REFORM LED COUNCIL WANTS TO DESTROY ANCIENT WOODLAND

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Reform-led Council votes to push ahead with destroying ancient woodland #9 - Eye on the Wild PROTECT THE WILD JUL 25 READ IN APP Welcome to the ninth edition of Eye on the Wild, our new weekly roundup designed to keep you up to date with the latest stories concerning British wildlife. If you have a story you think we should cover, email us at contact@protectthewild.org.uk Reform-led Council votes to push ahead with destroying ancient woodland Kent County Councillors have voted 37–31 to approve a plan to extend a quarry. It will destroy at least 41 hectares of Oaken Wood, near Maidstone. The existing Gallagher Aggregates quarry site has already resulted in the loss of approximately 31 hectares of ancient woodland. The amount of ancient woodland lost would be more than the losses from HS2 and the Lower Thames Crossing combined. The Kent Mineral Sites Plan, which the council has approved for independent government examination, is a planning framework that identifies potential locations for sand, gravel, and hard rock extraction. The plan controversially includes the extension into Oaken Wood for extracting Kentish ragstone. It defies all logic that Reform would sacrifice ancient woodland, which are irreplaceable habitats covering just 2.5% of the UK. Oaken Wood is home to turtle doves, nightjars and dormice. Nightjars migrate from Sub-Saharan Africa to Oaken Wood each spring to breed and feed. Dormice are critically endangered in this country; their numbers decreased by 52% between 2009 and 2018. KCC Green councillor, Stuart Jeffery, opposes the plan to destroy the wood, saying: "Ancient woodland cannot be replaced or moved. Once it is lost, it is gone forever. Reform's plans are an act of ecocide." Friends of Oaken Wood states: “Oaken Wood is designated as a ‘plantation on ancient woodland site’ (PAWS). PAWS are a category of ancient woodland protected in the government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This woodland is legally defined as ‘irreplaceable’ and has equivalent protection to ‘built heritage’, such as nationally listed buildings and scheduled monuments. The council are citing ‘wholly exceptional circumstances’ and a ‘compensation strategy’ as grounds for the woodland to be quarried.” There will be a public consultation, giving everyone another chance to object to plans. A government inspector will also examine whether the plan is 'sound'. Campaigners have been fighting this battle for over a decade, and it certainly isn’t over yet. To stay updated, follow Friends of Oaken Wood and join the Save Oaken Wood Facebook group. 7,550-acre estate that trained gundogs for bird shoots to be rewilded Emblehope, an estate in Northumberland, is set to be taken over by the rewilding business Restore. The Kennel Club has owned the site since 2016, employing gamekeepers and running bird shoots, while also permitting beef and sheep farming. Restore has exciting ambitions to completely restore and transform the peat bog, inspired by the “great bogs of Estonia or Finland.” The company says the land will now be dedicated entirely to nature, making it England's largest single, unbroken stretch of land under one owner given over to restoration as its sole purpose. Over the next thirty years, the plan is to re-wet around 2,000 acres of degraded peatland, restore lost vegetation, and introduce low-intensity grazing to build a mosaic of open water, bog, scrub, dwarf trees and flower-rich glades shaped by natural processes. Restore's founder, Benedict Macdonald, says that while many upland estates treat nature as a by-product of commercial activity, Emblehope is: “destined to become a biosphere-level reserve where nature itself is the driver.” However, Restore intends to shoot deer. It says deer management is a practice it will be “focusing on very heavily” for the regeneration of wildflowers, saplings and nightingales. RSPCA reports five-year high in reports of wild bird cruelty The RSPCA has recorded its highest number of summer cruelty reports involving wild birds in five years. Between July and August 2025, the charity logged 359 such incidents across England and Wales. This was nearly twice the 179 reported over the same stretch in 2024. Roughly 40% of all wild-bird cruelty reports reach the charity during summer, which the RSPCA says is due to more people being outdoors in the warmer months. Among the worst-affected species were pigeons, gulls, swans, ducks and crows, many of them hurt or killed with airguns, catapults and slingshots. This year, too, violence towards birds is continuing. So far in 2026, the RSPCA has already received 474 reports of cruelty. The overall total for the whole of 2025 stood at 876. The charity’s wildlife partnerships manager, Mike Scargill, stated that the real figure is almost certainly far higher, since so much cruelty goes unwitnessed and unreported. Follow Protect the Wild to get involved with our upcoming campaign to legislate against catapults, which are being increasingly used to murder birds throughout the UK. More than 2,000 pigeons shot at railway stations and depots in 16 months Horrific figures have been obtained by Freedom of Information requests and published in the BBC. Pigeons are shot at railway stations and depots at night by professionals with air rifles, in what the ‘pest’ control industry says is an effort to stop droppings becoming slip hazards or a source of illness. Among stations run by state-owned companies, York was the worst, with 608 birds shot between January 2025 and April 2026, 152 of them on a single day. But the figures don’t cover private firms, so the true death toll is likely much higher than the confirmed figure of 2,019. The worst offender was train operator LNER, with over 800 birds shot at its stations, while Network Rail ordered the killing of 600 pigeons across Bristol Temple Meads, London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley stations. Meanwhile, South Western Railway ordered the shooting of 250 pigeons. Transport for London was responsible for killing 147 pigeons, and Northern ordered the shooting of 143. A society that guns down thousands of pigeons and calls it acceptable is deeply broken. If you like the work we do at Protect the Wild, please consider donating a couple of pounds per month. Donate here SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD—YOU POWER THE FIGHT TO HELP WILLIFE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more YOU power the fight for British wildlife ROB POWNALL JUL 24 READ IN APP We’re pushing hard to finally end hunting with hounds for good. I stood in the Makerfield by-election in order to directly tell (the now) Prime Minister Andy Burnham that we need meaningful action for wildlife. Nothing but strengthening and enforcing the 2004 Hunting Act is good enough if we are to finally see an end to people ripping wild animals to pieces for the sheer fun of it. We helped ensure tens of thousands of responses were submitted to the recent Govt consultation and now thousands more have sent our letter outlining concerns that ‘drag hunting’ could be used as the new smokescreen. We’re funded entirely by people like you, our wonderful supporters. We don’t have any Govt funding or big corporate backers and due to the nature of our work we’re not eligible for most grants! Emails like this are crucial to continuing our vital work fighting for British wildlife. By picking up this beautiful and hard-hitting pin badge set you are helping the fight continue. Pin Badge SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

HUNT SABBOTEURS ASSOCIATION SAY THE STAG HUNTING SEASON IS FAST APPROACHING

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter The Autumn Stag Hunting Season Is Fast Approaching In less than a few weeks the stag hunting season will begin, with the three remaining stag hunts in the south west, heading out to terrorise and kill mature autumn stags. This will continue until the end of October when they switch their sights to hinds. The autumn stag hunting season focuses on more mature stags, usually at least four years of age. Naturally these stags will be bigger than those terrorised in the spring and hunts will be looking to claim a trophy, targeting those with larger antlers, some of which will still be in velvet after the rutting season. Last season North Dorset Hunt Sabs witnessed this stag running for its life from the Quantock Staghounds. Unfortunately, each season there are more and more reports of the depravity of these hunters and the pain and terror they inflict upon these beautiful animals. In 2023 The Independent featured an article about the Quantock Staghounds, who, on the 23rd of October, chased a stag onto National Trust land. Sabs present on the day spoke of how they witnessed the stag running past them “in a terrible state, gasping for breath with his tongue hanging out, eyes bulging in terror.” Footage from this day can be found here. This stag should have been safe once he had entered National Trust land, however some riders and a supporter on a bike trespassed onto the land and the stag was pushed out towards Holsey Combe. At 6:30pm a monitor reportedly heard a gunshot; however, the kill was never confirmed. The hunt was back in the same area a few days later and killed a stag very early in the day. It is suspected that this was the same stag who was still recovering from the ordeal merely days earlier. The stag was moved off National Trust land, where he should have been safe, by the sadistic Quantock Staghounds. On the 21st August 2025 the Devon and Somerset Staghounds, who the HSA exposed in June for extreme cruelty towards a hind, killed and carved up a stag for their American guests. However, prior to the butchering of this stag, they had forced him to endure a three-hour chase before he could no longer go on and was shot. The hunt then tried to conceal themselves beneath a tree while they carved his body up for trophies and threw bits to the waiting hounds. Sickeningly followers were witnessed leaving with pieces of the stag in carrier bags. For over twenty years the Devon & Somerset staghounds have been breaking the law and terrorising stags, enabled by loopholes and exemptions within the current Hunting Act. © North Dorset Hunt Sabs Autumn stag hunting, as with cub hunting, takes place earlier in the day before conditions become too warm. Autumn stags will be larger due to a summer of good feeding, and will be weighed down by their large antlers. This married with the exhaustion from rutting means these stags are not able to endure a prolonged chase and will push themselves to the extreme in order to try and escape the depraved hunts. A stag’s lifeless body is hauled onto the back of a quad before being carved up. This video shows a collection of footage from the 2024 autumn stag hunting season and exposes just how barbaric it is. The hunts will use tactics such as driving quads/vehicles towards a stag to try and manipulate his direction of travel while riders and supporters will line roads and the surrounding hills. Hounds will be relayed in pairs to keep them fresh to ensure that the hunt can continue to chase the chosen stag for their own amusement. All of this is employed for the callous people who have no regard for wildlife or the law. Loopholes and exemptions in the law are allowing stag hunts to get away with abhorrent levels of animal cruelty. Thanks to the tireless work of sabs, stag hunting continues to be exposed and lives are saved. If you have any information regarding the three remaining stag hound packs then please contact the HSA. The information in this article was thanks to the hard work of North Dorset Hunt Sabs and Mendip Hunt Sabs. Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

ANNA EAGLE NOW IN DEFRA MUST NOT ALLOW A LOOPHOLE IN LEGISLATION TO ALLOW HUNTS TO CONTINUE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The new Defra Secretary must not hand the hunts a new loophole. Angela Eagle knows what hunts are capable of. PROTECT THE WILD JUL 27 READ IN APP Andy Burnham has appointed the aptly named Angela Eagle as head of Defra. For anyone who cares about ending the cruelty of hunting, this is a moment of real opportunity. Eagle has a genuine anti-hunting record, with knowledge of exactly how hunts behave. So we are calling on her to examine new evidence, outlined below, that drag hunting - where dogs follow a non-animal based scent - could be used as a loophole if trail hunting is banned. Tell Angela Eagle to close all loopholes A minister who has stood up to the hunts before Back in 2015, as Shadow Commons Leader, Eagle opposed the Conservative government’s attempt to quietly gut the Hunting Act through a “technical” amendment. She accused ministers of trying to “wreck” the Hunting Act, saying that they were “using this backdoor device because they don’t have the majority to repeal the Act or the guts to try.” More recently, as Defra’s farming minister, she repeatedly reaffirmed Labour’s manifesto commitment to ban trail hunting. In a written parliamentary answer, she stated that: “the nature of trail hunting makes it very difficult to do safely.” She continued: “The use of large packs of hounds reduces the control huntsmen have, putting wild mammals, household pets and even members of the public at risk.” She is right. And that is precisely why she, of all people, should not be fooled by what the hunting industry is planning next. Tell Angela Eagle to close all loopholes The next smokescreen is already being drawn up For more than twenty years, trail hunting - the supposed practice of laying an animal-based scent for hounds to follow - has been used as a smokescreen to carry on hunting and killing wild animals in plain sight. Labour rightly pledged to ban it, and this year Defra ran a consultation on doing exactly that. But in its messaging, Defra signalled that it wants “alternative practices such as drag hunting and clean-boot hunting, which use non-animal scents, to continue to thrive.” The hunting industry has pounced on this statement, and freshly leaked documents show precisely how they could exploit this. A confidential note written by British Hound Sports Association chairman Viscount Astor, seen by The Times, proposed that hunts promise to “convert” to drag hunting by 2028, presenting it as a solution that would avoid any change to the law. Astor wrote that the minister, Baroness Hayman, “could claim victory without the difficulty of legislation but would have, in her back pocket, the ability to produce a bill if hunting was not seen to change its ways. But by then we would be close to the next general election.” The strategy seems clear: offer drag hunting as a hollow concession, stall legislation, and run down the clock to an election (presumably Astor assumes Reform will be elected!). Tell Angela Eagle to close all loopholes Why drag hunting cannot be policed under the current law Drag hunting, like trail hunting, involves hounds following a laid scent. The only supposed difference being that the scent is non-animal-based. But as Eagle herself has acknowledged, large packs of hounds are difficult to control, and they can pick up and pursue the live scent of an animal. On top of this, hunts have been documented laying their trails close to coverts, where they know foxes are sheltering. And when dogs pick up on the scent of a fox, the current law is close to useless. The Hunting Act requires proof of intent, so prosecutors must show that a person intended to hunt a wild mammal with dogs. This is the loophole that has crippled enforcement for two decades. Hunts simply claim any kill was accidental, so proving intent beyond reasonable doubt is extraordinarily hard. So if Labour goes ahead and swaps the label from ‘trail hunting’ to ‘drag hunting’, Protect the Wild fears that absolutely nothing will change for foxes and other mammals. Hunts will continue exactly as they do now, killing wildlife and claiming kills were accidental, secure in the knowledge that the intent requirement makes conviction almost impossible. Tell Angela Eagle to close all loopholes What the legislation must do If the new government is serious about ending hunting rather than merely rebranding it, any new legislation must do two things. Firstly, it must not legislate drag hunting as a protected alternative. By doing this, Labour could be responsible for introducing the next smokescreen. Secondly, the legislation must remove the ‘intent’ requirement. So long as a kill can be waved away as accidental, hunts will never be properly convicted, whatever the activity is called. Angela Eagle has stood up to the hunts before. She has already said, in her own words, that packs of hounds cannot be safely controlled. She now has the power, as the head of Defra, to act on that knowledge. She must show conviction and end these loopholes for good, not hand the hunts another. Please sign our open letter/petition to Dame Angela Eagle and Baroness Sue Hayman, telling them to close all loopholes. Tell Angela Eagle to close all loopholes SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL

View email in browser Hi John, Birds connect our world through journeys that span thousands of kilometres. Behind every successful migration is a network of people working to protect wetlands, grasslands, coastlines and other vital places. Read some of the inspiring stories making that possible thanks to supporters like you. Want to inspire others? Click here to forward these highlights. Iconic places on a path to recovery Photographers across Europe capture some of the continent’s most-cherished nature sites, and how local communities, conservationists, scientists, and businesses are working at the heart of efforts to bring them back to health. Preview the photo series Samoa Conservation Society joins as BirdLife’s 125th Partner! We are thrilled to welcome Samoa Conservation Society as BirdLife International’s newest Partner, enhancing conservation action across the Pacific and strengthening our global Partnership. Advancing conservation across the Pacific Protecting Bolivia’s forest watersheds with sustainable finance With the support of BirdLife International’s Forest Impact Accelerator, our Partner in Bolivia is working on channelling long-term sustainable finance for Tunari National Park. Restoration is underway, communities are playing a stronger leadership role, and a new idea is taking shape that could secure the future of the forest. Why financing matters for forest restoration Supporter photo spotlight A big thank you to the photographer Isha Sona for sharing this beautiful shot of a small passerine on their balcony railing. Isha said: "A quiet moment captured as a small passerine bird rests along a balcony railing, overlooking a lush, green landscape under a softly clouded sky. Scenes like this remind us how wildlife seamlessly coexists with our everyday spaces. Often overlooked, these little birds play an important role in ecosystems—helping with seed dispersal and insect control. Whether it’s the early morning calm or the gentle evening breeze, moments like these offer a glimpse into the peaceful rhythm of nature just beyond our windows." Can you guess the species? Reach out to us with your answer. For your chance to be featured, send us your best shots and a short paragraph about it to: howtohelp@birdlife.org. Get your photography featured All gifts doubled for a limited time to give birds a lifeline The Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Egyptian Vulture, Bar-headed Goose and Bobolink may follow different routes across the world, but they share a common vulnerability. If even one vital wetland, grassland, coastline or stopover site is lost, the effects can ripple across an entire migration. We can meet this challenge by taking conservation action on a global scale but we need your help. Double your donation today Thank you for your support, Mairianne Walker | BirdLife International Supporter Team Image credit in order of appearance: The endemic Samoan Flycatcher © Bradley Hacker, Our Partner Asociación Armonía is leading restoration in Bolivia’s Tunari National Park © Asociación Armonía,Bobolink by Ray Hennessy/Shutterstock.com, Egyptian Vulture by Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock.com, Bar-headed goose by Nejib Ahmed/Shutterstock.com, Spoon-billed Sandpiper by Butterfly Hunter/Shutterstock.com, Indian Skimmers by Chaithanya Krishnan/Shutterstock.com, Bluethroat by mutinamatyas_photo/Shutterstock.com From £5 you can be part of our global community helping to bring birds back from the brink. Check out our memberships. NEW DESIGNS! Discover our brand-new collection for adults and children. Every purchase helps birds worldwide. Need a Will? Estate planning doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re offering a free, easy-to-use resource to help. Get started! LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

SENEDD VOTE FOR A BADGER CULL IN WALES—CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR SOME POLITICIANS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Govt petition launched to save the badgers of Wales It urgently needs your signature. PROTECT THE WILD JUL 24 READ IN APP After a debate in the Senedd last week, urgent action is needed to stop a badger cull in Wales. A Reform UK motion, urging the Welsh government to consider a badger cull, passed comfortably, with 79 votes for and 9 votes against. Strikingly, Plaid Cymru politicians voted hand in hand with Reform. It’s of little surprise that the Tories voted to consider a cull too. The Green Party and Labour were the two parties that voted with any sense. The motion is not binding at this stage, but it is a terrifying indication of what is likely to be around the corner for Wales’s badgers. Sign the Senedd petition Until now, Wales has focused on the actual driver of bovine TB: cow-to-cow transmission. It has put energy into better and more frequent testing, tighter cow-movement controls, and improved biosecurity. Today almost 95% of Welsh herds are officially TB-free, and the disease is at close to its lowest level in two decades. England, on the other hand, has murdered roughly a quarter of a million badgers, carrying out a senseless cull spanning 12 years. Under Keir Starmer, the Labour government labelled the killing spree “ineffective”. England’s decision to scapegoat and slaughter wild animals on a mass scale, in order to uphold a brutal farming industry, is barbaric to say the least. Sign the Senedd petition So why isn’t Wales proud of all it has achieved, without resorting to the slaughter of wild animals? The farming lobby has long demanded a cull, and both Reform and Plaid draw heavily on rural support. It is difficult to escape the suspicion that backing a badger cull is less about tackling TB effectively and more about keeping NFU Cymru and farming voters happy. Please sign the Senedd petition. We only need 10,000 signatures to ensure the issue will be considered for debate again. We can’t allow Wales’s badgers to suffer the same fate as those in England. We must fight this. Sign the Senedd petition SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

PROTECT THE WILD POST ON CAMBRIAN SPORTING RE DISCARDED DEBRIS OF EGGSHELL and LIVE CHICK

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more “I Could Hear Them Chirping Beneath the Eggs” Can you imagine finding a live chick in an egg dump? Now you don't have to. PROTECT THE WILD JUL 22 READ IN APP We recently published an article which described the shocking story of one of our undercover investigators finding a LIVE chick in a pile of discarded eggshells on a so-called ‘game farm’ (see ‘Thrown Away Alive’). One paragraph in particular stood out: “Using their hand, the investigator began carefully working through the debris. Within moments, they found the bird that was calling out: a live chick buried beneath the discarded shells of its siblings, too small and too weak to free itself.” Many supporters emailed us to express their admiration for the investigator, telling us that they couldn’t imagine what looking for and finding abuse and cruelty like this would feel like. Neither could we. We passed this back to the investigator, who suggested that they write a personal account. This is what you’re about to read… Supporters also wanted to know which so-called ‘game farm’ this took place on. We didn’t name the farm in the first article for the reasons we explained, but we’ve now discussed with the investigation team whether naming the farm would jeopardise current investigations. They are sure it won’t, and they explained that many locals oppose this particular operation and that this information will be important to their fight. And after all, we’ve done nothing wrong here. This is all on Cambrian Birds… Become a Game Changer “During years crawling in cow slurry, squeezing through gaps in a barn wall and seeing the continuous abuse that animals are subjected to, you build a thick skin to keep going. Sometimes, the thick skin is so heavy that I need to touch base with others and show them what I’ve filmed, just to understand how others react to the grim and abusive conditions animals are subjected to on a regular basis. Other times, the thick skin does nothing to protect you from what you have to see. Surrounded by sheep in lamb, on a still night in early summer, I walk towards Cambrian Birds’ hatchery. Cambrian Sporting (“an unforgettable day in the field”) has made headlines recently, with locals on the border between Shropshire and Wales organising against the takeover of the shooting grounds in multiple villages in the area. I don’t know what to expect, but I know that whatever comes out of it will aid those locals in their fight against Cambrian Birds with even more evidence of their disregard for anything that isn’t money. They did not disappoint. As I approach the farm, the stench hits me. The smell, a mixture of rotten eggs and decomposing corpses, makes it difficult to ignore the enormous pile of eggs and shells in the open field. Beside it sits a fresher trailer of eggshells. As I approach it, breathing heavily, I hear chirping. With my heart in my throat, I run towards the waste trailer. I can’t breathe. I notice it moves, but it doesn’t move like I would expect it to; it moves like quicksand, wavy, like a thick liquid. It isn’t a liquid, though, well, at least not all of it. The movement is maggots, tens of thousands of maggots, crawling, digging, seeking something else to eat. I almost don’t pay attention to the maggots because something else forces me to frantically search. The chirping is faint, but constant, and it seems to come from everywhere, so I don’t hesitate. I climb onto the edge of the trailer and start shifting the maggot-covered eggshells. My hands are shaking. I search desperately, shifting eggs, then stopping to listen, then shifting eggs again, in what feels like a soup of eggs, and egg waste, and maggots. For a while, it feels like an impossible task. I feel hopeless. But then I find a chick, tiny, and wet, and probably only minutes old, and they are alive. Become a Game Changer As I reach for the chick I realise how small they are, how fragile, how vulnerable. I no longer feel that knot in my throat. Now it is in my stomach, heavy, all-encompassing. How can anyone let such a tender creature be born in a pile of trash? How can anyone leave them to die, discarded like rubbish? I turn around and hand the chick to my colleague, who runs back to the vehicle to keep them warm. Meanwhile, I am back practically swimming in the trailer, trying to dig out all the other chicks I can hear chirping under the eggs. No matter how much I dig, shift eggs, and dig again. I cannot find them, even when I can hear them, and an hour after my colleague left for the car, I reluctantly decide to call it a night. I leave a camera pointing at that trailer, which the day after would film corvids and a Buzzard picking around the eggs and eating the chicks. Somehow, the Buzzard knew exactly where to look. I don’t know if I’d rather those chicks had survived the night, or had died before the Buzzard found them. When I get to the car, the chick looks dry and the feathers look better. They’ve been nursed between the heat of the aircon and the skin contact of their caregiver. They don’t look great, though, so we hurry back to put them under a brooder. The day after, when we woke up, the chick had passed. We laid them to rest under an ash tree, with cornflowers, clover and buttercups. Maybe another Buzzard found them too, or perhaps a fox cub learning to hunt. Either way, it fed the Earth. Silver linings, I suppose, even if they’re bitter. Sometimes, the thick skin serves only to keep the anguish inside. That experience was likely one of those, desperate, hopeless, but eye-opening. Cruelty knows no limits, not even when it comes to babies. I guess to them, in their twisted, sick tradition, that chick meant nothing. None of the birds they breed mean anything but the money they produce. But to me, that chick meant more than anyone could imagine. I will not rest until bird shooting is nothing but a shameful corner of our collective memory. Fly free, little one.” Video and images recorded by our undercover investigator at Cambrian Birds in 2025. We are working to END BIRD SHOOTING. This suffering has to stop. Please share this article. Share our socials. Follow us for updates. Become a Game Changer End Bird Shooting Over the coming months our campaign will look at the shooting industry at every level. We will highlight the suppliers — the farms, hatcheries, importers and breeders producing tens of millions of birds under conditions that would provoke public outcry if applied to any other animal. We will expose the providers — the estates and syndicates that take those factory-farmed birds and sell the experience of killing them as leisure. And we will look at the clients — the paying guns who are fully aware of the wildlife crime, the trapping of native predators, and the mass suffering involved, and who have decided that none of it is reason enough to stay away. This industry survives because suppliers supply, providers provide, and clients pay. We intend to examine them all. Join the movement. Become a Game Changer. Months of investigation like the work detailed above. Hundreds of hours of footage obtained and more being gathered. Farms across the UK exposed. We are at the beginning of something that we think will change everything. But we can’t do it on our own. We are asking you to become a Game Changer. To help us fund investigations, to stand with us as we take this fight forward, week by week, piece by piece, until the public, the media and the politicians can no longer look away. The first 500 people to sign up will receive a limited edition pin badge. This is the beginning. Be part of it. Become a Game Changer SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD—END THE GUGA HUNT

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more End the Guga Hunt Campaign Heads to Lush Stores One thing stood out above everything else: people care. DEVON DOCHERTY JUL 19 READ IN APP What happens when you spend four days asking complete strangers whether baby Gannets should still be beaten to death in the name of tradition? You discover just how ready people are for change. After seeing the work we’ve been doing to end the Guga Hunt, Lush invited us into their stores to raise awareness of the campaign. Their message to us was simple: they’d been following the campaign and wanted to help. To have our work recognised by such an iconic brand, with such a strong track record of standing up for animals, felt like a huge endorsement of the campaign and the impact it’s having. From investing millions in research to fight animal testing to backing grassroots environmental campaigns, Lush consistently uses their platform to fight for a better, fairer world, and we’re so grateful for their support of Protect the Wild. We spent two days in their Inverness store, home to the headquarters of NatureScot, the agency licensing the hunt. We spent another two days in Glasgow city, the second largest Lush store in the world, which is quite a feat considering Lush has over 886 stores worldwide in 52 countries! We must have spoke to hundreds of people over those four days. And while every conversation was different, one thing stood out above everything else: people care. A surprising number of people had already heard about the Guga hunt, and the overwhelming majority were firmly opposed to it. Those hearing about it for the first time were often visibly shocked. Much of our campaigning happens online, and that's vital for reaching huge numbers of people quickly and mobilising support when it matters most. But there’s something special about stepping away from the screen and having real conversations with people and sharing our passion for protecting wildlife in person. We hope it’s something we’ll get to do much more of in the future. One of the most heartening parts of the week, though, was speaking to several people from the Isle of Lewis, where the hunt originates. Supporters of the hunt often portray it as though it has unanimous support on the island. That simply isn’t true. We met islanders who told us they believe the hunt is outdated and should end. Their voices deserve to be heard too, and they were a powerful reminder that no community speaks with one voice. We also raised vital funds for the campaign through sales of our gorgeous Gannet plushies and by recruiting new Gannet Guardians. We were also incredibly grateful to receive a generous donation from Lush themselves. Aside from that we added loads more signatures to our petition calling on NatureScot to reject the Guga hunt licence, which is now sitting at 232,919!! With just two weeks until NatureScot decides whether to grant another Guga hunt licence, we're setting ourselves one final goal: 250,000 signatures by 3 August. If you haven't already, please add your name and help us get over the line. SIGN THE PETITION Thank you so much again to Lush and all of the wonderful people we spoke to in store. Together, we're building the movement that will finally bring the Guga hunt to an end. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

BIRD LIFE INTERNATIONAL

View email in browser John, we've just wrapped up the latest edition of our exclusive magazine, and we didn't want you to miss your chance to get it delivered straight to your door. When you become a World Bird Club Member, you will help to save birds from extinction, support disadvantaged communities in key wildlife spots and help protect vital habitats from the many threats they face today. Not only will you help birds and nature thrive, you'll gain access to the latest conservation news and breakthroughs with our quarterly magazine. >>Become a member today and get your free magazine>> With over 125 national Partners around the world, BirdLife – The Magazine offers a truly global perspective on modern conservation issues, as well as some incredible real-life stories. Choose your membership level today to unlock your free perks. Our cover star is the iconic Emperor Penguin. Worryingly, this beloved and instantly recognisable species is now Endangered on the IUCN Red List; with climate change being the primary factor in its decline. We delve into its plight, the state of its Antarctic habitat and the work BirdLife is doing to drive the decarbonisation of our economies. This is a necessary step if we are to safeguard the futures of both Emperor Penguin and the continent. Become a member to read the full feature, and others from around the Partnership, inside the issue: Guardians at the Edge Project work to conserve São Tomé and Príncipe’s endemic birds will benefit from funding donated from this year’s Global Birdfair event, held in the UK. Reviving Peatlands BirdLife’s Partner in Iceland, Fuglavernd, is working with partners including the RSPB to restore the country’s degraded wetlands for the good of well-known migratory waders. Net Losses Often illegal, the use of mist nets in Asia has an incredible impact on a huge diversity of birds – as revealed in new research into the practice. There’s also the latest news, scientific breakthroughs, reviews and ways to get involved, wherever you are in the world. Best wishes, BirdLife International Supporter Care Team Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International The David Attenborough Building Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

FROM PLANTLIFE—ALL ABOUT ‘NO MO MAY’ AND WHAT TO DO

Are you ready to cut your lawn? View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, Did you know that the No Mow Movement is a whole year long? We encourage people to share their gardens with nature by letting their lawns grow through the spring and early summer season. But after this, we actually recommend cutting it back, or at least part of it, and keeping it shorter for the rest of the year. This really helps to boost wildflower biodiversity by mimicking traditional hay meadow management practices. These practices have been going on for so long that our meadows, flora and fauna have adapted together. Find out how you can manage your garden for nature all year round with our No Mow Movement Calendar below. Visit our No Mow Calendar We cut in July because it allows later wildflowers to set seed and animals and insects to complete the parts of their life cycles that utilise long grasses. But after a summer of letting it grow - how and when do you start to mow your lawn? Our experts are on hand with all the top tips! If you've been letting it grow for the No Mow Movement, but you're wondering when and how you should cut back your long lawn - our experts have you covered! Join our Specialist Botanical Advisor Sarah Shuttleworth, in the video above, for some top tips for cutting back the grass when you're ready to mow. For more advice through the year, visit our No Mow Movement Calendar to garden for nature all year long. Our No Mow Movement might begin with May – but it’s just the start of the journey to manage our lawns for nature. We recommend cutting in July or August to follow that traditional hay meadow pattern, but you could also cut in September, cut part now and part later, or manage sections differently right through the year. Whatever your method, the No Mow Movement is for everyone! Thank you. Charley Adams, Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

FROM PLANTLIFE—NATURAL MEADOWS ARE A NATIONAL TREASURE

View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Dear John, For generations, meadows and people have worked together to survive – making food, supporting livelihoods and helping to combat climate change. Their history is our history. But as our connection with nature has dwindled, meadows have suffered too. Development, intensive farming and misguided tree planting have all left their mark on these landscapes. We’ve lost an estimated 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1930s. When we think of ‘national treasures’, we tend to think of people, but maybe it’s time we recognise nature as the national treasure it is? We can’t stand by and watch them vanish. With your support we can protect what’s left and restore so much more. Will you donate today to help protect these national treasures? A donation of £5 could help restore the biodiversity of 45m2 of meadow*. Donate Wildflower meadow We need to safeguard these irreplaceable meadows from future destruction and restore their wild plant and fungal diversity at scale. By donating today, you’ll be helping to secure the future of these national treasures. Protecting the UK’s irreplaceable meadows Supporting those that care for meadows Restoring more wildflower meadows across the UK Since 2013, Plantlife has led the creation and restoration of over 13,000 acres of wildflower meadow. But with you by our side, we can do so much more – please donate today. Donate Thank you for your support. Jo Riggall Grassland Advocacy Officer PS Our histories are intertwined. Their future depends on what we do now. You have the power to help protect these national treasures, please donate today. A tractor bails hay in a meadow This appeal represents Plantlife’s work to create a world rich in plants and fungi. Your gift will help support work from species recovery and habitat restoration to campaigning for policy change, and working in partnership with people. Your gift will be used in the most effective way possible to make a difference to nature. We can only continue our conservation work through the generosity of supporters like you. *using green hay. Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

DEAR ROAMERS AND YOUR RIGHT TO ROAM

The right to be cool Dear Roamers, Like many people last week, I sought out cool water and shade - not that I need an excuse, but this time it felt less like a choice than a necessity. Swimming in the Dart, I felt fortunate to have a place where I can reach and get into my nearest river. Yet I know that this is the exception. All across England and Wales, (as Tony Hawks discovered in his recent radio series), there are barriers to river and reservoir access. Signs decrying swimming as ‘dangerous’, warnings of ‘underwater machinery’, threats of prosecution and fines. As the continent sweltered through record-breaking temperatures, this culture of exclusion kicked up a gear. At Cheddar Reservoir, permissive access was closed by Bristol Water as temperatures climbed, citing concerns that people might try to swim. Earlier this year, the Peak District National Park Authority warned against swimming in rivers prompting a backlash forcing them to rethink their comms, and possibly who it is there to serve. Even the coast isn’t immune. A Newhaven beach, fenced off by its offshore owners, was broken into last week by exasperated locals seeking respite from the heat. In Poole Harbour, residents of Sandbanks have continued their campaign to remove a fence restricting access to the beach - an effort that appears to have borne fruit after the story attracted national attention, including the surreal moment when a BBC reporter spoke via a Ring doorbell to one of the beach owners who answered from Bermuda. In Wales, Dŵr Cymru issued social media warnings urging the public not to swim in waterbodies managed by them; their alarming claims about safety were subsequently and deftly dismantled by the British Mountaineering Council’s Eben Muse. Meanwhile the owner of Brombil Reservoir in South Wales seems to be suffering a crisis of intent - charging people to visit while simultaneously condemning public access and threatening visitors with hefty legal action. One might wonder what we are actually paying for. The reasons offered for the denial of this basic elemental relief are familiar: we’re at risk of drowning, poor water quality, blue-green algae, hidden hazards and causing ecological disturbance. Some are genuine and deserve clear information and sensible management – a wealth of information of which is provided by the Outdoor Swimming Society. Others are applied indiscriminately, regardless of local conditions, becoming blanket justifications for exclusion rather than invitations to help people access water safely and responsibly. Deaths in water do occur, and every one is a tragedy. But this is a crisis of education and opportunity to learn. It is also an issue of justice, as expertly outlined by Katie Parsons. As our climate warms, access to cool water and shade will increasingly become a question of who gets to stay safe and healthy during periods of extreme heat. Cooling down is not a luxury; it is becoming a public health necessity. Water should be understood as public infrastructure: a place to exercise, to play, to connect with nature and, increasingly, to escape dangerous summer temperatures. Finnamore Wood Vigil Like our rivers and reservoirs, most woodland in England is out of bounds. What little access we do have is precious. For residents near Finnamore Wood in Buckinghamshire, the prospect of a private superluxury development closing the paths used by local people for generations has come as a shock. Woods where children played are now being enclosed behind 2.4-metre-high fencing. On Saturday 18 July, local residents are holding a peaceful, family-friendly vigil to bear witness to the loss of these much-loved paths and call for access to be restored. There will be a short gathering, a moment of silence and the chance to write “love letters to the wood” for its trees, wildlife, footpaths and future generations. If you live nearby and you are able to show your support, please let the organisers know using the details below. Saturday 18 July, 1.00–2.30pm Meet at What3Words: ///cosmic.note.crazy, between nos. 7 and 9, SL7 2HU. Parking is limited, so please car share where possible. Lifts from Marlow or High Wycombe stations may be available by arrangement. For travel help or to let the organisers know you are coming, email finnamorewoodpreservationgroup@gmail.com. Right to Roam Print Shop Finally - a reminder that we’ve opened our print shop! A selection of Nick’s artwork is available for pre-order (closing for current orders on the 13th July), so if there’s a print you love from this batch, grab one now. Note: we had an issue with our payment system this week, so apologies to those who tried to purchase a print and were unable. It should be working now! As the campaign moves forward, we need to fund the work behind it. These prints are a way of directly supporting the campaign while taking home a beautiful piece of Wild Service artwork, something to hang on your wall that inspires conversation, connection, and care for the living world around us. Alternatively, if you are able to support the campaign with a monthly donation, please visit our website. The amount is entirely up to you. Introducing The Crow’s Nest - a Right to Roam Substack If you enjoy reading our newsletter, you might also like to take a look at our newly minted substack where we’ll be publishing occasional missives and longer reads on in-depth topics, as well as shorter posts on fast moving issues. As a primer you might like to read Jon’s eloquent response to eminent Geographer Nicholas’ Crane assertion that the access movement should be less political; Amy-Jane’s beautiful and mysterious act of wild service in the homeland of John Clare; or Guy’s front-footed contention that Manchesterism is a politics of land. Give them a read, and share with others. Please do encourage them to sign up to our newsletter too, which remains the primary place for campaign updates and actions. That’s all for now - see you out there. Lewis, and the Right to Roam team. ---------- Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. Want to get involved? Visit our website here. This campaign is made possible through small monthly donations from supporters like you. We are currently relying on only a few hundred monthly subscribers. Without growing that number, our work is at risk. Can you help keep us going by becoming a monthly subscriber? £5 / Month £10 / Month £15 / Month £20 / Month A newly erected fence blocking access to Finnamore Wood in Buckinghamshire - once a place for local people to walk and play. Take Action Visit our social accounts Check out our site This email was sent from this site. If you no longer wish to receive this email, change your email preferences here.

FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS—VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN BY SOME OF THE HUNTING COMMUNITY

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter HUNTING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN In March 2026 the BBC reported that ministers had declared a national emergency in response to the epidemic of violence against women and girls. The report also stated that “the UK government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.” Violence, misogyny and sexism have always been prominent within the hunting community, with overwhelming cases against female hunt saboteurs. We recently shared a series of social media posts highlighting this - but the sad fact is that there are still hundreds more instances that could have been shared. For example, after sabs scuppered a days hunting for the Northern Counties Mink Hounds, Charles Dent viciously targeted a female sab, causing damage to her head and neck. Charles Dent, previous chairman of Timothy Taylor brewery attacked a female sab after the Northern Counties Mink Hounds were caught illegally hunting by sabs. In November 2024 a lone female sab from Mendip Hunt Sabs was thrown to the ground and repeatedly punched in the head and kicked while she lay on the ground. The frenzied attack took place after the sab had gone to investigate a suspected dig out of a fox by the Mendip Hunt terrier men. As well as physically assaulting the sab the thugs stole her camcorder and body camera. Avon & Somerset Police took no further action, despite them claiming in their framework that violence against women and girls is a “forcewide priority.” Thugs from the Mendip Farmers Hunt. Over the past few seasons West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs (WMHS) have been documenting worrying and disturbing behaviour from hunt supporter Harry Sawyer. At the beginning of last season, he pushed a female saboteur, who was holding a placard, to the ground. The same saboteur that he has repeatedly harassed and attempted to intimidate by following her to the toilet and making false accusations about her to Warwickshire police, wasting their time. In February 2026, Sawyer purposely blocked WMHS vehicle on a public road. He then proceeded to assault a female sab by pushing her in the back before grabbing her arm and twisting it up her back. When asked a few weeks later if he thought women constitute as people, he struggled to muster a coherent answer. Around a year ago Warwickshire Police said this in response to the national report on Violence Against Women and Girls, “Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an unacceptable, preventable issue that blights the lives of many, and we have always taken it seriously in Warwickshire.” Harry Sawyer has been continually harassing and assaulting female sabs, so what are Warwickshire Police doing about it? In 2024 Simon Tomlinson, polo enthusiast, Beaufort landowner and friend of King Charles, viciously threw a female sab to the ground. This is the same Simon Tomlinson who had previously been handed a community resolution by Wiltshire Police for driving a quad bike at sabs on a public right of way. In 2023 Wiltshire Police announced their plans to improve the way they respond to violence against women and girls with their initiative entitled ‘Listening Circles.’ This was forged from feedback whereby almost 50% of women asked said they didn’t report a crime of violence against them as they felt they would not be taken seriously, or because of past experiences with the police. Despite this feedback and Tomlinson’s history of erratic violence, Wiltshire Police did not charge him for the attack on the female sab. Simon Tomlinson viciously pushed a female sab to the ground but Wiltshire Police decided to take no further action. Just last week Fred Ford, a rider with the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt (BSV) was found guilty of assault by beating. Ford, who is a regular rider with the BSV, Portman Hunt and the Devon & Somerset Staghounds, pinned a female sab to a gate while she was trying to access a public footpath. Even when the sab was on the phone to the police Ford continued to tighten his grip on her, until another sab was able to intervene. Furthermore, Fred’s son Charlie Ford, who is the huntsman for the Dorset & Somerset Bassetts, was recently found guilty of illegally hunting a hare. It appears that violence is a family tradition for the Ford’s. Fred Ford pinned a female sab against a gate before proceeding to tighten his grip on her. He was found guilty of assault by beating and ordered to pay costs totalling £1574. The HSA recently reported on the Albrighton & Woodland Hunt huntsman Paul Larby, and whipper in Phillipa Ward, who viciously attacked a Shropshire Wildlife Monitor in an unprovoked attack, leaving her eye severely swollen and bruised. The seemingly endless list of these kinds of attacks from hunters towards female sabs keeps increasing season after season. The volume of physical attacks reported on are shocking and deeply worrying, and this does not include incidents of verbal abuse where sexualised, misogynistic and threatening language is used to try and intimidate sabs, although this does also come hand in hand with physical attacks. For example, the attack by Cottesmore Hunt steward and butcher Gwilym Owen, who body-slammed a female sab to the floor then proceeded to stand over her whilst she knelt in the mud trying to get up. Another hunt member, Dean Cripps looked on laughing, whilst commenting that “Gwilym looks as though he’s enjoying being pleasured over there”. When the sab got back to her feet she was then thrown back down onto the floor. Cottesmore Hunt thugs get their kicks by throwing female sabs into the mud and making sexualised and misogynistic comments. The very nature of hunting is violent and sadistic and as we’ve seen recently from footage at the Coniston Foxhounds dig-out and the Stowe Beagles hare kill, young people, quite often children, are present at these hunts, exposing them to and normalising violence. Furthermore, the misogynistic language used towards female sabs, which is often laughed at by other hunt members, makes it appear acceptable to speak to women in this manner, setting a precedent for the younger generation. Students from a Buckinghamshire private school, which is home to the Stowe Beagles, congratulate each other as a hare is ripped apart by hounds. In response to a recent document collated by the HSA in relation to violence against female saboteurs author Carol J Adams gave the following statement; "Some of the thug-like actions against women hunt saboteurs remind me of the behaviour of ICE agents in the United States. These immigration agents, militarized under Trump into lawless action, have mostly escaped prosecution for attacking protestors. Like ICE agents, hunters and their supporters use misogynistic language when referring to women (‘cunt,’ ‘bitch,’etc). Sociological studies of violence suggest that objectifying language helps to create distance between the attacker and the victim, enabling them to see women as less than human.” 'Trail hunting' does not exist, but what does is the sickening violence within this community. Whether it is towards animals; wildlife, hounds and horses, or towards other people. There is a widely recognised correlation between those who abuse animals going onto commit violent offences against humans, with animal abuse being cited as an indicator of future violent offending. In a world where wildlife is hounded, hunted and torn apart, often in the presence of children and young people, violence towards humans comes hand in hand. ‘Trail’ hunting is not only a smokescreen for illegal hunting; it continues to facilitate the violence that hunts inflict upon those exposing it and stopping it. Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? 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FROM PROTECT THE WILD. ROB POWNALLIS OPPOSING FARAGE AS A FOX.

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Front cover of Britain’s most read paper Things we love to see! ROB POWNALL JUL 10 READ IN APP We just got the front page of the Metro. A fox, on the cover of Britain’s biggest paper, making the exact argument we’ve been making for years: Farage isn’t anti-establishment, he’s pro fox hunting, and those two things cannot both be true. Metro is the biggest paper in the country. 2.5 million people read it every day. That’s how many saw this today, for free. A full page ad in Metro costs upwards of £45,000. The front page alone would cost a quarter of a million. We got both, plus a full feature inside, without paying a penny, because the story stood up on its own. The inside piece let me say it straight: “You cannot get any more establishment than Farage, who supports fox hunting. How can you claim to be this man of the people, while supporting pastimes that involve ripping apart animals?” That’s the whole campaign in two sentences, printed in the paper more people read on their commute than anything else in Britain. Then the Telegraph ran it too. Never thought I’d see the day. They went back through Farage’s own words from Boxing Day, when he said you might as well ban walking dogs in the countryside because Labour were “authoritarian control freaks” for moving to ban trail hunting. They laid out Reform’s manifesto commitment to protect country sports, and Braverman defending the loophole in the Commons. That’s not us saying it. That’s the Telegraph, printing the paper trail in their own words. LBC and the BBC have picked it up since, both having to actually explain why a bloke in a fox costume is standing against Farage. Every time they do, hunting’s back in the conversation. That timing matters. The government’s just come out of its consultation on ending trail hunting and is deciding right now how far to go. Every headline like this is a reminder that this issue is toxic, that the public’s paying attention, and that finishing the job properly is the popular thing to do, not the risky one. On the vote splitting point, because people keep understandably raising it: I got 18 votes in Makerfield. There are now close to a dozen candidates standing in Clacton. I am not asking anyone to vote for me. I’ve said that from day one. This was never about winning a seat. It’s about making sure that every time Farage tries to sell himself as the outsider, someone’s stood there in a fox costume reminding the country he’s spent his career defending the hunt. None of this happens without people backing it. If you want British wildlife staying in this conversation for the rest of the by-election, become a monthly donor Donate to Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

IS THIS THE END OF GUGA AS A ‘PRIZED DELICASY’. IT’S CRUEL IT SHOULD BE OUTLAWED

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Government watchdog rules Guga hunt is inhumane This is the beginning of the end for the Guga hunt. DEVON DOCHERTY JUL 8 READ IN APP This may be the most significant development in the fight to end the Guga hunt yet. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) has concluded that it is “unaware of a humane way” to kill Gannets during the Guga hunt. In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, SAWC Chair Professor Cathy Dwyer set out the results of the Commission’s review into the animal welfare aspects of the hunt, which involves up to 2000 Gannet chicks being killed on the remote Scottish island of Sula Sgeir every year. It’s done for nothing more than a cruel tradition, with the bird’s flesh eaten as a “prized delicacy.” SIGN THE PETITION SAWC concluded that there is no reasonable way to ensure Gannet chicks are spared unnecessary suffering as they are captured from their nests and killed by blunt force trauma. But the Commission’s concerns extended far beyond the moment of death. They recognised that the hunt subjects Gannets to fear, anxiety, and distress caused by human activity. This includes the fear experienced by chicks as they are captured and handled by hunters, and the distress of parent birds forced to witness their chicks being removed and killed. They warned that prolonged disturbance can lead to nest abandonment, leaving chicks to starve. As for the impact on other breeding seabirds who share Sula Sgeir with the Gannets, the Commission highlighted that disturbance is one of their greatest conservation threats. SAWC consulted the Humane Slaughter Association during their review, and we'll let their conclusions speak for themselves: The current method raises serious welfare concerns at every stage, not just stunning/killing: capture, restraint, and handling, would all cause significant distress. It is difficult to reconcile the current procedure with NatureScot’s own licence condition that birds should be killed humanely, especially if one considers every action from the point of capture to be part of the killing process. The Scottish SPCA also objects to the killing method and remains opposed to the Guga hunt on animal welfare grounds. That's three of the country's leading animal welfare authorities all reaching the same conclusion: the Guga hunt is inhumane. Why is this so significant? This marks the first time that advice against the Guga hunt has come from a Government-appointed body. SAWC are not campaigners or an outside animal welfare organisation. They are the Scottish Government’s independent advisory body on animal welfare. The Commission is made up of leading experts in veterinary science, animal welfare and animal behaviour, whose role is to provide independent advice to Scottish Ministers on animal welfare policy. Since petitions against the hunt began gathering momentum last year, the Scottish Government has maintained that it has no plans to outlaw the hunt and gave repeated assurances about humane killing. Now, their own experts say that humane killing simply isn't possible under the conditions on Sula Sgeir. They cannot disregard this. As we alluded earlier, another reason this is so significant is that one of NatureScot’s key licence conditions is that birds “must be killed immediately and in a humane manner.” There is now robust evidence this condition cannot be met, fundamentally undermining the basis on which any future licence could be granted. How can NatureScot grant a licence requiring humane killing when the Scottish Government’s own advisors say humane killing is impossible? They can’t. Not this year. Not next year. Not ever. This should be the end of the Guga hunt. This ruling not only paves the way for NatureScot to reject this year’s licence, but for the Guga hunt to be outlawed completely. What can you do? Here’s where you come in. The most immediate threat to the Gannets is this year’s licence being granted, and that’s down to NatureScot. We need thousands of people contacting NatureScot to make sure these damning new findings can't be ignored. The experts have spoken, and it’s time to listen. EMAIL NATURESCOT We have an easy e-action tool to help you email NatureScot it under a minute ⬆️ We’ve now changed the wording of that email to acknowledge the new development. Some of you had problems sending the email and received an invalid address error. We’ve done everything we can to fix this, so please try again. If you have already sent an email, you may wish to leave a comment on NatureScot’s Facebook or Instagram posts to remind them to stop the Guga hunt. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

AMY OF MARINE CONSERVATION TALKS ABOUT THE BIG SEAWEED SEARCH

Big Seaweed Search, rockpooling guides and positive ocean news View in browser Marine Conservation Society logo Donate Join Shop Learn | News | Good Fish Guide Different species of seaweed are picture in a rockpool The Big Seaweed Search returns Get involved from 27th July - 2nd August Credit: National History Museum Hi John, Thank you to everyone who joined us for our World Ocean Week celebrations last month. It was brilliant to see thousands of you get stuck into our activities and events and we hope you enjoyed connecting with our marine environment and like-minded ocean enthusiasts. This month, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of our Big Seaweed Search partnership with the Natural History Museum. From the 27th July – 2nd August, citizen scientists from across the UK will be heading out to the coast to record the different types of seaweed present, and we’d love for you to join in! This free, fun activity is suitable for all ages and you can find all the resources and training you need on our website. Go seaweed spotting > Summer means there are plenty of opportunities to explore the coast and the wonderful marine life living there. Learn how to identify species in rockpools with our video guide, write a letter to our ocean for our latest campaign, or give yourself a good dose of positive ocean news. Let's dive in. Staff member Amy is smiling at the camera wearing a light pink jumper. Amy Digital Channels Manager A small yellow sea slug is pictured on the surface of a rockpool, surrounded by seaweed Credit: Samara Skyrne What wonders will you discover? Rockpooling guides From tiny crabs to spiky anemones, there’s a whole world of marine life waiting to be discovered in rockpools. Our videos take you through how to safely explore these fascinating pools and offer top tips to spotting what's living beneath the waves. Let's go rockpooling > Durdle door is pictured from a nearby cliff. The blue waters sparkle in the sunshine as the sea laps over the white sand Credit: Grace Westgarth Share your hopes for our ocean Post to the coast Write or draw a message to our future ocean, sharing your hopes for healthy seas. This simple, creative activity is a great way to connect with the ocean and think about how we can help protect it for future generations. Your entry can be a word, letter or drawing and the whole family can get involved - the deadline is 24th July. Submit your entry > A small yellow sea slug is pictured on the surface of a rockpool, surrounded by seaweed Credit: Rob Stillwell It's not all doom and gloom Positive ocean news With our latest oyster deployment underway in South Wales, a new water pollution monitoring scheme and a photography exhibition to celebrate marine life, the past month brought some more good news for our seas. Celebrate ocean wins > Facebook logo Threads logo Instagram logo LinkedIn logo Bluesky logo Contact Us General 01989 566017 info@mcsuk.org Membership membership@mcsuk.org Beach cleans beachwatch@mcsuk.org Fundraising fundraising@mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG. Contact us | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe

PROTECT THE WILD—NATURE SCOTLAND—PROTEST AND ALL ABOUT GUGA AGAIN

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more We Protested Outside NatureScot as their Board Discussed the Guga Hunt This morning, we were there. DEVON DOCHERTY JUL 2 READ IN APP This morning, we were there. As NatureScot’s Board gathered to discuss the Guga hunt licence application, we were outside their headquarters - with placards, megaphones and Gannet suits, reminding them that they have the power to stop this hunt, and the responsibility to do so. Yesterday, we asked you to email NatureScot’s Board ahead of the meeting. Thousands of you took the time to make your voices heard - and we wanted to represent them in person. We’re so grateful to the incredible people who showed up to support us today and stand up for Gannets, despite it being so early in the morning on a weekday in the Scottish Highlands! For too long, decisions about the Guga hunt have been made quietly behind closed doors. It’s about time that changed. Whether they agreed with us or not, at least they couldn’t ignore us. But today’s protest wasn’t just about putting pressure on NatureScot. It was also about raising awareness of a hunt that far too few people know still happens. It’s already generated significant media coverage, and we’re expecting to feature on STV News at Six this evening. Every interview and article is another opportunity to expose the Guga hunt to thousands more people. What happened at the meeting? Not much. The Board had set aside 40 minutes to discuss the process for assessing the Guga hunt licence application. In the end, the discussion lasted less than eight minutes, and not a single Board member asked a question. To be clear, the Board wasn’t deciding whether to grant the licence today. They were being given an overview of the licensing process, the legal framework NatureScot must follow, and an insight into the scientific review that is currently being conducted. Perhaps they were reluctant to comment while they’re still awaiting the results of that review. Even so, I’d hoped to hear a little more engagement from the Board. This is, after all, the process that will ultimately determine whether hundreds of baby Gannets get to live or die, and their silence on that is concerning. What’s next? NatureScot’s Board will meet again in early August to discuss the results of their new analysis and decide whether or not to grant the licence to kill. We’ll let you know as soon as the results of that review are available and when we have a concrete date for the decision next month. In the meantime, we’ll be scrutinising every development, continuing to make the case for Gannets, and doing everything we can to ensure NatureScot makes the right decision. P.S. Some of you reported an “invalid address” error with our email tool. That’s now been fixed, so we’d really appreciate it if you could re-send your email to NatureScot now! EMAIL NATURESCOT Adopt a Gannet - Power the fight against the Guga hunt! If you’re reading this, you’re probably already part of the movement to end the Guga hunt. Whether you’ve signed a petition, emailed NatureScot, shared our campaign or joined us at a protest, thank you. But if we’re going to win, we need the resources to keep fighting. Every investigation, animation, protest, report and media campaign is only possible because people like you chip in a few pounds each month. ADOPT A GANNET If you’re able to, please consider symbolically adopting a Gannet with a monthly donation. As a thank you, we’ll send you one of our limited edition soft Gannet plushies - a reminder of the birds you’re helping to protect, and of the campaign you’re helping power until Britain’s last seabird hunt is finally brought to an end. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

AN INTERESTING NOTE FROM ROGER FROM BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL

View email in browser Hi John, I'm Roger, a BirdLife International supporter, and I’m doing a Supporter Takeover email today to share why this work matters so much to me, and why I hope it will matter to you too. I still remember the moment I saw the Rarotonga Monarch in 2009. It was one of those rare experiences that stays with you. Seeing such a beautiful bird filled me with wonder, but also with a deep sense of how precious and fragile these species are. Later, when I read about other monarchs that urgently need help, I felt I could not simply admire birds and hope for the best. I decided to support the Fatu Hiva Monarch because I wanted to do something real to help protect birds whose future is far from secure. For me, this work matters because too many birds are disappearing, for too many reasons. That can feel heartbreaking. But it also reminds me how urgently BirdLife International’s work is needed, and how much hope there is when people choose to act together. Supporting BirdLife International feels like a way of showing up for that beauty, that life, and that chance to protect it while we still can. What inspires me about being a supporter of BirdLife International is that, together, we are not standing by while species vanish. BirdLife is bringing people together across countries and continents to protect birds, the habitats they depend on. That kind of commitment gives me hope, and it is why I am proud to support this work and to share this message with you. If you are like me and you have been thinking about supporting BirdLife International, I would encourage you to take that step today. Please make a donation if you can. Birds need our help now, and they need it at both a national and international level. Every act of support matters, and every gift is a sign that these remarkable birds are not being left behind. Have your donation doubled to give birds a lifeline And if you already give, like me, I hope you might also reach out to friends and family so that, together, we can support BirdLife International in every way we can. Thank you for caring and for giving me a chance to share this message with you. Best wishes, Roger (a fellow supporter of BirdLife International) P.S I know all donations are being matched up to $20,000 thanks to another generous supporter to give birds around the world a lifeline. This is a real great opportunity to have your donations doubled. Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International The David Attenborough Building Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

TODAY IS NATIONAL MEADOWS DAY SAY PLANTLIFE

It's almost National Meadows Day! View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, We're getting ready to celebrate, because on Saturday (4 July) it's National Meadows Day! For centuries, meadows have shaped the history of our landscapes and been central to our communities and culture. Our stories are intertwined with meadows. We have cared for meadows for generations, but now they are at more risk than ever. That's why this year we are calling on you to celebrate the meadows near you, the communities who care for them and the stories they can tell us. Take part in National Meadows Day We must act together to share these stories and stop these precious parts of our heritage from fading away. We need to value them again – for nature, climate and people. Here’s some ways you can take part in #NationalMeadowsDay: Share your meadow story on 4 July - chat to your friends or family in person or post on social media. You could shout out a farmer or community group working to protect these habitats. share a photo or video from your favourite meadow or share an anecdote or memory. Let’s fill social media with meadows, using the hashtag #NationalMeadowsDay and tagging us (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Bluesky). Write to your local politician and ask them to support farmers and communities who care for wildflower-rich meadows. You can find a template to use by following the link below. Help protect our meadows It's time to rediscover the important connection between meadows and people. Thank you. Charley Adams, Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.