TWO SIDES OF A CHASM — GAME & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST AND THE VALUE OF WILDLIFE TO ME

 

NOTE FROM ME — THESE ARE MY WORDS

This post on my blog, is maybe, like ‘crossing the aisle’ or walking into another camp to side with the enemy. There’s no chance for me doing that. I follow many sites and Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is one of them. Seldom have I read one of their posts, other than at a glance, and then to dismiss. My difficulty lies in two words that are opposite to me  — game and wildlife. Conservation of both seems to lie at odds with each other. And what is being ‘conserved’? Where can that possibly fit in and, I do wonder, is there any ‘trust’ to be had.

I look at the gulf between the shooters, hunters and the killers and those that oppose hunting, shooting and killing for fun. I won’t decry hunting in the general sense but when it is to obtain food that is different. If I mention, ‘culling’, emotions and beliefs are stirred up even more. I believe that killing is a needless waste unless there is a sound reason. For food, yes, for fun, never!

And that seems where we stand — opposite sides of a large divide. Sitting proud on my desk are these,  Wilding, The Book of Trespass, Who Owns Britain, The Lost Rainforests of Britain, Orchard, Cornerstones and Wild Service. I have them all because of what I believe in. I was born into austerity and feudality. It was a hunting, shooting and fishing environment in an agrarian rural economy. All of that was the ‘norm’ and I was normalised by old traditions and cultures. I am not now. What may have contributed to my values is that the tenant farmer my father worked for, would not tolerate the hunt on his land. My father. a true countryman, did not approve of killing. He just didn’t like it. I think that these two men made an important subconscious impression upon me that has brought me to this day. I thank them both for that, although sadly, they will not hear my words.

I lifted the paragraphs below from the website. I will keep looking at GWCT and increase my knowledge of the ‘other side’! Perhaps the gulf between us can be narrowed.

AIMS OF GWCT

The overarching aim of the GWCT is to change the public perception of proactive wildlife management and sustainable use. At Auchnerran we want to demonstrate how agricultural practices, livestock management, wildlife conservation and game management can co-exist to form an economically viable system.

We aim to use our demonstration farm to inform, influence and inspire as follows:

Inform

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  Act as a reference point for other organisations that support its evidence-led approach.
• Host Farm Walks, Shoot Days and other initiatives, allowing GWCT supporters access to information on its operations.
• Be a forum for discussing best practise and for keeping farmers, keepers and managers informed of the latest developments.
• Enhance the GWCT’s shooting, farming and biodiversity advisory services as well as providing training days on snaring and predator control.
• Enter joint projects with the MacRobert Trust and The James Hutton Institute and the like, allowing hands-on cooperation with other like-minded organisations.

Influence

• Show policy makers a logical continuation of landscape stewardship, from snipe bog, through to barley, permanent pasture, the hill-edge and up to the heather moorland.
• Demonstrate the benefits of the GWCT's ‘Farmer Clusters’, and of farmer-led landscape-scale conservation.
• Demonstrate the link between economically viable management and practical conservation objectives.

Inspire

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• Engage with the local community as well as provide education and inspiration for land managers and the wider public.
• The GWCT’s education programme at the Allerton Project can provide a template for similar work at Auchnerran: public access facilities and open days, tertiary education, talks to land management and conservation students.