Celebrating the best in working conservation

 Cultural importance of the British rural landscape 

Adrian Thornton-Berry, farmer from North Yorkshire and founding member of Swaledale and Wensleydale Environmental Farmers Group (SWEF), which has been shortlisted in the Farm-Environment Partnership category, says: “I was genuinely surprised and very proud to learn that SWEF had been nominated for the Schöffel Countryside Awards.   

Adrian Thornton-Berry, shortlisted in the Farm-Environment Partnership category

“Supporting SWEF is something I care passionately about because it represents the living heritage of the Yorkshire Dales, from native sheep breeds and traditional farming on the hills and in the valleys, to the iconic dry stone walls that help make these landscapes such important havens for wildlife and biodiversity. 

 "By seeking other funding for upland farming families who are threatened following removal of government support, SWEF aims to conserve the generational knowledge essential to enhance biodiversity and ensure these managed landscapes remain productive, environmentally resilient and culturally significant for the future.” 

 The 2026 judging panel has been boosted by two of the winners from the inaugural 2025 Schöffel Countryside Awards – Rupert Brewer, game and wildlife manager of the Bisterne estate, who won the Working Conservationist category and the Wetland and Watercourse category with his team, and Tom Hilder, senior nature-based solutions officer for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, who won the Rising Star category. 

Also joining the panel of judges this year are Paul Coulson, Alison Baker and Richard Negus.   

The judges, who are made up of GWCT ecologists and advisors and external experts in relevant fields, will visit each finalist to see their conservation work in action before the full panel cast their votes later this year. 

The Yeoman family shortlisted for the Nature-Friendly Farm/Estate Award

Finalists in each award category

The Nature-Friendly Farm/Estate Award – sponsored by Oakbank 

This category celebrates farms, tenant farms or estates that have excelled in implementing practices that promote biodiversity and species recovery. 

  The Innovation in Conservation Award – sponsored by B-hive Innovations 

This category champions individuals or groups who have developed innovative solutions, technologies or methods that advance conservation and the natural environment. 

 The Farm-Environment Partnership Award  

This category recognises farms that have formed successful partnerships with others, showcasing the positive outcomes of collaboration. 

The Wetland & Watercourse Conservation Award – sponsored by The Atlantic Salmon Trust 

This category focuses on efforts and achievements in creating and restoring wetland habitats and watercourses to the benefit of biodiversity and ecosystems. 

 The Rising Star Award – sponsored by Pressendye 

This category shines a light on young individuals who are demonstrating an outstanding approach to conservation. 

  The Working Conservationist Award 

This category celebrates an individual who has dedicated much of their life to the conservation of flora and fauna in the British countryside. 

 END 

 Behind the awards:  

GWCT - Pioneering research offering hope for the future 

For nearly 100 years the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust has been a champion for wildlife through an evidence-led approach to conservation. From waders to woodland birds, game management to farmland ecology, wild salmon to pollinators and black grouse to moorland conservation – the breadth of research carried out by the GWCT makes it unique. 

 Through sound advice and support the GWCT helps farmers, land managers and conservationists across the UK succeed in their mission to enhance the British countryside. 

 As an independent wildlife conservation charity, the GWCT has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s and employs more than 60 post-doctoral scientists and other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. The Trust undertakes its own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies. GWCT also has a dedicated professional advisory service to make sure that the results of its research are easily available to farmers, landowners, gamekeepers, and others delivering practical conservation.  

 Schöffel Country – The country clothing brand with a deep connection to the British countryside 

Schöffel Country combines innovation, tradition and genuine passion to engineer the best country clothing for lovers of the countryside and country way of life. 

 The Schöffel Country team lives and breathes the Great British countryside. This passion has shaped the brand and drives it each day to deliver on a simple vision: to enhance customers’ experiences in the countryside by providing them with the most innovative, high-performance and reliable clothing that money can buy. 

 As a brand that truly cares about the health of the British countryside, Schöffel Country continues to invest in content campaigns to raise awareness of key issues and highlight those who are setting an excellent example in the realm of countryside management. 

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