Every ten years the BTO and GWCT collaborate on a survey to estimate the UK’s breeding woodcock population. Watch this short video by the GWCT’s Olly Dean featuring our Head of Wetlands Research Chris Heward demonstrating what’s involved.
Lapwing’s welcome return to same Avon Valley farm for five years helps scientists learn more about threatened bird
An Avon Valley farmer and Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) ecologist are celebrating the return, for the fifth year in a row, of a female lapwing to the farm where she originally hatched.
Keeping our ship afloat: a quick look at ecosystem services
The earth we live on is an intricately engineered, delicately balanced life-support system. Be it a worm, a tree, a mole, or a bee; a cloud, a teaspoon of soil, or the sea – almost anything in the environment that you can name (even the common wasp) is part of our life-support machine.
Download the first issue of the Working for Wildlife magazine
We have just published the first issue of our magazine, available to download now.
Farmer Clusters providing a lifeline for turtle doves: Our letter to the Evening Standard
Read our letter to the Evening Standard, highlighting the efforts of a group of farmers and land managers in southern England who are working hard to reverse the decline in turtle dove numbers
Bee inspired by Tony’s ‘starter homes’ for bees
This week is Solitary Bee Week which aims to raise awareness of solitary bees and their vital importance to pollination. 90% of all bee species are solitary, and many of them are much better pollinators than their better-known bumble and honeybee cousins.
Buzzing endorsement for new wildlife mix: insect numbers boosted by grey partridge conservation measures
A new habitat measure developed by scientists from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to boost the fortunes of the beloved, red-listed grey partridge, is proving a big hit with insects too.
Open Farm Sunday at the Bisterne Estate
Open Farm Sunday, managed by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), has been running annually since 2006, providing opportunity for farmers to share their fabulous work with all ages, by opening their farms to the general-public, and showcasing the many goods and services they provide.
Hampshire redshank’s epic journey to Wales helps scientists understand habits of amber-list species
A study of breeding pairs of redshank – a threatened native wading bird species – whose population is recovering in the Avon Valley in Hampshire, has shown one intrepid individual travel more than 100km to Wales for the winter
Thinking like a fox: The unexpected delights of walking the same paths week after week
Our research group at the GWCT is attempting to answer the question “Do sites that release gamebirds have more fox activity than non-release sites?” by collecting and analysing fox scats (droppings). 28 February 2022 saw our first day of fieldwork in a programme lasting until next spring.