Blogs

The UK has long been known as a country of animal lovers, with our wildlife and countryside inspiring songs and art for centuries. However, in the UK we are also sadly one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and a number of our beloved species face declining populations for a variety of causes. This unfortunately includes our songbirds, with many species having seen a sharp decline in populations.

Drones might be the latest recreational gadget; however, their aerial imaging capabilities make them excellent tools for habitat and wildlife research. To discuss this further, staff members from across the trust recently met up at the GWCT Allerton Project, equipped with some state-of-the-art drones and eager placement student pilots.

Immortalised by Kenneth Grahame as poetic dreamer Ratty in The Wind in the Willows, the water vole is today a rare sight in Britain’s countryside. Habitat loss and predation have diminished the population of Britain’s largest vole by over 90%, and they are currently believed to be extinct in 97% of their former range. So, witnessing an attempt to re-establish a population in the lower Avon Valley on the Hampshire-Dorset border recently was a rare privilege indeed.

It's UK Soils Awareness Week 2022 from 10-16th October and we recently hosted a fascinating webinar on soil carbon with Professor David Powlson, who led the research on carbon cycling at Rothamsted Research. You can watch the video of the webinar here.

You may be aware that we're currently raising funds to purchase more essential trail cameras to help us understand what's driving the decline in ground-nesting bird populations. Trail cameras show us exactly what is predating nests and provide vital evidence we can share with policymakers, landowners, conservation bodies, and the government. You can see images from some of the footage we've been able to capture with trail cameras here.

The Bro Cors Caron SMS project held a well-attended event at Cruglas Farm on Friday 23rd September, showcasing the progress of the project to a variety of stakeholders and interested individuals.

With the start of the muirburn season (1st October – 15th April) now upon us, many upland farms and estates across Scotland will be watching the weather forecast with a close eye and view to burning.

The World Gunmakers Evening will take place at the Armoury Building at the Honourable Artillery Company in London on the 9th of November from 6.00 PM. Tickets are limited and can be found at www.worldgunmakers.com. We would love to see you there.

This July saw the return of the New Forest Show, where the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust gets the opportunity to share the important research we do with the public. Our display showcasing the BEESPOKE project drew particular interest. People were excited to hear about the work BEESPOKE is doing to try to boost pollinator numbers and increase crop yields.