GWCT News Blog

1 May marked the start of 2025’s No Mow May. This campaign, initiated by the conservation organisation Plantlife, encourages us not to mow our lawns during May as a way of supporting not only our country’s flora, but the wildlife that relies on it – particularly pollinators such as bees.

NatureScot has informed us that the implementation of the licensing scheme for operating spring traps and corvid traps in Scotland will be delayed at least until autumn 2025.

The GWCT has run a game shoot at Loddington since 1993, utilising the skills of a gamekeeper to carry out supplementary feeding, habitat management and predation control. The ability to carry out these tasks has enabled us to build on our research of songbird and brown hare populations, focusing on how game management techniques can influence the breeding success of these species.

It is with some frustration that I read the news reports on the recent spate of wildfires across the country...

The GWCT would urge all supporters with an interest in managed heather burning to contribute to the consultation on Defra’s proposed amendments to The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021.

In March and early April, GWCT staff commenced the 2025 red grouse monitoring season by carrying out pair counts across Scotland. The results of this year’s pair counts indicate a pronounced decrease compared to 2024

Senior Advisor Mike Swan fears that we are heading towards a situation where well-meaning people will push harder for legislation that would make effective predation control all but impossible, much to the detriment of conservation and biodiversity.

Scientific research, practitioner evidence and environmental accreditation are essential for sustainable game management -- the take home message from GWCT’s lowland gamebird conference.

Defra will shortly publish an updated GL43 licence and guidance for 2025 for the release of gamebirds on and within 500m of areas that are Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), but not Special Protection Areas (SPAs). 

Planting hedgerows and beetle banks is a great way of enhancing habitats, but according to Arthur Barraclough at Bright Seeds, the benefits can be multiplied by drilling conservation crops either side of the new wildlife corridor.