Working Conservationists - Issue 2

Our second issue of Working Conservationists, this 40-page A4-size colour publication features eight case studies produced by the GWCT, focusing on the land managers who are helping to save British wildlife.

Published in July 2019 and featuring a foreword by Adam Henson, it is a celebration of private stewardship and how passion and hard work can bring real benefits for the environment, wildlife and overall biodiversity.

This collection of case studies aims to raise awareness of the many working conservationists across the UK whose stories often go ‘untold’, their efforts unrecognised. They demonstrate how, given the right support, private land managers are best placed to deliver vital biodiversity gains.

They are committed for the long term, know intimately their bit of countryside and are experts in practical management, which can deliver key habitats alongside food production. Their passion drives them to put their own money and countless hours of their time into looking after wildlife.

The GWCT has always recognised this, which is why it partners with land managers and offers practical advice based on science tested in the field. To have a shoot or fishery on your land is not a prerequisite for being featured in these pages and all those profiled are instinctive conservationists regardless, but they demonstrate the importance of shooting and fishing as drivers of conservation.

If other land managers are to be encouraged to follow their lead, adequate funding must be available for the public goods they produce, whether it be biodiversity, carbon capture, or the health of our soils.

It is also essential that they are freed as much as possible from stifling bureaucracy so they can get on with the job.