February

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has shared scientific evidence with Welsh Government and demonstrated why hedgerows should be included in their 10% woodland requirement, but they have not taken this forward.

I have been delighted by the responses to my first monthly musings on hedges. Thank you. In my defence the initial blog was never intended to be all encompassing so I’m “hedging my bets” (pun intended!) and doing a follow up to acknowledge the excellent comments made.

Don't miss your chance to win a unique experience for you and your friends, with all proceeds supporting our vital conservation work. Be quick though - tickets are very limited.

It’s been a busy start to the new year for the Scottish Lowlands research team. We’ve spent the last few weeks setting up gamebird feeders to carry out research into supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds.

GWCT research has repeatedly demonstrated the importance and benefits of targeted, legal and humane predator control for the conservation and management of game and wildlife. Trapping in Scotland, be it for foxes, mustelids or corvids, is regulated by a large number of laws, General Licenses and codes of best practice. Acting in accordance with these various regulations is now more challenging and important than ever.

In readiness for all anticoagulant rodenticide purchases being restricted July onwards to their use inside and around buildings only, the latest UK Rodenticide Stewardship annual report includes for the first time an explanation specific to rodent pest control of what constitutes a ‘building’.

Now is your last chance to join us at The Langham Hotel for an evening hosted by Michel Roux Jr. 

Are you a GWCT member living in Surrey? If so, we have a favour to ask...

As one of the PepsiCo FAB pilot farms, Easter Rhynd is currently working with the project team to demonstrate how productive farming does not need to suffer when measures for biodiversity are introduced. Each of the farms in the project is slightly different, which provides some brilliant assets to learn from.

Although farmer clusters have been going in England since 2012 and have been immensely successful (with over 100 connected to GWCT now established) unfortunately in Scotland we have not seen this same level realised. So why is this, and what can we do to kick-start their uptake in Scotland?