Securing wildlife habitat for the future
Since its inception in 1986, the Wildlife Habitat Trust has helped clubs and projects across the UK to acquire land and enhance conservation
The Wildlife Habitat Trust has helped clubs and projects acquire land since 1986, as Jack Knott describes
Actions speak louder than words. It was with this maxim that the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) understood the requirement to provide a portal to show our commitment to both shooting and conservation in equal measure on the ground. To that end, the Wildlife Habitat Trust (WHT) was established in 1986 at the request of BASC members. It has become well known as the UK’S sporting shooting conservation fund and has seen BASC lead successfully by example.
Today, there are three separate trusts: the WHT lends money to support land purchase for shooting and conservation purposes; the Wildlife Habitat Charitable Trust (WHCT) provides funding, in the form of both loans and grants, where charitable objectives are met by the conservation project; finally, the Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp Trust (WHCST) is the merchandising and fundraising arm. Each year the WHCST commissions a prominent wildlife artist to paint an iconic wild bird with an equally renowned backdrop. In 2019, the fundraising stamp artwork was by Chris Lodge and featured a woodcock on the Stackpole estate in Pembrokeshire.
Since their inception, both the WHT and WHCT have played a significant role in funding and aiding conservation projects. In total, more than £2.1m has been distributed in the form of loans and grants. Dedicated to raising and distributing funds to help with the acquisition of land and over-seeing project management, both the WHT and WHCT have become leaders in initiating practical conservation. With dozens of successful grants over the decades, the work undertaken by the recipients of funding can be seen across the UK and farther afield.
Through land acquisitions and long-term planning, the WHT and WHCT have assisted clubs from across the UK in cementing their future and allowing them to get hands-on with habitat improvement and conservation projects. BASC plays a significant role in
supporting the administration and technical briefings to the WHT and WHCT. Through establishing the WHT and facilitating the application process and administration, BASC can stand up and be counted as a respected conservation organisation, with recipients having a positive impact on conservation and the future of our countryside.
BARTON-ON-HUMBER WILDFOWLERS
The WHCT’S involvement with Barton-onhumber Wildfowlers Club epitomises the objectives laid down by the founders more than 30 years ago. A £100,000 loan provided the club with the ability to purchase 16 acres of arable farmland and turn it into a thriving wetland habitat for the benefit of both overwintering wildfowl and breeding residents.
The Humber Estuary is a site of national importance for a variety of flora and fauna but is facing an ever-growing pressure from development and infrastructure. At its heart the project looked to the bigger picture and ensured that the environment of the area would be in a better place by its end. Thousands of tonnes of dirt were excavated and 12 million litres of water pumped into the area over a six-month period. Concluded this summer, the result was a habitat matrix of grassland with scrapes and shallow reed ponds that has made the perfect habitat for waders and hunting ground for birds of prey to utilise.
The workforce, largely club members, is already being rewarded for its endeavours with four pairs of lapwings nesting successfully and a sighting of leverets in the area.
Not content with stopping here, the club is in the process of drawing up plans, with the help of the WHCT, to improve additional land to form a wetland oasis of more than 40 acres. It has shown its willingness to build strong partnerships by working with the Humber Nature Partnership and local wildlife recorders. Engaging in and co-ordinating ecological recordings will help ensure the site’s management is effective and that its importance for wildlife is properly recognised.
NEMUNAS RIVER DELTA, LITHUANIA
Wildfowl migratory routes are not restricted by borders and so it was obvious that the WHCT’S work should not be either. The past 10 years have seen grants totalling £80,000 go to international projects, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe.
One such grant was that in the Nemunas river delta in Lithuania. The area is worldrenowned as a vital breeding ground for the common pochard. However, the delta has come under significant threat from land use changes and development over the past couple of decades. Principally, the grant is aimed at boosting our knowledge of the threats that this nationally important species is under. With a greater understanding of the ecology, the conservation efforts can then become more focused. Ultimately, we can begin to reverse their fortunes.
Work will centre on restoring the ‘health’ of their breeding sites and setting out a sustainable management plan to secure these vital grounds. GPS tags were fitted last spring to learn about moulting sites and the general behaviour of pochard during this time. Acknowledging the importance of a collaborative approach to ensure long-term sustainability, resources have been applied to involve local farmers and communities.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE WILDFOWLING
A WHT loan of £45,000 enabled the Gloucestershire Wildfowling & Conservation Association to purchase Arlingham Marsh, eight acres of previously rented land on the east bank of the River Severn. The acquisition was the third time the club and the WHT had teamed up
Wildfowl migratory routes are not restricted by borders and so the WHCT’S work should not be either
to purchase land successfully. Pressures from development and infrastructure along the Severn Estuary are ever increasing, this land security will be of benefit to both the club and the environment. The land is in Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship scheme and is in permanent pasture, which is extensively grazed for the benefit of breeding waders.
The grant has helped cement the club as a significant stakeholder within the area and further strengthen its future. Since the purchase, the club has managed to rent more land in the area for shooting and conservation purposes.
CLEVEDON WILDFOWLING ASSOCIATION
The WHT provided the club with a £35,000 loan to buy land that it had shot over for more than 50 years. The purchase of nearly 14 acres in North Somerset allowed the club to secure shooting opportunities for the future and to get hands-on with several conservation projects. Its aim is not just to improve the land through the volunteer network for wildfowl but for all wildlife. In the past year, the club has recorded more than 18 species of waders and wildfowl on the land. Working closely with Natural England, a 3,000-square-metre splash has been created, which is already allowing common reeds to encroach successfully, providing nesting cover for the wonderful willow warbler.
WESTMORLAND WILDFOWLERS
The WHT granted a loan of £50,000 to the club towards the purchase of 27 acres of land near Killington in Cumbria. The successful purchase increased the club’s portfolio for both shooting and conservation. Following completion, the club immediately set to work, undertaking predator control and expanding the club’s mallard nest-tube conservation programme. The club is also using the newly acquired land to train new members and young shots in good shooting practice and conservation work, to help secure the future of wildfowling in the area.
Leading by example, the club was the winner of the Green Thinking award organised by the Sport and Recreation Alliance in 2015. Selected from more than 200 other projects, the club won the award on the back of its important contribution and proactive attitude towards the environment.
The club has inspired its membership, specifically junior and younger members, to embrace the practical work. Aspiring to give something back is very much the mantra of Westmorland Wildfowlers.
DERRYLIN AND DISTRICT GUN CLUB
In early 2019, a WHCT grant totalling £15,000 was awarded to the club so it
could embark on a five-year project to provide improved opportunities for breeding waders, including the curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe, on three islands. The grant will help to pay for essential work, such as shrub removal, creation of new habitats, sward management and predator control.
Support from local farmers and conservation organisations has helped the project progress and with the WHCT grant, the work has begun in earnest. One of the key elements of the project is the recording and observation of progress, ensuring that the results are both noted and publicised to show the effort has been worthwhile. The aim is to demonstrate a successful model for further implementation elsewhere. The project also has a focus on education.
MATTERSEY RIFLE AND PISTOL CLUB
The work of the WHT and WHCT does not solely revolve around wildfowling projects. In 2012, Nottinghamshire-based Mattersey Rifle & Pistol Club secured a £150,000 loan from the WHT to enable the club to purchase 43.5 acres of land to help it secure the future of rifle shooting on the site. While only 3½ acres was required to develop the rifle ranges, the other 40 acres of the disused quarry were identified as a conservation area that could be managed and restored to become a healthy habitat.
The habitat within the site included a mix of wetland, woodland and sand cliffs as a result of the quarry activity. The sand cliffs provided nesting for a large colony of sand martins as well as shelduck.
Every successful grant application approved by the WHCT has at its bedrock community and stakeholder buy-in. A progressive application understands the importance of collaboration. For these projects to work, the end goal must be both aligned and achievable. With those goals the WHCT has seen unprecedented success over the past 30 years and will see further targets met over the next 30 years.
If you are interested in applying for a grant or loan on behalf of a group or club, you can find all the details on the WHT website (wht.org.uk) or call BASC on 01244 573014. By simply downloading and filling out the application form you can start the ball rolling on a successful journey to enhancing your environment and subsequent shooting opportunities.
Jack Knott is the head of press relations at BASC