Help ensure the evidence is heard
We are at a critical moment for the British countryside. Defra's call for evidence on gamebird rearing, release and shooting could shape future policy for years to come. The decisions made now will have implications for wildlife, rural communities and the landscapes we care about.
At a time when complex issues are often reduced to simple claims, policymakers need access to robust, independent science.
But science does not speak for itself.
Research must be analysed, explained and presented to decision-makers. Evidence must be gathered, knowledge gaps filled, and practical conservation successes demonstrated. That work takes expertise, time and resources.
We need your support now
By making a donation or becoming a member, you can help GWCT:
- Analyse Big Farmland Bird Count data to demonstrate the contribution shoots make to farmland wildlife.
- Gather evidence from land managers and practitioners across the country.
- Produce scientific briefings and submissions for policymakers.
- Show decision-makers conservation in action through visits to working landscapes such as the Allerton Project.
- Respond quickly as new policy proposals emerge.
- Ensure decisions are informed by evidence, not assumption.
We’re not simply responding to one consultation. We’re building the evidence base needed to influence policy throughout the months and years ahead.
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Why this matters
Thriving wildlife does not happen by accident. Hedgerows alive with songbirds, game cover crops buzzing with insects, and brown hares crossing farmland all depend on active management and investment in the countryside.
That is why GWCT champions Game for Nature: a proven approach to sustainable game management that creates habitat, provides food resources for wildlife and supports nature recovery alongside productive land use.
The evidence is already making a difference
We’re already seeing the value of this work. Our analysis of Big Farmland Bird Count data is helping us build, for the first time, a national picture of the contribution everyday shoots make to farmland wildlife. Early findings are striking: Farms managed for gamebirds recorded, on average, 50% more songbirds than those without game management.
This is exactly the kind of evidence policymakers need. But there is much more work to do to understand, quantify and communicate the conservation benefits delivered across the countryside.
Why GWCT?
For 25 years, GWCT has studied lowland gamebird releasing, building on nearly a century of conservation science and practical land-management experience.
We are uniquely placed to bring together:
- Independent scientific research
- Long-term data and monitoring
- Practical land-management expertise
- Relationships with policymakers
- Demonstration sites such as The Allerton Project
No other organisation combines these strengths in quite the same way.
Your support has already made a difference
Previous support helped fund research into pheasant movements, impacts on vegetation, and the relationship between game management and wildlife. That work strengthened the evidence available to policymakers and helped turn contested claims into practical guidance.
Now we need your help again. Your gift can put science into action
The coming months will be critical. Without robust evidence, important decisions risk being shaped by incomplete information and simplistic claims. With your support, GWCT can ensure policymakers have access to the facts.
The evidence will not speak for itself. Together, we can make sure it is heard
Whether you give £25, £50, £100 or more, your support will help fund the research, analysis and policy work needed to protect evidence-led conservation.
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Help put science at the heart of the decisions ahead.
- £25 helps us work with our partners
- £50 allows us to communicate science
- £100 means we can share new evidence
- £250 can fund fieldwork
- £500 supports our policy work
- £1,000 lets us analyse large datasets