Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) is the UK’s largest military training area, covering 11% of Wiltshire and a small part of Hampshire. Ensuring the fine balance between providing a place for our Armed Forces to train safely and maintaining public …
Ronnie Patterson is a trainer for the MOD Guard Service (MGS). Before joining the DIO, Ronnie served in the Forces for 12 years, seeing action in the Gulf War and in Northern Ireland. He then had a successful career as …
One interesting element of my job recently has been a study we’ve been working on in British Forces Brunei (BFB)’s jungle training areas to monitor whether training has any impact on the local wildlife. We’ve been working with the Brunei …
The MOD’s estate is home to some of the most unique and nature-rich landscapes in the UK, and the regions of Scotland and Northern Ireland I oversee as an ecologist for DIO are no exception. My role is an incredibly …
As the Deputy Training Safety Officer for the South East Defence Training Estate, my job is to ensure that our Armed Forces have a safe place to train at numerous sites across the region. It’s a varied role that often …
A team from DIO recently attended the South Downs National Park Authority’s ‘Secrets of the Heath’ festival in Hampshire, to speak to festival-goers and promote safe public access to the Defence Training Estate (DTE). The event took place at Hogmoor …
The Defence estate includes some of the UK’s most important wildlife sites and is unrivalled in terms of its size and the diversity of habitats and species it supports. Much of our estate is accessible to the public, and providing …
Last month DIO’s Corporate Communications team invited England Rugby legend and ‘I’m a Celeb’ contestant Mike Tindall to Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) to help us promote our ‘Respect the Range’ public safety campaign. ‘Respect the Range’ is DIO’s biggest …
Since 1991, the Sanctuary Awards have been recognising outstanding sustainability and conservation efforts across the MOD. The awards celebrate group and individual-led projects that are benefiting sustainable development and helping to conserve the environment, natural resources and heritage across Defence’s …
Nikki Halford joined DIO in November as Head of the Transformation and Change team and it’s a role she is highly qualified for. Having started as a junior grade in the Civil Service 26-years ago, she has experienced change at …
Yardley Chase Training Area in Northamptonshire is one of our lesser-known training areas, yet it’s truly a hidden gem. The site was recently showcased for its wildlife value in the nationally acclaimed British Wildlife magazine, thanks to the committed efforts …