GWCT News Blog

In order to support Scottish participants taking part, the GWCT will be running two free bird ID sessions. These workshops will provide you with the skills required to identify birds you may encounter during the count and how to record them, and will be followed by a short walk to practice your new skills.

In the latest episode of the Countryslide podcast the GWCT's Dr Alastair Leake and director of Schöffel Country Marcus Janssen joined Richard Prideaux and Callum McInerney-Riley to discuss the launch of the 2026 Schöffel Countryside Awards in partnership with the GWCT. 

The National Audit Office (NAO) has just released a report on Environmental Regulation which covers the role of Defra, Natural England (NE) and the Environment Agency (EA) in its delivery. 

Having grown up on a smallholding further south in the Pennines, as well as having some prior experience grouse beating, I arrived in Teesdale already with a keen interest in upland landscapes. As such, I feel so privileged to be on a placement which actively conducts research into upland management and enables me to expand my own understanding in so many areas.

As we move into the heart of the pheasant season, the next few weeks often offer the finest shooting of the year. But before you settle back into the rhythm of midwinter days, it’s worth considering one simple question: are your birds performing as well as they should?

Fungi flourished in more ways than one in 2025, with more global policies supporting the kingdom worldwide, as well as a booming year for fruiting bodies. Despite all this fungal success, there is still so much to learn and understand about their biology.

On 1 January 2026, Natural England issued new and updated General Licences for wild bird control. While the changes are largely light-touch, there are a number of practical differences that wildlife managers, gamekeepers and landowners need to be aware of, understand and factor into their planning for the year ahead.

In the previous piece, I explored how ant colonies resemble multicellular bodies. Here, I turn to my DPhil research, which investigated these ideas through comparative studies of social evolution.

NatureScot has issued new General Licences for 2026, which are in effect from 1 January to 31 December 2026. Wildlife managers operating under General Licences are required to understand the current licences and comply with their terms and conditions.

This week, in line with its manifesto promise, the government has announced its new Animal Welfare Strategy, setting out plans for ‘generational reforms’ to animal welfare it hopes will help protect wild, farmed, and companion animals across the UK.

Our experts will be studying the detail of this new strategy and providing a full response in due course. In the meantime, we wanted to provide some initial thoughts on the implications for introducing a close season for hares and limiting use of snare devices.