The thirteenth annual RSPB Volunteer and Farmer Alliance survey has shown an
overall success story for farmland conservation in South-East England.
A record 121 volunteers surveyed 6,924 ha of
farmland across 92 different sites, bringing the total surveyed across the
region to an amazing 51,690 ha of farmland since 2000. The free surveys help
farmers to identify birds of conservation concern present on their land; the
RSPB then advises them on how to help these species and make the most of their
farms for wildlife.
Kate Faulkner, whose farm in Alton, Hampshire,
was surveyed this summer, said: “The survey was very useful. We are in the
Higher Level Stewardship Scheme (HLS) and were aware that we have breeding
populations of Yellowhammer and Northern Lapwing, among other species. The
survey indicated larger populations of birds when compared to the 2008 survey
that was carried out. This suggests that the hedgerow management options and
planting of wild bird mix plots that we have been undertaking is benefiting the
birds on our farm.”
In the South-East, over 50 per cent of the
landscape is farmland, which is of fundamental importance in providing feeding
and breeding habitat for birds and other wildlife. Indeed, many species such as
Northern Lapwing, Skylark and Yellowhammer, have now adapted to live on it.
Unfortunately, however, many farmland birds have declined significantly over
the last 40 years and are now of major conservation concern. This is
largely the result of changes in British farming practice during the post-war
era, when food production has been of key importance.
Farming policies encouraged this, often at the
expense of wildlife. These dictated how farmers ran their businesses and
managed their land, and failed to fully reward the vital conservation role they
have in managing the land on which many species rely. In more recent years many
farmers have worked to encourage and conserve wildlife on their land, often at
their own expense, and many wildlife-friendly farmers go to considerable
lengths to integrate conservation measures into their farms. In Britain,
approximately 75 per cent of farmers are now in a wildlife stewardship scheme.
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