Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS) have launched a new award to recognise and celebrate the work farmers in northern England are doing with regards to Curlew conservation.
The Farmland Curlew Award is now open for nominations and will close on March 31, with the winner being announced at an awards ceremony at the Great Yorkshire Show on July 12.
Farmers from Cumbria, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, South and West Yorkshire, Tyne Tees and Northumberland are eligible for nomination.
Jayne Dyer, from YAS, said: “The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is pleased to be working with Nidderdale AONB to celebrate Curlew conservation in the North of England.
“The Farmland Curlew Award rewards farmers who create a safe haven for this iconic bird.”
Curlew conservation
Curlews were added to the UK red list of threatened species in in December 2015, and are considered to be the most pressing bird conservation priority in the UK, Nidderdale AONB said.
The breeding population of Curlews has nearly halved since the mid-90s and in some parts of the UK there is a risk they will disappear in the next 20 years, according to Nidderdale AONB.
Matthew Trevelyan, farming in protected landscapes officer at Nidderdale AONB, said: “The Farmland Curlew Award has been created to ensure people are aware of this crisis.
“We also want to highlight the good farming practices that increase breeding success.
“The AONB is working in partnership with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, who are generously providing prizes.
“The Curlew Award will be awarded alongside the Tye Trophy, a long-standing award at the Yorkshire Show, recognising the contribution of farming to nature conservation.”
The seven county winners will each receive an engraved plaque and framed certificate. All winners will receive two complimentary tickets and a parking pass for the Great Yorkshire Show, and are invited to a reception following the ceremony.
Winners will also be encouraged to host a farm walk the following autumn to share best practice with other farmers.
Prof. Russell Wynn, manager of the Curlew Recovery Partnership, said: “Farmers play a vital role in Curlew conservation, especially as the majority of England’s breeding Curlews are found in farmland habitats.
“We therefore welcome this new Farmland Curlew Award as it not only recognises and rewards farmers for their hard work protecting Curlews, but also provides an opportunity to highlight and share best practise.
“This will be of vital importance as we work with policy colleagues to ensure that appropriate measures enabling farmers to support Curlew conservation on their land are available in the enhanced Countryside Stewardship and the new Countryside Stewardship Plus schemes.”
Nominations
Nidderdale AONB asked that nominations include as much information as possible about the work their nominated farmers are doing to conserve the curlew.
A panel of experts, it said, will select regional winners based on the integration of curlew conservation within their commercial farming operations.
The panel is interested in farmers who have taken modest measures, year-on-year, to ensure curlew chicks fledge successfully.
“One of the most effective things farmers can do is to delay mowing curlew meadows until the middle of July,” Trevelyan said.
“Consider using a smaller mower and taking your time in these fields. By firstly mowing around the outside of the field and then splitting the meadow and working out towards the edges, we can ensure fledged chicks can be shepherded to safety; ideally into an area where there is still cover from predators.”
The environmentalist and author of Curlew Moon, Mary Colwell, said: “Farmers hold the key to the future of birds like Curlew, so I’m delighted to see this award recognising the wonderful work being done to help them.”
