To mark World Curlew Day we'd like to share ‘Call of the Moors', a poem written by Nigel Algar Orde-Powlett, later 6th Baron Bolton, when he was a teenager. It was published in 1918 and he wrote it after his older brother 2nd Lieutenant William Percy Orde-Powlett was killed in action during World War One:
Tom Orde-Powlett, great grandson of Nigel Algar Orde-Powlett, read the poem in parliament accompanied by these words:
"This poem was written by my late great grandfather as a school boy and published in 1918. I think it demonstrates an important point which is often forgotten, ignored or denied, in that those of us in the incredibly priveleged position of owning or managing grouse moors have a deep love of them and the wildlife they support.
"The sometimes clichéd sense of custodianship, often passed down over many generations can be underestimated psychologically and may be partially responsible for a sometimes seemingly huge divide between some anti shooting conservationists and others who shoot or are supportive of shooting. By definition, for someone with a sense of custodianship, the priority and measure of success is protecting existing birds, whereas I think some conservationists associate success with re-introduction of more visually impressive species. I am not suggesting the latter is not important, but must, I believe, be done alongside protecting existing species of conservation concern."
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We're leading efforts to understand and address the factors driving curlew declines. Through research conducted by our dedicated team, we are gaining invaluable insights into the challenges facing curlews, from habitat loss to predation pressure.
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