus on long-term biodiversity improvement, nature-based solutions and the successful monitoring and maintenance of initiatives.

Chris Bawtree, shortlisted for Biodiversity Champion Award: Established Professional

Chris was recognised for helping turn Ground Control’s ambitions for nature recovery into action. Through his leadership of the Wildfell and Devana habitat banks, he is supporting the creation of high-integrity Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units, restoring valuable habitats and creating opportunities for colleagues, clients and communities to get closer to nature.

Wildfell, shortlisted for Biodiversity Feature Award: Nature Recovery

Spanning 296 acres, the Wildfell Centre for Environmental Recovery is Ground Control’s largest landscape-scale nature recovery project, transforming land into a thriving network of grasslands, woodlands, wildflower meadows and wetlands.

At its heart is a commitment to restoring biodiversity and creating habitats that can flourish for the long term. The award recognises Wildfell’s approach to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), combining ecological enhancement, practical land management and long-term stewardship to demonstrate how landscape-scale intervention can support nature recovery and build more resilient ecosystems.

Aerial view of a rural landscape with fields, woodland, ponds and a small cluster of buildings.

Daniel Grix, Landscape, Design and Energy (LDE) Director, shared:

We’re incredibly proud to see both Chris and Wildfell recognised by the CIRIA Biodiversity Challenge Awards. Chris’s passion and leadership have been instrumental in driving our nature recovery ambitions forward, and Wildfell is a powerful example of how we can restore habitats, support biodiversity and create resilient landscapes that deliver lasting value for nature.