Blogs
16/4/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: Policy
Bracken has become a contentious subject for land managers as, whilst it has some benefits, where it is invasive and becomes dominant it can have a range of negative impacts which have required its perpetual control through both chemical and mechanical means.
29/3/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: GWCT Scotland , Hen harrier/Grouse shooting , Policy
So, the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill has passed through Scottish Parliament, marking nearly seven years of scrutiny, originating with the implementation of the Werritty Grouse Management Review in 2017.
28/3/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: GWCT Scotland , Hen harrier/Grouse shooting , Policy
If we hoped for some respite from the weight of policy consultations, bills and legislation that confronted us in 2023, the barrage has continued unabated so far this year.
26/3/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: Policy
I have been asked to present on the need to balance conservation with access at a conference on Public Rights of Way. This has instigated me to consider what the network of paths across our landscape means – why do they exist?
6/3/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: Allerton Project , Policy , Farming
Our Director of Policy and the Allerton Project, Dr Alastair Leake, shares his thoughts on the latest domestic hedgerow regulations.
26/2/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: Policy
I have been delighted by the responses to my first monthly musings on hedges. Thank you. In my defence the initial blog was never intended to be all encompassing so I’m “hedging my bets” (pun intended!) and doing a follow up to acknowledge the excellent comments made.
15/2/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: GWCT Partners , Policy
In readiness for all anticoagulant rodenticide purchases being restricted July onwards to their use inside and around buildings only, the latest UK Rodenticide Stewardship annual report includes for the first time an explanation specific to rodent pest control of what constitutes a ‘building’.
12/2/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: Farming , GWCT Scotland , Policy
Although farmer clusters have been going in England since 2012 and have been immensely successful (with over 100 connected to GWCT now established) unfortunately in Scotland we have not seen this same level realised. So why is this, and what can we do to kick-start their uptake in Scotland?
5/2/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: Allerton Project , Farming , Farmland Ecology , Policy , Nature
Many parts of the English rolling landscape are criss-crossed by hedgerows, which if one stops and looks provide an interesting perspective on the history of the landscape being observed.
31/1/2024 in: GWCT News Blog under: Policy
Whether or not to fund the management of species to protect another was the subject of a keen debate in the House of Lords on Thursday 25 January.