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Funding boost for North Pennine lapwings
Last modified: 01 October 2012
Lapwing have suffered serious declines nationally.
Staff at RSPB Geltsdale are celebrating after receiving an £18,000 funding boost from SITA Trust to help improve breeding conditions for lapwings on the North Pennines-based reserve.
These charismatic black and white wading birds have suffered serious declines nationally, with their population halving in the past 25 years. In the North Pennines, a recent RSPB study found that breeding lapwings had decreased by 8% every year over the past five years.
The decline is thought to be related to the loss of suitable breeding areas through historic drainage of wetlands and changes in farming practices.
The funding from SITA Trust will help fund a two-year habitat management project at Geltsdale to help tackle the decline in lapwings.
Ian Ryding, Farmland Warden at RSPB Geltsdale, explains: “We hope to stabilise the population and increase the number of breeding pairs by making some of the reserve’s enclosed farmland more attractive to the species. This will include making the land wetter through the creation of small ponds, known as scrapes, and creating a mixture of vegetation at different heights to provide safe places for breeding and for the young to grow up in.”
Jools Granville of SITA Trust said “We’re delighted to be involved in this fantastic project to support these beautiful birds with their characteristic tuft.”
SITA Trust provides funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is available for projects that enhance communities and enrich nature.
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