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Sheep grazing on moorland emit lower levels of both methane and carbon dioxide compared to those foraging on grassland lower down in the valley, a study carried out in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has shown.

Nominations have officially opened for this year’s Schöffel Countryside Awards which return following the success of last year’s inaugural event.

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) is very pleased to announce that Jeremy Finnis DL has been selected as chairman-elect of GWCT. Jeremy will take over from our current chairman, Sir Jim Paice, when he steps down in July 2026.

The national annual census of farmland birds, run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and supported by the NFU, is returning in February next year when it will be launched from its birthplace, the Trust’s demonstration farm, the Allerton Project. 

Tests have been carried out to establish the levels of methane being emitted by sheep living off a natural forage diet in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The Forage for CH4nge project – funded by Innovate UK – is bringing together farmers and scientists to better understand how traditional breeds and different pastures can help reduce the environmental impact of sheep farming.

New research suggests badgers are one of the main threats to the survival of red-listed ground-nesting birds including lapwing and curlew, and that the risk of nests being predated increased during cold or dry weather when their stable diet of earthworms is less accessible.

The annual counting and tagging of juvenile wild Atlantic salmon on the River Frome in Dorset has shown a dramatic decline in numbers of fish being captured for a second year in succession, indicating a worrying downward trend which is reflected across the UK and Europe.

A new project by the GWCT is underway to tag common snipe in three locations across the British Isles. The study aims to uncover where these elusive waders migrate to breed during the summer, while also allowing us to understand the reasons behind their decline and how best to support their conservation.

"Government, starting with this month’s Budget, need to recognise this fundamental truth: land managers are conservation's frontline..."