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Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Launches Campaign to Save Braydon Forest’s Vanishing Birds

Skylark - David Tipling/2020VISION

This Earth Day, 22 April, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) is launching a conservation campaign as part of Earth Raise (previously Big Green Give) to help protect farmland birds on the brink. Farmland bird populations have plummeted by 65% since the 1970s and many are now on the red list of protected species. This April, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is calling on the public to help turn the tide for these birds in our county during this week-long fundraising sprint.

The statistics are a stark warning, species that once defined the British countryside—such as the Lapwing, Snipe, and Grey Partridge—have seen declines of 90% in some areas. Without intervention, it is a risk that these birds might be lost from the landscape forever. Without these birds the dawn chorus is disappearing: nature is going quiet.  

Between 22 April and 29 April, every pound donated to our Protecting the Birds of Braydon Forest campaign will be doubled via Big Give's national Earth Raise campaign, meaning one donation has twice the potential to help restore the dawn chorus of our farmland birds. 

Skylark

©Margaret Holland

The Braydon Forest, running from the Wiltshire-Gloucestershire border down to Ravensroost Wood Nature Reserve near Malmesbury, is a patchwork of ancient woodland and traditional farmland, and represents a vital stronghold for the farmland bird species who nest there. The Braydon Forest is also an area that the Trust has been working in to protect nature for decades. The funds raised will go toward planting and restoring hedgerows, providing nesting cover and creating new ponds to boost insect populations—an essential food source for hungry chicks.  

Trees with green and orange canopies overhanging grassy ride.

The Trust will also be working with farmers and landowners to provide the tools and expertise to implement bird-friendly margins on their land without compromising their livelihoods. The project will also help upskill our volunteers and encourage more people to support Citizen Science programs, by providing training to monitor bird populations and become the long-term guardians of Braydon Forest. 

"The song of the Skylark and the flash of a Lapwing’s wing should be synonymous with spring in Wiltshire, not a memory. We are witnessing nature falling silent, which should be treated as an emergency and urgent action taken to halt the decline. Farmland birds are a vital part of our natural heritage, yet many are now in serious decline. The good news is that we know what works—by restoring habitats and working in partnership with farmers and landowners, we can give these birds a fighting chance and bring them back into our landscape. Earth Raise gives people a powerful way to help, because every donation will be doubled. It’s a chance to make a real difference for nature at a critical moment."
Leo Henley-Lock
Director of Conservation and Land Management at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

The campaign aims to raise £10,000 in just seven days which will be matched to £20,000 which is the full pot of match funding available, delivering a massive boost for farmland birds and nature recovery across Wiltshire. 

Donations must be made on the Earth Raise website between midday on 22 April and midday on 29 April to qualify for match funding. 

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