EU LIFE+ Farmland Bird Project

Volunteer & Farmer Alliance: Brian Matthews (farmer) and David McReedy (volunteer) — Image: Andy Hay

Project objectives
Work planned or underway
Results
Downloads
Who to contact
Funding

Farming provides a huge opportunity to secure the future for many birds of conservation concern. Much of our advice and support for farmers to enable them to do this is funded through the LIFE+ programme as part of our EU Birds Directive on Farmland project, including free practical advice on helping wildlife, farmland bird surveys and celebrating farmers stepping up for nature through the Nature of Farming Award – the UK’s largest annual farmland biodiversity competition.

The project will make an important contribution to the implementation of the EU’s ‘Birds Directive’ in the UK. This directive is one of Europe’s two main pieces of conservation legislation, and, as its name suggests, focuses exclusively on birds. It is intended to protect all wild birds in the EU, for example by requiring Member States to set up Special Protection Areas for vulnerable species and by regulating activities such as hunting, trapping and trading. Its overall aim is to ensure that all wild birds in Europe retain ‘favourable conservation status’, or regain this status if they have lost it.

Project objectives

Our advice and support for farmers, funded by EU LIFE+ has three overarching project objectives to be achieved by December 2012:
To support at least 3,540 farmers through free bird surveys, farm events and The Nature of Farming Award scheme.
To raise awareness of at least 7,040 members of the general public in wildlife-friendly farming through voting for the Nature of Farming Award winners and participating in the Volunteer & Farmer Alliance
To inform and empower more than 120,000 farmers and crofters annually through articles in the farming, national and regional press
To engage with more than 3 million members of the general public annually through national and regional press coverage

Work planned or underway

Volunteer & Farmer Alliance

Our aim is to match 680 pairs of farmers and volunteers for surveys each year, over the three years of the Project. Each volunteer has a ‘participation pack,’ and each farmer receives a laminated map, species list and farm-specific advisory pack after the survey. Some farmers also receive a follow-up advisory visit for more detailed advice after the survey. Workshops for farmers and volunteers are held annually, on demonstration farms, and we aim to provide conservation management advice on over 15,000 ha of farmland each year. Farmers’ feedback is used to improve the advice and services we offer through a simple questionnaire which we send out with our Field of View newsletter.

The Nature of Farming Award

The competition is open for entries throughout the year, with the cut off for each year typically being at the end of April. Forms are judged locally and 8 regional winners and Highly Commended farmers identified. The general public are asked to vote for the UK winner during the summer. This enables us to promote the good work these and many other farmers are doing for wildlife to 3 million people each year through our targeted media work and membership. In 2011, more than 22,000 votes were cast for the winners.

Events

Each year we attend lots of agricultural shows and events. See our events page for details of some of the places where you can come and meet us this year.

We will also be hosting an International conference in November 2012 to report on the successes of our work with farmers.

Materials

We can provide lots of advisory materials on identifying and wildlife and what you can do to support the species on your farm, including advisory sheets, bird guides and newsletters. Our project newsletter, Field of View, can be downloaded from this page. Visit the Advice and Support for Farmers pages to download our advisory sheets on specific habitats and species, or contact your local advisor to discuss your individual requirements.

Results

2010:

1000 farmers requested surveys, and we were able to provide 683 thanks to the 836 volunteers engaged with the project. Advisors made follow-up visits to 159 of these, covering 47,222ha of land.

134 farmers entered the Nature of Farming Award

1,019 farmers attended workshops held at demonstration farms and 3,600 farmers received the project newsletter in December 2010.

Over 6,000 votes were cast by the general public to decide the 2010 Nature of Farming Award winner and 836 volunteers carried out bird surveys.

General media coverage of the project appeared in The Telegraph (c.840,000 readers) and the RSPB ‘Birds’ magazine (2.1 million readers), as well as a long list of regional and specialist papers, farming press and both national and regional television and radio.

2011:

879 farmers requested surveys, and we were able to provide 738 thanks to the 885 volunteers engaged with the project.

Advisors visited 430 farms, covering 82,766ha of land.

317 farmers entered the 2011 Nature of Farming Award, which was sponsored for the first time by The Telegraph.

Over 22,000 votes were cast by the general public to decide the winner.

28 workshops were held at demonstration farms, with 725 farmers attending. Over 7000 people received the project newsletter in December 2011.

Media coverage of the project appeared in The Telegraph, Country Life, regional and specialist papers, farming press and both national and regional television and radio.