December

A few weeks ago, 13 hardy souls defrosted their vehicles and headed to Gilston Farm for the latest PepsiCo FAB (Farming Arable Biodiversity) project farm walk. 

Find out what they got up to...

The Government, through the Farming Innovation Programme, is set to launch another round of the Large R&D Partnerships competition on 15th January. This initiative aims to allocate a share of £7.8 million to farmers, growers, and foresters in England. The focus is on advancing ideas that enhance productivity, sustainability, and resilience, while steering the sector towards net-zero emissions.

We’re very excited to be launching our very first Fishing Raffle. The prize, kindly donated by Orvis UK, is a spectacular day’s fishing for 6 Rods on the flagship 'Ginger Beer' beat along the River Test in Hampshire.

A recent report published by The Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, Killing to Kill, focuses on the morality and ethics of predation management on Scottish grouse moors. The report was commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports, although the authors, all three of whom are theologians, are keen to point out their independence from the organisation.

This October, the GWCT’s Head of Wildlife Recovery Dr Francis Buner, accompanied by placement student Jasmine Canham, was invited to give a keynote presentation on grey partridge conservation in Europe, on the occasion of the national launch event for a German-wide grey partridge recovery project called ‘Rebhuhn retten – Vielfalt fördern!’ (‘Save the grey partridge – Promote biodiversity!’).

We are pleased to report that via Holts latest auction once again included lots to benefit the GWCT through its Holts Charity and Legacy Lots Programme. The auction included over 7500 lots, with a total hammer price exceeding £2 million, with around £1,200 raised for the GWCT.

With Christmas upon us, we'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting our vital work. Without you, our dedicated team wouldn't be able to conduct their groundbreaking research.

In line with the agricultural transition post-Brexit, the government want to establish a more equitable and transparent regulatory system for farmers. They have published this guidance on the conclusion of cross compliance and its implications for farmers and land managers.

The GWCT is delighted that the headline of the EFRA report following its soil health inquiry is that government should take soil health as seriously as it does our other critical assets of water and air.

It is widely known that Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg) is one of the most prevalent diseases that affects gamebirds. Once a flock is infected, no treatment can free that flock from it completely, and the disease can flare up when birds are stressed. The bacteria therefore causes significant economic loss, and health and welfare issues.