WADER APPEAL FROM THE BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNITHOLOGY

View this email in your web browser Banner: Curlew, by Neil Calbrade / BTO Together we can create a brighter future for these wonderful birds Dear John My name is Sam Franks. I'm a Senior Research Ecologist here at BTO, and I'm passionate about wading birds like Lapwing, Snipe, Curlew and Redshank. I want to share with you information about the serious challenges they face, the important work that BTO is undertaking for these vulnerable birds, and how your support can help their recovery. Whether it's the swooping display and 'pee-wit' calls of a breeding Lapwing or the haunting cry of a Curlew over a hay meadow, our breeding waders give us some of the most iconic sights and sounds of the countryside. Yet, with their numbers in serious decline, there is a real danger that these experiences could become just a distant memory. Lapwing and Curlew numbers have sadly decreased in the UK by over 50% in the last 30 years, which is why I am asking you today to donate to help them. BTO needs your help today, to restore and protect wader populations. Please give what you can. Donate here today Nesting on the ground, waders are especially vulnerable to predators and habitat change. Waders are one of our most threatened groups of birds, with BTO data documenting severe declines. While conservation efforts, such as agri-environment schemes, habitat restoration and the development of protected areas, have shown signs of stemming some declines, we need to do more and we need to do it now. Curlew, by Rich Bunce Walking Photographer / BTO Curlew Currently only one in eight chicks survive Golden Plover, by Paul Hillion / BTO Redshank Numbers have fallen rapidly, with a 45% decrease since 1995 Golden Plover Its mournful fluty call, evocative of wild places, is now ever rarer BTO is a cornerstone of national efforts to recover breeding wader populations, working in three key areas: collecting evidence, testing solutions to save eggs and chicks, and engaging and supporting stakeholders in wader conservation. Your support can help our work to reverse their declines and create a brighter future for these wonderful birds. Here are some of the projects we need support for, in order to help these vulnerable species. Curlew Solutions Trial BTO has played a leading role in design, data collection and analysis for a pivotal project to assess the evidence for solutions that improve Curlew breeding success. Headstarting This is a promising conservation tool for Curlew recovery which involves collecting eggs from nests at risk of destruction, rearing the hatched chicks in captivity and releasing them into the wild. Working with farmers We are working with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the Bolton Estate and farmers to collect vital information on vulnerable Curlew populations. With your help there's hope - of finding the most effective ways to protect breeding waders, ensuring their beautiful calls and displays grace our skies for years to come. Find our more and donate to this transformational work. Give Thank you so much for all your support - together we can make a difference for birds. With best wishes, Sam Franks Senior Research Ecologist Dunlin, by Gray Images / BTO You have received this email because your email address is subscribed to BTO email. The British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU Registered Charity No. 216652 (England & Wales) SC039193 (Scotland) Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

FROM THE BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNITHOLOGY - A MEMBERS UPDATE

The BTO logo – Birds Science People View this email in your web browser Puffin, by Sarah Kelman / BTO Dear John, Welcome to the Members Edition of the May BTO newsletter. Some broods of Blue Tits and Great Tits have already left the nest, while others are still receiving beakfuls of caterpillars from their busy parents. Migrant warblers are largely on eggs and our seabird colonies are a hive of activity. Elsewhere, returning Swifts have prompted posts of joy on social media, all adding to the sense of a busy spring. BTO staff and volunteers have been equally busy, as evident from the stories included below. The biggest of these stories concerns the results of the recent Winter Gull Survey, which make for alarming reading. The data from this survey provide vital evidence that will support policies aimed at helping this familiar group of species. Help BTO's work to restore wader populations Waders are one of our most threatened groups of birds, with BTO data documenting severe declines. Nesting on the ground, they are especially vulnerable to predators and habitat change. While conservation efforts, such as agri-environment schemes, habitat restoration and the development of protected areas, have shown signs of stemming some declines, we urgently need to do more. That's why we are asking for your support through our new fundraising campaign. Learn more and donate here Curlew chicks, by Harry Ewing / BTO Rethinking how we feed garden birds As reported in last month's newsletter, the best practice advice around garden bird feeding has changed, following an 18-month review of the scientific evidence led by the RSPB and involving BTO and other partners. BTO Senior Research Ecologist Dr Kate Plummer was one of the scientists on the group that reviewed published evidence on the pros and cons of feeding wild birds. In a new BTO blog, Kate sets out the rationale behind the conclusions reached. Read the blog Blue Tit, by Jill Pakenham / BTO Nesting Neighbours Prize Draw! Our Nesting Neighbours project is designed to help us improve our understanding of Britain's breeding birds. Whether you're already signed up or completely new to the scheme, it's the perfect time to get involved because we're running a prize draw this season for all Nesting Neighbours participants! Green Feathers are giving two Nesting Neighbours participants the chance to win a £175 voucher each to spend in their online shop, which stocks a range of wildlife camera and nest box kits. To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is submit a record for the 2026 nesting season by midnight on Sunday 21 June! (T&Cs apply) Get involved Cover and pages from BTO News Latest News Wintering waterbirds Half a century of Wetland Bird Survey data provide a unique insight into changing waterbird populations, as a new paper shows. Wintering trends have become more negative over the past 25 years, and there is an urgent need to better understand why. Pintails, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO We need to act now A new study, involving BTO staff and using data from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey, shows that actions taken during the next 20 years will be crucial if we are to mitigate the worst effects of climate and land-use change for Britain's biodiversity. Golden Plover, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO Winter Gull Survey results The results of the recent Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) have just been published and reveal substantial population declines for four of the five main wintering species. While Herring Gull numbers have remained largely stable over the last 20 years, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Great Black-backed Gull had all experienced notable declines. Over the two decades since the last WinGS, the total number of gulls wintering in the UK has decreased from 3.9 million to just under 2.5 million. The substantial overall downturns in wintering gull populations largely reflect broader declines affecting these species across their geographical range. The drivers of these downturns include the impacts of avian influenza, changes in land use and agricultural practices, climate change, and updates in waste management and fisheries discards practices. Although not all the gulls that winter in the UK stick around to breed here, some do, so these declines in wintering gull counts also have implications for the numbers encountered in the UK during the summer months. Common Gull, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO Thank you for your continued support! Happy birding, The BTO Membership Team DONATE VOLUNTEER British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU. www.bto.org | info@bto.org. Registered Charity no. 216652 (England & Wales) SC039193 (Scotland). Company Limited by Guarantee no. 357284 (England and Wales) Unsubscribe from the BTO e-newsletter

FROM FRIENDS OF THE EARTH - TOXIC WASTE - JELLY FISH - AND MORE

View in browser Dear John, This month I want to share some of the latest hopeful stories from around Friends of the Earth – from reopening railway stations to the rainforests of Malaysia. Let us know which is your favourite. Getting back on track After an absence of over 80 years, passenger services have resumed at 3 train stations in South Birmingham – the result of years of local campaigning supported by Birmingham Friends of the Earth. This victory highlights the hope our local action groups bring to their communities. As a Friends of the Earth supporter, you’re part of that story too. So why not put up a free Hope Starts Here poster – order yours today. ORDER MY POSTER Sending the frackers packing This just in – North Yorkshire County Council has made its formal decision about fracking in Burniston, near Scarborough. And it’s a NO. We’re really proud to have supported the local community’s epic campaign to stop Europa Oil and Gas’s plans for so-called low-level fracking. Which risked being approved because of a loophole in England’s fracking ban. Want to help close the loophole? Email energy secretary Ed Miliband today. I'LL ADD MY VOICE Anti-fracking protesters stand outside the council buildings in Scarborough Investigation into Malaysian timber announced Timber Development UK – the UK's largest timber trade body – has announced it is investigating Malaysian timber imports, following our exposé in March. This is a win for our campaign to clean up tainted timber and UK supply chains. We're pursuing this work with the UK government and industry – so watch this space. And if you want to help keep the pressure up, it’s not too late to sign our petition. I'LL SIGN THE PETITION Clean water makes the King’s speech With this week’s hot weather, millions of people have been getting back in the water. So it was positive to hear the Clean Water Bill announced in the King’s speech – meaning the government is due to sort our filthy water soon. Now it’s up to all of us to make sure it gets it right. For nature and for everyone taking a dip this summer. I'LL SIGN THE PETITION Wellbeing through nature Next Wednesday we’re hosting our second free Postcode Gardener webinar. This one is set to be a real treat. Over this hour-long session, you’ll learn about our innate connection to nature and its healing powers. Then we’ll take the time to slow down and reset with a guided meditation. 😌🌱 Wednesday 3 June, 7 pm to 8 pm. We hope to see you there! (And if you can’t make it, sign up and we’ll send you a recording.) I'LL RESERVE MY PLACE A photo of a man standing in a wood. Text 'Rooted in resilience: cultivating wellbeing through nature. Wednesday 3 June 7-8pm. Hosted by Ciaran McLoughlin, Postcode Gardener, Manchester I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s news round up. With the hottest ever May temperatures recorded this week, and the rise of anti-climate action candidates in the local elections, we know we’ve got our work cut out. But there’s a lot going on around our network that gives us hope. I hope it’s working for you too. Beset wishes, Aleanna, Friends of the Earth About us Supporter promise Privacy policy Contact us DONATE This email was sent to spanishjohnedwards@gmail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? Unsubscribe from this list We send communications to our supporters who have opted in to receive emails from us. Friends of the Earth Limited. Reg. No. 01012357. Incorporated in England and Wales. Registered office: Friends of the Earth The Printworks 139 Clapham Road London, SW9 0HP United Kingdom Copyright © Friends of the Earth Limited

FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS - HUNTING - SHOOTING - & DEAD BIRDS

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter SUMMER SNARING IS UNDERWAY Spring has sprung and Summer is getting underway. Many animals have spent months breeding, and many of their young will be starting to wander further from their home. Out in the countryside, HSA supporters are beginning to stumble across signs of wildlife persecution on shooting estates. Season of persecution This is the time of year when shooting estate gamekeepers, particularly on the grouse moors, ramp up their grim practices. Paid to eradicate undesirable species from shooting estates, ‘predator control’ is carried out to protect birds that undesirable humans will pay hundreds if not thousands of pounds to shoot. Gamekeepers will use snares to target areas animals will frequent; often close to watercourses or on paths through the undergrowth. These horrific sites must also be easy for keepers to access. Though these images were taken on moorland, the same logic applies anywhere which snares are deployed. Stink pits are used to lure in victims. Snares, such as the ones in this article, are also often set around “stink pits” (piles of dead animals) are used as bait to attract unfortunate foxes and badgers. The animals which form a stink pit are often the victims of traps and bullets elsewhere on the estate. The pile of corvids at this particular site suggests Larsen and ladder traps may be found elsewhere. The dumping of dead animals is governed by strict regulations; local trading standards or other environmental enforcement bodies may be interested to hear about stink pits. Particularly if they are placed near watercourses, as this one was. Further footage of a gruesome stink pit can be seen here. https://www.huntsabs.org.uk/shocking-stink-pits-exposed-spotlight-on-shocklach-hall/ Scotland and Wales see sense In England, though it is currently legal to snare foxes, snares are indiscriminate. ‘Non target’ species, such as badger, hare, deer, dogs and cats are regularly captured and harmed by snares and other traps. On the moorlands, endangered Mountain hare are also at risk of a long, lingering death, caused by panicked strangulation in these disgusting traps. Northern Counties Mink Hunt rumbled While pro shooting propaganda claims that snares are only used to ‘restrain’ an animal, while they wait hours for a gamekeeper to come and shoot them, the reality is that being caught in a snare is a brutal experience. Despite alleged best practice guidelines, the struggling animal will cause the wire snare to tighten around them causing lacerations and internal injuries. It’s no wonder that the Scottish and Welsh governments have now banned snaring, despite the desperate attempted rebranding of snares as ‘humane cable restraints’ by the shooting industry. Routine cruelty The reality is that traps and snares provide convenience and routine to a gamekeeper's duties. Regulations say that snares must be checked daily; a task which may form a significant part of a keepers daily round. Without being able to litter shooting estates with brutal contraptions, keepers would need to do much more sitting around with guns, covering a smaller area at a time. Though, arguably, this would be more efficient in some ways, we aren’t arguing for one form of killing over another! Despite a ban on snaring in Wales, keepers on the Welsh Ruabon Moor estate were caught using snares in 2025. Showing that the shooters aren’t at all intending to give up their tools without a fight and demonstrating a need for boots on the ground! https://www.greenbritainfoundation.co.uk/updates/landmark-investigation-first-formal-illegal-snare-use-case-since-bans-in-wales-an Repeat offenders The video and images in this report were sent in to the HSA from the notorious Moscar Estate in Derbyshire. Wildlife persecution is well documented on this estate on the websites of Moorland Monitors and Hunt Investigation Team. Notably, an ex gamekeeper was caught snaring badgers in summer 2020. Badgers are protected in legislation, therefore it is illegal to target them with snares. https://huntinvestigationteam.org/moscar-estate-files/ The government has launched a public consultation on Trail Hunting – this is our chance to stop cruel hunting for good. You can read the HSA’s guidance and take part in the consultation here. The deadline is 18th June 2026 – make sure your voice is heard. Take part in the Trail Hunting Consultation now: Have your say 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

FROM THE RIGHT TO ROAM

CAUTION: May contain traces of public enjoyment Dear Roamers, Record-breaking temperatures. A bank holiday weekend. We all know what happens next: like any toasty mammal, we head en masse to the nearest water in the hunt for a refreshing dip. Such days can feel like a Great British Bacchanalia, with the headlines to boot. But for those not blessed with shady gardens or a nearby lido, access to the water is fundamental; the desire for it, inescapable. As the climate heats and such events become more frequent and intense, you’d therefore assume we’d follow our European neighbours in treating access to water as an essential piece of social infrastructure. After all, in large parts of the continent, swimming in rivers, lakes and reservoirs is not only permitted but actively supported by the state. In France, for instance, water is considered 'res communis' – part of the common heritage of the nation. Many mayoralties declare their municipal reservoirs as baignade surveillée (supervised swimming zones) with safe swimming areas demarcated and lifeguards put on hand. In Sweden, under its famous principle of Allemansrätten, access to water is a right. Impromptu signage happily lists the things you can do in a watercourse before reminding you of the things you can’t (at one lake: ‘swim, jump, dive – but NO SOAP’). Alas, in England and Wales, such enlightened municipalism is apparently still beyond us. This week, the Peak District National Park Authority put up social media posts which spoke of wild swimming in a tonal register usually reserved for crack cocaine, warning sweaty visitors not to ‘enter the water at any time in the National Park’ unless as part of an organised event. Swimming is ‘not permitted in any reservoir’ it continued, with a stiff reminder that ‘many rivers are privately-owned, have fishing rights, or are designated for the protection of wildlife’. Why, you might ask, was any of this - with the exception of wildlife protection - a concern of the National Park Authority? After all, park authorities are public bodies, whose statutory purpose is to promote and protect public enjoyment of the parks, not to serve as a police force for private water companies or riparian landowners. The backlash was rapid and extensive, and the post was replaced. In the meantime, we fixed it for them. Still, it’s a pattern. Private water companies can afford to be indifferent to the public interest in the reservoirs they manage (but did not build). Easier, in their view, to send out the private security than make provisions for recreational use. And even public-spirited landowners can be anxious about liability and hazards on the waterways they control. Meanwhile, many of our rivers have either been treated as dumping grounds for sewage and industrial agriculture, or as exclusive playgrounds for those who can afford the fishing rights. Use of the water itself (as opposed to the banks and bed) remains legally disputed: a grey area which leads to conflict, and rule by those most willing to be aggressive. There are, of course, genuine safety issues with wild swimming in inland waters, just as there are at sea. A small number of tragedies occur every year, and 2026 has sadly proved no different. Yet the widespread culture of prohibition has done little to prevent them. Public communication is wasted on admonition when it could be used for education. For neutral, practical advice on swimming in reservoirs and wild waters this summer, we recommend the resources provided by our friends at The Outdoor Swimming Society. Share them with friends and family. And continue to campaign for the Right to Swim. Fundraising Update Many thanks to those of you who signed up as supporters following our appeal last week. We’re now just over a sixth of the way to our target to keep the campaign going. We’re hoping to announce some special benefits for new and existing subscribers shortly, so if you can afford to help keep the campaign rolling, now’s the perfect time. To become a supporter, visit righttoroam.org.uk/donate or follow the link in the footer – you’ll get an automatic link to a dashboard which lets you update your details and cancel any time. Imagine being able to swim without some puce-faced fella feeling entitled to yell at you while you’re shivering in your swimmers. Sure, Netflix passes the time. But for the same price, you can buy the priceless. Local Group Announcements Kernow 9th June – Following a great session at the Folk Fayre in Redruth, Kernow Right to Roam will be hosting a screening of Our Land at Verdant Brewery Taproom in collaboration with Brewing Folk and our friends at The Stone Club. Come along to watch the film, have a beer and a chat, and find out how to get involved with the local campaign. Leicestershire 14th June – the group are meeting for a botany-themed walk followed by a wee trespass. Meet at 10.30am at a layby on the 'Top Brand' road, North West Leicestershire (What3words: https://what3words.com/instructs.finders.having). The walk will take approximately two hours over a distance of two and a half miles. Bristol 17th June – The Bristol group will be meeting at Cafe Kino for an introductory evening session on the Right to Roam campaign, trespass planning, a workshop navigating interactions with landowners, and a trespass story exchange. Sign up on Headfirst here. Stoke and the Shires 27th June – After a successful first walk surveying the deteriorating Right of Way network in the local area, the newly founded Stoke and Shires Right to Roam group will be meeting again for a walk. To find out more follow them on Instagram @right2roamstoke, or drop them an email at right2roamstoke@gmail.com. Our Land in the Financial Times Finally, if you still haven’t seen Our Land, here’s some encouragement from the Financial Times. They’ve just released an excellent four-star review of the film, which they describe as a ‘stunning documentary about the ever more inaccessible English countryside’. Its critic writes: “Our Land features some of the most beautiful English vistas imaginable. Enjoy them on screen if you can, because you’re unlikely to visit them in person any time soon: vast swaths of the English countryside are fenced off by their owners, whereas in Scotland, freedom to roam is a public right.” A full list of screenings is available here. P.S – thanks to Scottish access legend, Dave Morris, who not only drove through the Land Reform Act in 2003 but also spotted a broken link our last newsletter. So if you missed the link to the Guardian news story on Our Land, it’s here. Keep roaming (and swimming). Jon, on behalf of 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 The graphic used by the Peak District National Park for a misguided post about wild swimming. 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 PROTECT THE WILD - ANOTHER INFORMATIVE POST

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more 'Enrichment'? Whatever the industry decides it means A short history of how the shooting industry has been left to police itself. PROTECT THE WILD MAY 24 READ IN APP This is the second piece we have published on the subject of enrichment in pheasant and partridge breeding cages - or rather, the lack of it (see Empty Cages, Empty Claims). We are returning to the topic because we believe it matters too much to leave at a single post. The conditions our investigators documented demand context: the history of how this industry has been warned, studied, guided, and left to police itself, and why - years later - the wire cages used for breeding pheasants and partridges remain as bare as ever. The shooting industry did not stumble into its enrichment problem by accident. It was warned. It was studied.It was given a code of practice, a body of government-commissioned research, and years of regulatory expectation. But here it is in 2026 - still putting a block of wood in a wire cage and calling it ‘enrichment’. It knows exactly what it is doing. Farms breeding birds for the gun have always been horrendous places. Almost twenty years ago, in 2008, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) - the government’s own independent advisory body - published a formal opinion recommending the phasing out of barren cages for pheasants and partridges on welfare grounds. This was not a fringe campaign position put forward by ‘antis’. It was the considered view of the body established to advise ministers on animal welfare science. FAWC’s inspectors visited farms, examined the raised cages, noted the various attempts at ‘enrichment’, and concluded that the barren cage had no place in an industry that said it took welfare seriously. So-called ‘enriched cages’ were found to offer little welfare improvement over barren ones, because, as critics had long argued, it is the cages themselves that are the problem. You cannot meaningfully enrich a wire box suspended off the ground for a bird whose every instinct is oriented towards the earth beneath it. Become a Game Changer Following FAWC’s findings, in 2010 Defra produced a statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds. The report highlighted Sections 4 and 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and ensuring that the needs of an animal for which a person is responsible are met). It stated (on page 6) that “Whatever the species being produced or reared, or the methods used, the over-riding principle that should guide everyone involved is that all due consideration should be given to the health and welfare of the birds concerned.” The code - now 15 years old - stated clearly that barren raised cages for breeding pheasants and small barren cages for breeding partridges should not be used, and that any laying system should be appropriately enriched. The language was unambiguous. The intention appeared serious. Yet there were two problems that the industry immediately exploited. Firstly, the code carried no direct legal force of its own: breaching it was not an offence in itself, only potential evidence that the broader Animal Welfare Act may have been broken. Enforcement, in practice, was negligible. Just fourteen inspections of breeding farms took place across all of Great Britain in 2020, and sixteen in 2021. There had been no gamebird welfare prosecutions in the preceding three years. And secondly, whether checked up on or not, the industry was satisfied it was complying with the Code. And that’s because the industry itself had decided what the standards should be. The industry responded to the ‘enrichment’ requirement the way industries typically respond to self-regulation: by making up the rules to suit themselves. In other words, the standards on ‘breeding farms’ were defined around what was beneficial to the industry rather than to the birds. What that means in practice is that if the code said cages must be enriched, then ‘enrichment’ would mean whatever the industry decided it meant. No grass, no soil, no solid ground, but a ‘perch’ like the wood in the image above. A laying area. The letter of the code could be satisfied without its spirit being engaged at all. In 2026, what that means in reality is that birds bred and reared to be shot are not subject to the same legislative requirements on welfare as farmed poultry. The gap that sentence describes is not a technicality. It is the space in which an entire industry has operated, largely unchallenged, for fat too long. Become a Game Changer This is NOT what enrichment was supposed to mean We don’t think that the industry has ever taken the ‘enrichment’ question seriously. We analysed hundreds of hours of undercover footage before developing this campaign. In our opinion, we saw breach after breach of Sections 4 & 9 of the Animal Welfare Act. In our opinion, the very existence of these cages is a breach of the Animal Welfare Act. Sixteen years after the government’s own advisers called for barren cages to be phased out, our investigators found birds that had never touched the ground, in cages that offered them almost nothing. But the advice we have received is that, technically, no matter how unsettling or morally indefensible, how self-evident, how clear-cut for anyone looking objectively at this appalling industry, keeping pheasants and partridges in wire cages with just a block of wood as ‘enrichment’ is probably not against the law! Let’s be absolutely clear about this. The system we found is not in defiance of welfare rules designed to protect birds, but is a direct consequence of a system designed to benefit farm operators instead. Can’t change? Sees no need to change. The industry has had every opportunity to change. It has had independent scientific condemnation, government-commissioned research, a statutory code, and sixteen years of explicit instruction. It has responded with perches and wood blocks - not because it misunderstands what ‘enrichment’ means, but because genuine enrichment would cost them money and would require far more space. The economics of breeding birds for the gun do not reward doing it properly. The cage is cheap. The wire is cheap. The bird inside it is the only thing paying the real price. We are convinced that this is not an industry on the cusp of reform. It is an industry that sees no need to change. It has consistently demonstrated that it is unwilling to reform. And that’s because reform is incompatible with the profit margins on which it operates. That is why Protect the Wild/End Bird Shooting is not calling for better cages. Why we are not saying, give these poor birds a bit more space, a bigger block of wood. We are saying that caging wild birds until releasing them to be shot is wrong, full stop. We are calling for an end to an industry that has forfeited any claim to more time, more consultation, or more chances. It had them. It wasted them. The birds in those raised units are still waiting for something to change. On the evidence of the last sixteen years, they will be waiting forever if this industry is left to decide when that moment comes. For more information: FAWC: Opinion on the Welfare of Farmed Gamebirds (2008) Defra: Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes (July 2010) Animal Aid: Exposed! Disturbing new undercover film of partridges and pheasants used by shooting industry for egg production (June 2015). Images and video recorded by our undercover investigator at Heart of England. All of these cages were in use at the time of filming 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. We are working to END BIRD SHOOTING. This suffering has to stop. Please share this article. Share our socials. Follow us for updates. Join the movement. Become a Game Changer. We are at the beginning of something. Months of undercover work. Hundreds of hours of footage. Farms across the UK exposed. And we are only just getting started. But investigations alone do not end industries. People do. We are asking you to become a Game Changer. 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

UPDATE FROM CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST

View this email in your browser Hello from the wild side May in Cornwall is an absolute delight isn’t it? From bluebell-filled hedgerows to meadows and coasts packed with wildflowers, the county is bursting with vibrant colour. Wildlife spotting is also at its peak, with the dawn chorus at its loudest whilst marine life is drawn closer to our shoreline by the warming waters. NATURE NEWS Bartinney land purchase appeal - target reached Thanks to the incredible generosity of hundreds of supporters, our Bartinney Appeal has reached its £80,000 fundraising target! This means Cornwall Wildlife Trust can now secure a vital 13.6-acre area of land within Bartinney nature reserve in West Cornwall, creating a larger and more connected home for wildlife. If you donated to the appeal, thank you so very much. Your gift truly helped make this possible, and we are so grateful for your support. Read more about the project EVENTS Beaver Walks at Woodland Valley Farm - with BBQ! Thu 28 May | 6pm - 10pm Join us for a locally sourced BBQ, followed by a guided walk around our fantastic beaver project at Woodland Valley Farm. Bell Tent Holidays on Looe Island 05 June - 08 June | Looe Island Immerse yourself in Looe Island’s nature and unwind to the sound of lapping waves in the quaint simplicity of our Bell Tent. An Introduction to Lichens and Temperate Rainforest Tue 2 June | 10am - 1pm | West Muchlarnick Explore the fascinating world of lichens close up, and discover the work we are doing to restore one of their most important habitats. See all events OPEN GARDENS Our Open Gardens programme is off to a great start with the first two events of the year proving popular with plenty of smiling happy faces on show. The string quartet at Lavethan proved to be an especially popular highlight for the guests. Up next is Higher Trenedden on Sunday 7 June, a wildlife-rich eight-acre setting especially beautiful at this time of year, with a boardwalk that leads through marshland bursting with wildflowers. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Higher Trenedden - Sun 7 June | 2pm - 5pm | Pelynt Hole Farm - Sun 28 June | 2pm - 5pm | Liskeard Meadowside - Sun 19 July | 2pm - 5pm | Redruth Trelan - Sun 9 Aug | 2pm - 5pm | St Ives South Bosent - Sun 23 Aug | 2pm - 5pm | Liskeard Pedn Billy - Sun 13 Sept | 2pm - 5pm | Mawnan Smith JUNE SPOTTER’S GUIDE As spring turns to summer, June is an amazing month to listen to birds, spot insects, keep an eye out for beautiful butterflies…or just be outside in Cornwall! What will you find this month? After hatching in the spring, many chicks will now be leaving the safety of the nest. They’ll take a leap of faith, either flying high or fluttering to the ground. Remember to keep your eyes peeled for these balls of fluff! Although they may look helpless, but please leave them be - parents will be keeping a beady eye on their chick’s progress until they gain full independence. See the full guide Images: Great black back gull chicks - Adrian Langdon | Looe Island - David Chapman | Beaver - Jo Noon | Lichen - Peter Batt Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon © 2026 Cornwall Wildlife Trust. All rights reserved. Registered charity number 214929. Privacy Policy and T&Cs Our mailing address is: Cornwall Wildlife Trust Five Acres, Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJ Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.