Gwlad y Gylfinir - Land of the Curlew
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Cymru has been awarded nearly £1m of government funding for a project aimed at halting the decline in curlew in Wales – a bird set to become extinct as a breeding population by 2033 if current trends continue.
The Gwlad y Gylfinir - Land of the Curlew project will be delivered in Powys, mid-Wales, and follows on from the success of the Curlew Connections Wales project, which comes to an end this month.
The £921,700 grant comes from the Nature Networks Fund, which is providing £15m of funding for 28 projects across Wales, all aimed at restoring and improving biodiversity across land and sea.
This is the fifth round of Nature Networks grants, being delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government. Since 2021 the programme has supported 147 projects across Wales with over £54m.
Having declined by an average of 50% across the UK in 30 years, our remaining curlew populations have been shown to be aging out. Curlew can live up to 20 years, and recently a bird in the New Forest was spotted and confirmed as being over 33 years old.
The UK should be a stronghold for the species, hosting up to 25% of the global wintering curlew population and Wales historically supporting large populations. Despite their cultural heritage, breeding curlew numbers are dropping fast due to habitat loss, agricultural change and intensification, excessive predator pressure, and climate change.
Curlew are incredibly site loyal, returning to nest in the same spot every year. With very little fledging success, these long-lived birds have very few younger birds surviving to adulthood and bolstering the future of their populations. The likely extinction of the species is a result rather too close to home, particularly in Wales where there may only be up to 500 breeding curlew left. Wales is predicted to lose its breeding curlews by 2033, unless the decline can be halted.
Curlew Connections Wales has been running for three years in Wales and has seen a team of three Curlew and People Officers working on the ground with farmers, communities and volunteers, to protect breeding curlew across the landscape.
The project has been using cutting-edge thermal optic drones to find nests more quickly and efficiently in the GWCT’s project area of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire. Once found, nests have been surrounded by electric fencing, which offers protection from mammals and livestock, improving chick survival.
Funded by the Welsh Government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project has been a partnership between Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, and the GWCT Wales.
Julieanne Quinlan, Curlew Connections project manager, says: “It’s been a fantastic example of collaborative, community-led conservation, reconnecting people with curlew and conservation efforts.
“This new funding of £921,700 will allow us to continue vital conservation work across Powys.
“The past three years have demonstrated the power of true collaboration for curlew and our rural communities. I am delighted that the lessons from Curlew Connections Wales will now inform our work across both established and new areas.
“It’s incredibly exciting that GWCT will continue to deliver for curlew, advance novel research, and build on the strong foundations already in place. We are deeply grateful to the Heritage Fund for supporting this vital next chapter for curlew in Wales.”
Lee Oliver, Director of GWCT Wales, adds: “We’re excited to continue working with local communities, landowners and partners to protect this iconic species for future generations. Thank you for being part of the journey.”
Commenting on the announcement made on 18 March, Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, said: “This significant investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our international targets such as 30by30, which are increasing the scale and pace of delivery helping to protect Wales’s natural heritage. By supporting these projects, we’re not only preserving precious ecosystems but also empowering communities to become stewards of their local environments. The Nature Networks Fund is a crucial tool in our response to the nature emergency, helping us build a more resilient Wales for future generations.”
Photo credit: David Mason
Notes to editors
For more information, please contact:
Eleanor Williams – GWCT Communications Officer
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – providing research-led conservation for a thriving countryside. The GWCT is an independent wildlife conservation charity which has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats. We employ more than 60 post-doctoral scientists and other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies. The Trust 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.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Cronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol yw’r ariannwr mwyaf o dreftadaeth y DU. Gan ddefnyddio arian a godir gan chwaraewyr y Loteri Genedlaethol rydym yn cefnogi prosiectau sy’n cysylltu pobl a chymunedau â threftadaeth. Ein gweledigaeth yw gwerthfawrogi a gofalu am dreftadaeth a’i chynnal ar gyfer pawb, nawr ac yn y dyfodol. O adeiladau hanesyddol, ein hetifeddiaeth ddiwydiannol a’r amgylchedd naturiol, i gasgliadau, traddodiadau, straeon a mwy. Gall treftadaeth fod yn unrhyw beth o’r gorffennol y mae pobl yn ei werthfawrogi ac eisiau ei drosglwyddo i genedlaethau’r dyfodol. Credwn mewn nerth treftadaeth i danio’r dychymyg, cynnig llawenydd ac ysbrydoliaeth, ac i ennyn balchder mewn lle a chysylltiad â’r gorffennol
Notes to editors
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – providing research-led conservation for a thriving countryside. The GWCT is an independent wildlife conservation charity which has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats. We employ more than 60 post-doctoral scientists and other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies. The Trust 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.
For information, contact:
Eleanor Williams
Telephone: 07592 025476
Email: ewilliams@gwct.org.uk