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Are you Britain’s most wildlife friendly farmer?
The hunt is on for this years most wildlife friendly farmer.
February 18 2010
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The cornflower is one species that benefits from environmental farming. © Laurie Campbell
Potential candidates have one month to go to get nominations in for this year’s Nature of Farming Award.
The award aims to find the farmer who has put in the most work for nature on their land and is supported by Plantlife alongside the RSPB, Butterfly Conservation, and BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Nominations are already coming in thick and fast and will be narrowed down to a shortlist of eight regional winners. A panel of experts will then whittle the shortlist down to four national finalists before a UK wide public vote gets underway. Visitors to country shows throughout the summer will be able to cast their votes while others can have their say via an online webpoll to choose the award winner.
Plantlife Chief Executive, Victoria Chester, said: 'We'll be looking out for nominations where farmers can show sympathetic management for native wildflowers and other plants.'
'We hope to see farms where a mosaic of diverse habitats and varied management allows local specialities to thrive, to show how productive farms don't have to end up as "monochrome" landscapes with low biodiversity. If farmers are getting it right for wild plants, then other wildlife will also have the chance to flourish.'
Last year’s winner, Michael Calvert, from Barnwell Farms in County Down, Northern Ireland, was recently presented with his award during a ceremony at the Oxford Farming Conference. He caught the attention of the judges and the voting public with his dedication to nature which has resulted in a wide variety of wildlife from barn owls, bullfinches and snipe to smooth newt, Irish stoats, common-spotted orchids and marsh ragwort making its home on his 80 hectare farm.
The deadline for nominations is February 28. For full details on how to enter visit the RSPB website here.