Leading UK conservation science charity the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust recently invited BBC Countryfile to visit three farms on the Hampshire/Dorset border to see farmer-led conservation in action. The Countryfile episode will be broadcast at 6pm on Sunday 9 May. Jess Brooks
Farmer clusters in Europe – PARTRIDGE project aims big!
With wild grey partridges as the inspiration, an ambitious Europe-wide farm conservation project is making good progress establishing farmer clusters in multiple EU countries. PARTRIDGE is a project co-funded by the Interreg North Sea Region Programme which show-cases how new
Showcasing farm biodiversity and its benefits – arable farmers wanted!
Showcase is a new EU Horizon 2020 project looking at farm biodiversity and the associated wider benefits. LEAF has teamed up with the University of Reading in a 5 year project to design and test novel ways to integrate biodiversity
Cranborne Chase AONB Environmental Land Management Scheme Test Virtual Workshop
What the farmers said… ‘Future schemes must provide rewards for businesses that deliver real improvements, not those that just follow prescriptions. That reward must extend further to those that, by better management, are able to deliver more.’ ‘It would be
Martin Down Farmer Cluster are delighted to have won a Defra Bees’ Needs Award in the Farming Category
Facilitated by Jess Brooks at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the group of 12 farmers have been working together since 2016 and have been busy creating and linking habitats for pollinators and other farmland wildlife over 5,000ha of Dorset
Cranborne Chase AONB Environmental Land Management Scheme Test
The new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMs), which is to replace Countryside Stewardship and the Basic Payment Scheme, is currently being designed through various tests around the country, commissioned by Defra. The tests will work with farmers and land managers
Wiltshire Farmers embrace wildlife recording app
The Chalke Valley Farmer Cluster and Pewsey Downs Farmer Group in Wiltshire have been trialling an app for recording wildlife on their farms. Both groups are facilitated by Simon Smart, a consultant at Blacksheep Countryside Management, who encourages them to
A great year so far for the Upper Wensum Cluster Farm Group
Despite COVID-19 disruption, 2020 has been a great year for the Wensum farmers. Now totally self-funded by the farmers there is a greater sense of ownership and motivation to do more. Figure 1 – A pond 9 months after restoration
Are you interested in earning income through large-scale tree planting?
Who are Treeconomy? If you’re planning on planting trees and seeking to generate income from it, Treeconomy is looking to support you. They are a climate change impact business, focussing on nature-based carbon removal and using a natural capital approach
Farmer-led landscape scale groups have been acknowledged by Natural England in their newly launched vision for 2020-2025.
‘Building Partnerships for Nature’s Recovery’ sets out Natural England’s ambitious blueprint for a more resilient and more accessible natural environment by 2025 and highlights NE’s commitment to building partnerships and helping all enjoy the benefits of our precious natural environment. During