June

As an incentive to encourage more people to get involved in partridge conservation, every year the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) awards a series of regional Grey Partridge Trophies.

GWCT Scotland are excited about the Scottish Game Fair which is being held at Scone Palace between 5th-7th July.

During the last week of May and the first week of June, GWCT staff were active across Scotland assessing tick burdens on red grouse chicks. This was the third year of surveys within a five-year research project that aims to determine the relationship between mountain hare densities and red grouse tick burdens.

This week is insect week and on the back of the recent publication of a GWCT scientific paper on invertebrate abundance changes over a 50-year period at the Sussex study site¹, it led me to explore the fascinating world of insects – all over again!

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust was well represented in the King’s Birthday Honours List announced on 15 June.

Elin Thomas (GWCT Cymru Agriculture and Conservation Officer), Lee Oliver (Director for GWCT Cymru) and Sue Evans from GWCT Cymru attended the recent Da Byw Sustainable Livestock Farming Confernece at Coed Coch Farm, Denbighshire.

The Scottish Game Fair is a highlight of the year for everyone at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), and it’s made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. 

We have three exciting online auctions ending very shortly so make sure you place your bids before it's too late!

Members and regular readers of our messages about the success of bottom-up approaches to nature conservation will be aware that we call those private land managers, working conservationists.  But in truth we probably should also be emphasising the value of farming conservationists.

Eleanor Williams looks at the Big Farmland Bird Count as it celebrates its 10th birthday.