Patrick Barkham is right to be concerned about the serious decline in our much-loved turtle dove population (‘We are silencing the natural world’: can the turtle dove be saved?, 3 August). We work with farmers intent on recovering turtle doves on their land – these farmers are managing their hedgerows, ponds and field margins to create the right conditions for turtle doves to thrive. Often this is not enough, though, and reducing levels of nest predation and providing supplementary food can be important too. It is defeatist and incorrect to describe our lowlands as ‘one of the most nature-depleted landscapes in the world’. Most farmers we speak with understand their role, not just as providers of food for the nation, but also as custodians of the countryside and the wildlife within it.
Dr Roger Draycott
Head of advisory services
Our second issue of Working Conservationists, this 40-page A4-size colour publication features eight case studies produced by the GWCT, focusing on the land managers who are helping to save British wildlife.
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