          |
Volunteer & Farmer Alliance |
Volunteer & Farmer Alliance
Thanks to enormous enthusiasm from both volunteers and farmers, our Volunteer & Farmer Alliance scheme has gone from strength to strength, providing a solid base from which thousands of farmers have been able to go on to give help to the birds on their land. The scheme was developed to help reverse the decline of farmland bird populations by working together with volunteers and farmers. The scheme provides farmers with a survey of the birds breeding on their land, undertaken by RSPB volunteers - with the results presented on a map showing where on the farm the birds of conservation concern can be found. Birthday celebrations for V&FA!In 2009, we are proud to be celebrating 10 years of providing free farmland bird surveys through the Volunteer & Farmer Alliance. From small beginnings in the English Midlands in 1999, £2.5million has been invested to extend the reach of the pilot scheme, and now more than 4,250 farms have been surveyed. '£2.5million has been invested to extend the reach of the pilot scheme, and now more than 4,250 farms have been surveyed.' Thousands of farmers have welcomed volunteers onto their land and shown great interest in supporting the project, and an army of volunteers has given up 77,000 hours of their time (nearly nine solid years!) getting up at the crack of dawn to carry out the surveys - walking the equivalent of 4.5 times round the earth in the process. The festivities kicked off with a special reception at the House of Lords in May, attended by environment minister Hilary Benn, top conservation and farming industry figures, as well as farmers and volunteers. This was our opportunity to say a huge ‘Thank you’ to all those farmers and volunteers who have been involved in the project so far – we couldn’t have done it without you! Read our blog on the event There has been a dramatic decline in farmland bird populations, since the 1970s and this is largely because of the Common Agricultural Policy. By providing farmers with a free survey of the birds present on their farm, we hope that together we can improve conservation management for farmland birds. There is no obligation on the part of the farmer to do anything with the results, but if they would like to do more for birds and wildlife, we can put them in touch with professional advisers, who can suggest ways in which to enhance farmland for wild birds. However, as we are only able to undertake surveys of breeding birds between April and June, and because of recent agri-environmental initiatives, the annual demand for surveys sometimes exceeds our ability to provide them. What does the future hold for V&FA?The Volunteer & Farmer Alliance is now entering an exciting new era. Although the project has been in existence for ten years, it has only been available in certain areas. Thanks to new funding from the EU’s LIFE+ fund, we are now able to launch a new and improved scheme that will be available to farmers across the UK. This means more farms, and more birds, can be surveyed which means we also need more volunteers! If you are interested in getting involved with the project, either as a farmer or a volunteer, please contact the project officer in your area for further information. For more information, please read our annual newsletters (available as downloads from this page) or see the contact details below).
ContactVolunteer & Farmer Alliance E-mail: volunteer&farmeralliance@rspb.org.uk Last modified: 25 September 2009 |
In more depthDownloads
Delivering results for UK farms PDF, 1013KbFarming and wildlife are under serious threat. We are working with farmers for a countryside that supports thriving rural communities and wildlife. |
Insect on dewy ears of barley - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Herd of cows, West Sedgemoor RSPB reserve - David Kjaer (rspb-images.com, Ref: D_2006_11413_0029)
Archie Carmichael (L, on tractor) & Gus Keys (R = site manager) in farm yard at Kinnabus. Mull of Oa RSPB reserve. Islay - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com, Ref: D_2005_9857_009)
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)