An exciting new partnership between Curlew Country and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust ( GWCT ) has been confirmed today, 11 December, in a bid to reverse the worrying decline of the wading bird.
Curlew Country project manager Amanda Perkins said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce this partnership. Curlew Country’s trail-blazing work on low-ground curlew and GWCT’s Action for Curlew complement each other well and I am looking forward to working even more closely with the GWCT as we have a similar approach to much of our conservation work. When we started in 2014, we listened to farmers in the Shropshire Hills and Welsh Borders and work closely with them in the race against time to save curlew. GWCT is leading the way in work with farmer clusters delivering wildlife improvements on farmland.”
The new partnership will offer the best available advice on curlews to farmers, gamekeepers and others wanting to help these birds, where and when they ask for it. The 500 people from across the UK that provided their Curlew nest locations to the GWCT’s Action for Curlew will receive ongoing updates on developments.
Commenting on the partnership, GWCT Welsh Chairman, Nick Williams, said: “Curlew Country is a working example of exactly how we feel conservationists should support farmers in protecting the wildlife that they want. This is why the GWCT set up Action for Curlew earlier this year – to help those on the ground. We look forward to supporting Curlew Country to continue its remarkable recent progress.”
Amanda Perkins will continue to lead the Curlew Country Project and be supported by GWCT Director Wales, Sue Evans. Dr Roger Draycott, GWCT Head of Advisory, said: “Our previous involvement with Curlew Country has been limited to providing technical advice and we look forward to expanding that support. With curlew numbers plummeting in Wales and southern England, we need to act now.”
If you would like to support the work of Curlew Country and the GWCT, please consider donating by visiting: