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  • Life in the lab: Six fascinating insects from our scientific studies on farmland

    Written by Jayna Connelly, Science Communicator Our Farmland Ecology team work tirelessly through Spring and Summer surveying insect biodiversity on farmland across the country. It’s easy to forget that their work doesn’t stop over winter. Every year when most of our farmland wildlife is hidden a...

  • Why was 2024 such a bad year for bumblebees?

    The year 2024 has officially been declared “the worst year for bumblebees since records began” by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. While out in the field surveying pollinators across southern England, GWCT researchers also noticed a shocking decline in bee numbers compared to previous years. And...

  • Our letter to the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs

    In anticipation of this week's government spending review, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust has joined forces with twelve leading organisations to warn the government of the negative impact that potential cuts may have for nature and rural businesses. The letter, addressed to the Food S...

  • Five reasons to value hedgerows in the farmed landscape

    Written by Isabella Dreist, Placement student Hedgerows are a defining feature of the British countryside, offering far more than aesthetic appeal. When managed with care, they provide a wealth of ecological benefits and contribute meaningfully to sustainable land management. Here are five key re...

  • The Environmental Improvement Plan – will the actions speak louder than words?

    Written by Henrietta Appleton, Policy Officer (England) This week the Government published an updated Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) following the rapid review initiated in July 2024.  This revision now links the goals with commitments and actions so there is a pathway to delivery.  But wil...

  • Farmer Clusters: Ten Years of Success and a Model for Europe

    For over a decade, the Farmer Cluster initiative, pioneered by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), has transformed how conservation works on farmland.  Background The idea is simple but powerful: neighbouring farmers come together to improve wildlife habitat at a landscape scale, s...

  • Making More of Your Hedgerows and Beetle Banks

    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. Why is it important to not just plant hedgerows, but use a mixtur...

  • How our Loddington Shoot demonstrates best practice

    By Alex Keeble, Central England Game & Wildlife Advisor The Allerton Project, established in 1992, is a research and demonstration farm managed by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust at Loddington, Leicestershire and covers approximately 320 hectares. The farm at Loddington was a beque...

  • Farmers take action to clean up iconic chalk stream

    A group of local farmers has set-up a new on-farm water testing laboratory to monitor the health of the Bourne, a tributary of the River Avon. This is the fifth such facility launched by members of the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) across the Hampshire Avon catchment. The goal is to better un...

  • A good year for fungi! How have fungi benefited with policy and in their environments in 2025?

    Written by Rachel Grant, GWCT Wales Placement Student 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 th...

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