BUSINESSES in the region are being challenged to back efforts to protect wildlife.

The North East Biodiversity Forum, supported by English Nature, has organised North-East Business Biodiversity Week, starting on Monday, the first regional event of its type in Britain.

More than 500 businesses have received information packs containing suggestions about events which they can organise.

All week, companies have planned wildlife "challenges". They include:

* Monday - Walkers Snack Foods, at Peterlee, east Durham, is installing 60m of timber boardwalk across sensitive sand dune habitats at Crimdon on the Durham coast

* Tuesday - GlaxoSmith-Kline at Barnard Castle, County Durham, is managing three botanically important roadside verges in Upper Teesdale

* Wednesday - SITA Waste Management on Teesside is managing 300m of meadow and woodland edge for butterflies at Billingham

* Friday - Electrolux at Spennymoor, County Dur-ham, is building 150 nest boxes for barn owls, spotted flycatchers and tree sparrows.

David Burton, environmental coordinator for Electrolux, who was speaking on behalf of companies taking the challenges, said: "We are bringing our production line expertise to bear on the planning for the challenge. It has been great fun so far."

The challenge teams are supported by Hartlepool fencing makers F Pearts; builders and agricultural merchants Simpson and Allinson, of Barnard Castle; and A Thompsons and Sons, buil-ders merchants, Sunderland.

More information is available from Keith Bowey, biodiversity action plan implementation officer, Rainton Meadows, Chilton Moor, Houghton-le-Spring, DH4 6PU. Tel. 0191-584 3112, or John Barrett, chairman of the North-East Biodiversity Forum, English Nature - Northumbria Team, Stocksfield Hall, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7TN Tel: (01661) 845 500.