FROM PLANTLIFE - LET THE GRASS AND MEADOWS BLOOM IN JUNE

Let's Let it Bloom View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, May might be over, but the No Mow Movement is still well underway, and it's not too late join - welcome to Let it Bloom June! While May is a great time to start the Movement, letting your lawn grow through June can be great too - and every little space adds up to huge gains for nature. All you need to do is mow less and create space for nature to thrive. In return you lock up more carbon, help your garden deal with the heat and provide pollinators and other wildlife with a vital lifeline. Say no more, I'm ready to join Let it Bloom Your Way The No Mow Movement isn't about throwing away the mower altogether - it's about trying to replicate some of those lost meadows at home. How you choose to continue (or begin) the Movement is up to you: Hands celebrating Go Wild - go all in and let your lawn grow like a mini hay meadow through to the end of July. Flower Create a Mow-saic Mix - think short paths, flowering lawn patches and longer areas with taller wildflowers and grasses, variety is the spice of life! Green heart Beautiful borders - leave some space around your border to bloom and see what wildlife takes sanctuary in the tufts of grasses. Let's Let it Bloom With the hottest May temperature on record this year, there has never been a better time to help our wildlife. The benefits of less mowing are blooming brilliant! You'll boost biodiversity, provide safe and cooler spaces for insects and animals and protect your lawn from drought. So please do tell us and add your name to the No Mow Movement if you’re letting the grass grow - you’ll help us to keep track of the space that is being created for nature across the UK. We can't wait to welcome all the new No Mow Heroes! 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 THE HUNT SABOTEURS — FROM TRAIL HUNTING TO DRAG HUNTING?

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter From Trail Hunting to Drag Hunting: The Next Smokescreen? Trail hunting does not exist as a genuine activity; it exists only as a myth. It was invented after the hunting ban as a smokescreen for the continued hunting of wild mammals - exactly as campaigners warned it would be, and exactly as hunts themselves said they would do. The convicted Crawley and Horsham Fox hunt in 2023/24 - now a registered drag hunt as of 2025/26. Image Credit West Sussex Hunt Sabs In 2020, fifteen years after hunting was banned, the sport’s governing body held a series of Zoom calls during the Covid lockdowns which were later leaked to the Hunt Saboteurs Association and released on ITV News. The recordings exposed hunting’s leadership, coaching masters and huntsmen on how to circumvent the law and avoid prosecution. It was from these webinars that the now-infamous term “smokescreen” entered the public debate — used to describe trail hunting as a cover for continued illegal hunting. The leak marked a turning point. The beginning of the end of hunts operating with impunity while publicly insisting they were acting within the law. Twenty-one years later, the public has more than had enough, and finally a government was elected with a manifesto pledge to ban the fiction of trail hunting. But banning the myth alone does not deal with the underlying activity. How can you ban something that does not truly happen? What must be outlawed is the use of any smokescreen that enables the hunting of wild mammals to continue under another name. During the infamous leaked Hunting Office webinars, Richard Gurney who was master and huntsman of the Crawley & Horsham hunt, referred to laying trails as a 'Plan B' held in reserve for when sabs turn up. That means ensuring hunts cannot simply reinvent themselves through another supposedly “alternative” activity. And there is every reason to believe they already are. The most obvious replacement smokescreen is drag hunting. That is not speculation — it has effectively been admitted by the hunting lobby itself. As reported by the BBC News, Countryside Alliance representative Polly Portwin said that if trail hunting were banned, hunts would adapt: “We will find a way, we’ve had to find a way and we’re going to have to adapt”. So why is the government simultaneously saying it wants “alternative practices such as drag hunting and clean-boot hunting, which use non-animal scents, to continue to thrive”? “Thrive”? There are only seven registered drag hunting packs in the UK. The Drag Hunting Reality Berks & Bucks Draghounds — formerly kennelled with the Avon Vale Hunt and hunted by former Avon Vale huntsman Stuart Radbourne before the Avon Vale were exposed in multiple cases involving extreme cruelty to animals. Radbourne would slaughter foxes on Saturdays and hunt a drag on Sundays. He has since been seen riding as whipper-in for huntsman Andrew Van Oostrum despite multiple convictions relating to serious animal abuse. Cambridge University Draghounds describes itself as an “extra-mural study” for students, but openly presents itself as a training ground for future leaders of the hunting world, boasting a “long list” of former members who became masters of hounds. One example is Ronnie Wallace, associated with hunts including the Hawkstone Otterhounds, Exmoor Foxhounds, Ludlow, Cotswold and Heythrop hunts. Crawley & Horsham Draghounds switched from registration with the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) to the Masters of Draghounds & Bloodhounds Association ahead of the proposed ban. The fate of their fox hunting hounds remains unclear. The organisation has long been associated with “smokescreen” hunting practices. Former master and huntsman Richard Gurney was exposed in the Hunting Office webinars referring to trail laying as a “Plan B” to use when hunt saboteurs appeared. The Crawley & Horsham Hunt also has convictions for illegal hunting. In 2012, three members, including huntsman Andrew Phillis, were convicted on five counts of illegal hunting. In 2013, professional huntsman Nicholas Bycroft pleaded guilty to an offence under the Hunting Act. In 2021, two separate cases against then-huntsman William Bishop collapsed after CPS failures to disclose video evidence. Isle of Wight Hounds — another former BHSA-registered pack now making the switch before legislation changes. Jersey Draghounds Mid Surrey Farmers Draghounds Staff College Draghounds Drag Hunt huntsman Stuart Radbourne hunting the Drag hounds on a Sunday. And the same Stuart Radbourne digging out foxes on a Saturday. The Scent Contradiction Sabs have long documented what scents so-called ‘trail hunts’ claim to use, here are just a few from our reports; Staghounds Quantock Staghounds — aniseed (2018) Foxhounds Hampshire Hunt — Olbas Oil (2025/26) Royal Artillery Hunt — valerian root (2025/26) Portman Hunt — clove oil (2025/26) Wilton Hunt — aniseed (2023/24), then reportedly returned to fox scent in 2025/26 because alternatives “don’t really work as well” Harriers Holcombe Harriers — “cheap perfume” Beagles Bolebroke Beagles — aniseed New Forest Beagles — Olbas Oil (2017) Wilton Hunt offer sabs a sniff of their sock. Credit Wiltshire Hunt Sabs The original justification for trail hunting using fox scent after the Hunting Act was supposedly to “keep the dogs’ noses” trained while hunts campaigned for the repeal of the Act. Yet the extraordinary inconsistency in the scents now claimed — from aniseed and clove oil to cheap perfume and Olbas Oil — alongside admissions that animal-based scents work better, exposes a fundamental problem: they do not actually know what works best because hounds were never genuinely retrained away from live quarry. The example of the Wilton Hunt is particularly revealing. After publicly claiming to have switched to non-animal scent trails in 2023/24, it now reportedly admits that fox scent has been reintroduced because alternatives “don’t really work”. It cannot be acceptable for actual hunting to continue simply to preserve seven registered drag hunts — several of which have direct or deeply questionable links to convicted fox hunting activity and individuals associated with illegal hunting. A ban on trail hunting alone is not enough. The government must ensure that any new law covers all eventualities, closes every potential smokescreen, and removes the loopholes and exemptions that have allowed hunts to continue operating in practice while claiming compliance on paper. Nothing less will do. 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 PROTECT THE WILD - SO MUCH TO READ AND TO TAKE ACTION ON

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more How did we fit all of this into one month? From national news to Parliament, another busy month for Protect the Wild! PROTECT THE WILD MAY 31 READ IN APP These donation appeals are vital to keeping Protect the Wild moving forward. We are not funded by corporations. We do not rely on large grants. Everything we do is powered by ordinary people choosing to give small amounts because they believe animals deserve a voice. Before I ask for your support today, I want to show you what that support achieved in May. Because honestly, when I sat down to write this email, I found myself asking: How did we fit all of this into one month? June Fundraiser Taking animal issues into the national spotlight For years, animal protection campaigns have often struggled to break into the mainstream. Not in May. Over the course of a single month, our campaigns appeared on ITV, BBC, STV, national newspapers and even Have I Got News For You. Just six weeks after my campaign as a giant Gannet candidate in the Scottish elections was featured on Have I Got News For You, I found myself back in the headlines - this time standing in the Makerfield by-election dressed as a giant fox. Some people ask why we do this. The answer is simple. Animals don’t get a vote. The Guga hunt had remained largely hidden from public scrutiny for generations. Hunting with hounds has survived years of political delay, loopholes and broken promises. These campaigns are designed to force those issues into the public conversation. What started as a giant Gannet costume ended with the campaign appearing on BBC News, ITV News, STV News, front pages and prime-time television. Millions of people who had never heard of the Guga hunt suddenly knew exactly what it was. That momentum continued throughout May. June Fundraiser We appeared on Scotland’s most watched news programme challenging NatureScot over a fresh licence application for the Guga hunt. A once obscure issue has become a national debate. And our petition demanding an end to the licensed slaughter of Gannet chicks has now passed 192,000 signatures and is rapidly approaching 200,000. Earlier this month, we travelled to NatureScot's headquarters in Inverness to deliver what is now the largest petition in the organisation's history, only to be told it would need to be submitted by email instead. The campaign to end the Guga hunt continues and you can add your name to the petition here. Exposing the bird shooting industry While our campaigners were generating headlines, our investigators were generating evidence. In May, ITV News aired footage from Protect the Wild’s undercover investigation into the bird shooting industry. The footage was the result of over a year of work and hundreds of hours of evidence gathered from “game” bird farms across the country. Millions of birds are bred and released every year to be shot for sport. But the public rarely gets to see what happens before those birds arrive on shooting estates. We pulled back the curtain. And we didn’t stop there. Throughout May we continued publishing findings from the investigation, exposing industrial breeding systems, raised cages and the factory farming practices that sit behind an industry that constantly attempts to present itself as conservation. This investigation is ongoing. And some of our most significant findings are still to come. Please head over to our End Bird Shooting Substack to stay in the loop. June Fundraiser Taking the fight directly to Parliament In May we also took our Rehome the Hounds campaign to Westminster. Alongside rescue organisations, behaviourists and Alfred the rescued hunt hound, we met with MPs to challenge one of the hunting lobby’s most persistent arguments: that hunting dogs cannot be rehomed if hunting ends. The truth is they can. And the response from MPs was overwhelmingly positive. At the same time, we continued driving participation in the Government’s consultation on hunting, ensuring that public pressure for meaningful reform continues to grow. Over 30,000 of you have now used our handy 15 second tool to respond to the consultation. You can do so here if you haven’t already! Turning campaigns into victories Not every campaign makes national headlines. Some save lives directly. Following pressure from supporters and local campaigners, swifts were once again able to access their nesting site in Banstead after obstacles blocking access were removed. Our new rapid-response bird netting campaign also secured the removal of harmful bird netting from two locations, preventing further suffering and deaths. To support that campaign, we released a new animation exposing the cruelty of bird netting. More than 1.5 million people have already watched it. This is what your support makes possible When I look back at May, it doesn’t feel like one month. It feels like six. An undercover investigation aired on ITV. We featured on Have I Got News For You for the second time in six weeks. We saw tens of thousands add their name to our petition calling for an end to the Guga hunt. National television appearances. Conversations with MPs. Wildlife victories on the ground. Millions of people reached. Protect the Wild continues to punch far above its weight because thousands of people choose to stand alongside us. We’ve set a goal of £2,500 for our June fundraiser to power us on this month and would be so appreciative of any support you can give :) Thank you. Rob June Fundraiser SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

A POEM THAT IS ABOUT GAMEBIRD INDUSTRIAL FACTORY FARMING

Written in response to Protect The Wild post on game bird factory farming linear concept solar farm panels fit the norm conform to a notion of order row upon row headstones line up conform in deathly order row upon row row upon row small cages elevated hope and excrement to fall there have been camps that proximated death this one is no exception industrial bred cage birds to be allowed out as a supposed wild thing to fly to be peppered by leadshot or to escape into their unworldy wild it’s all for fun as an elite blast poison into the skies John Edwards (C) 18th May, 2026

FROM BUGLIFE - THE LATEST NEWS

Buglife Logo saving the small things that run the planet View this email in your browser Dear John Welcome to the May edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes! This month we have seen thunderstorms and heatwaves, new projects getting underway, Bugs Matter making a splash in France, consultations and of course Solitary Bee Week. So, let’s buzz on over and take a look! The Summer Edition of The Buzz is almost here! This summer issue of our magazine for Community Members is buzzing with bees and wasps! Jam-packed (or should that be ham-packed - it’ll make sense when you receive it!) with: 🐝 articles showcasing various Buglife projects with a focus on their wasp and bee heroes; 🎉 some great Silver Jubilee celebration supporter incentives; 💤 Bug Buzz Buddies; ➡️ and so much more! Want to know more and receive a copy through your letter box during the second week of June? Join the Buglife Community today and you’ll get The Buzz too! Join the Buglife Community Solitary Bee Week 2026 Solitary Bee Week 2026 Wednesday 20 May to Wednesday 27 May saw us celebrating Solitary Bee Week once again, with lots of great information and amazing photography shared across our socials. We explored the intricate lives of solitary bees, sharing their stories, fascinating facts, and actionable steps we can all take to protect these vital invertebrates from environmental challenges. Solitary Bee Week may be over for another year, but it’s still a great time to celebrate these pollinator heroes, and do our bit to encourage them into our green and brown spaces. Green-eyed Flower Bee (Anthophora bimaculata) © Buglife 'Shutterbug' Radoslav Valkov Let’s take another look at some of the distinctive (and often rare) solitary bees you may see over the next few weeks. Longhorn Bee (Eucera longicornis) The males have huge antennae. They love soft clay cliffs but have suffered much decline so this is a species Buglife is helping to protect through projects such as Life on the Edge and Kernow Wyls. Green-eyed Flower Bee (Anthophora bimaculata) These bees have beautiful bright green eyes. They live only in the south of Britain and are uncommon. Green Furrow Bee (Lasioglossum morio) At just 5 to 6mm in size these are one of our tiniest bees. They have a bright metallic bronzy green shimmer. Box-headed Blood Bee (Sphecodes monilicornis) This is a distinctive bee with a bright red abdomen. It’s a nest parasite of mining bees and is common in East and South of the UK. Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes) The males of this bumblebee-sized bee have a “yellow moustache” and “hairy feet”. His feet are used in an unusual mating dance where the male mounts the female and waves his front legs in the air, fanning her with his hairy feet. Common in southern and central England and Wales. Pantaloon Bee (Dasypoda hirtipes) Females sport large yellow "pantaloons" on their legs to dig burrows and carry pollen. Female Pantaloon Bees build individual nests in sandy soil, often near other bees of the same species. Rare and found in the South. The Six-banded Nomad Bee (Nomada sexfasciata): A "cuckoo" bee that lays eggs in solitary bees' nests. The Six-banded nomad bee’s choice host is the Longhorned Bee (Eucera longicornis). Extremely rare and limited to Southern England. How to be the best bee hotel manager Where do solitary bees nest? And how can we be the best 'bee landlords' for them? Well, having a variety of nest sites will help, since many native UK bees are ground-nesters, while others choose bricks, wood, plant stems, and even snug little cavities like empty snail shells! While bee hotels are a popular choice for gardeners, only mostly mason and leafcutter bees will use them successfully – if managed correctly. Sadly, shop-bought bee hotels are often poorly designed, and can even cause more harm than good due to dampness, mould and splinters. Fortunately, there are simple, inexpensive ways to create the ideal spaces to support many nesting bee species: 🪵 Drill holes into untreated wood blocks or use clean bamboo canes that are protected from the rain, and smooth off splinters to make your own DIY bee hotel; ☀️ Pick a sunny south or southeast location which helps to keep the nesting bees warm; 🌱 Leave a patch of vegetation-free soil as mining bees will use it to burrow, and mason bees use the mud to create sealed doors over their nest holes; 🔨 Maintain in early spring, replacing old or broken sections after the wetter weather has passed. Want to know more? Take a look at our blog originally written by Andrew William Kirkland in July 2020, reviewed by Buglife for Solitary Bee Week 2026, “How to be the best bee hotel manager”. Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) © Steven Falk Discover how to be a buzz-y landlord Exciting opportunities for the Buglife Community! The Biological Recording Company are offering our buzz-y supporters an incredible 50% discount on their entoLEARN online self-study courses. These pre-recorded webinars and associated content cover a wide range of invertebrate topics, including: Bumblebees of the UK Social Wasps of the UK Damselflies of the UK Dragonflies of the UK Earthworms of the UK & Ireland Freshwater Leeches of the UK Longhorn Beetles of the UK Discover entoLEARN ℹ️ To claim your discount, simply add buglife50 into the coupon box during checkout (you may need to click on 'Have a coupon?' for this box to appear). The coupon is not limited to a single use, so you can use it to get the 50% discount on multiple courses! Browse our Bug Directory Did you know that we have almost 200 invertebrate species profiles on our website, and counting? Let’s meet one of the species that you’ll likely be seeing a lot of at the moment! Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) © Zoe Foster This month we’re meeting the aptly named May Bug. The Common Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) often referred to as the May Bug, but you may also know them as the Spang Beetle, Dumbledory or the Billy Witch, amongst many other names. These beetles are loud and clumsy and can frequently be seen and heard flying into lit windows, lamps or even you! ℹ️ Did you know: They've had a troubled past. During 1320 cockchafers (as a species) were taken to court in Avignon, France, where they were ordered to leave town and relocate to a specially designated area, or be outlawed. All cockchafers who failed to comply were collected and killed! For more information about this clumsy character and its unique flying (or should that be crashing!) style, visit our Bug Directory. Take me to the Bug Directory! Which bug would you like to see added to the directory next, there's plenty to choose from! ICYMI ~ Spring is sprung? Did you catch the first in a series of blogs being written by Buglife Development Officer, Beth, celebrating the seasonality of our gardens? Just in case you did we’re sharing it again, whilst spring is still with us - just! Celebrating the arrival of spring Beth penned “Spring is sprung” looking at what may be happening in your garden at this time of year and what jobs you can do to welcome insects and other wildlife into your green spaces. So, lets join Beth, as she shares lots of great tips and ideas in our recent blog "Spring is sprung”. Read the blog… Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) on Nepeta (Cat Mint) © Claire Pumfrey Upcoming events a person holding up a cell phone displaying the words Bugs Matter Tuesday 2 June ~ Friend, Foe, or Freeloader? The Flower Crab Spider with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 3 June ~ Introduction to Botany with Kernow Wyls (Par, Cornwall) Thursday 4 June ~ Small Blue Butterfly & Bordered Brown Lacewing talk with Species on the Edge (Montrose, Scotland) Friday 5 June ~ Small Blue Butterfly Survey Day with Species on the Edge (Angus, Scotland) Sunday 7 June ~ Bug Hunt at St Andrew’s Nature Reserve with Kernow Wyls (Par, Cornwall) Tuesday 9 June ~ Bookworms! preschool story time at Canvey Island Library (Canvey, Essex) Wednesday 10 June ~ Discover the Bordered Brown Lacewing and Northern Brown Argus with Species on the Edge (St Cyrus, Scotland) Wednesday 17 June ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) Saturday 20 June ~ Discover the Bordered Brown Lacewing and Northern Brown Argus with Species on the Edge (St Cyrus, Scotland) Tuesday 23 June ~ Bordered Brown Lacewing ID and survey taster with Species on the Edge (Aberdeen, Scotland) Saturday 27 June ~ M.G. Leonard Author Talk & Book Signing as part of Canvey Festival of Insects (Basildon, Essex) Saturday 27 June ~ Canvey Festival of Insects (Canvey Island, Essex) Saturday 27 June ~ Moor Invertebrates Bug Hunt (Bovey Tracey, Devon) Wednesday 1 July ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) a flyer for the Canvey Wick Festival of Insects Please do remember that our website Events Page is being updated all the time so, to keep up to date with both current and future Buglife events, as well as events from partners and supporters, be sure to visit regularly. What’s the buzz? Buglife backed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to give a brighter future for Dartmoor’s threatened invertebrates Moor Invertebrates is an exciting new Buglife project on Dartmoor, made possible thanks to initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery Players, Moor Invertebrates will help to give a brighter future to eight threatened invertebrate species found across Dartmoor National Park. Moor Invertebrates will engage local communities and visitors, inspiring a love of Dartmoor’s special bugs and helping to connect people with the wonderful invertebrates living right on their doorsteps. a close up of a hoverfly on a plant Female Bog Hoverfly (Eristalis cryptarum) © Steven Falk Read the story… For all our latest news please visit our website News Pages. Buglife shop The Buglife Shop is open for all your invertebrate needs, offering more ethical options and ways for you to support bugs. Whether you’re looking for clothing, insurance, home accessories or gifts for a loved one; there’s something for everyone! a packet of native wildflower seeds Nurture the Night Shift Jute Bag Visit Buglife’s shop Adopt a Bug Exciting shop news! In addition to our usual offerings our Spring/Summer Brochure, brought to you in partnership with Red Robin, is here! From stationary to home furnishings, bee hotels to clothing - bring a little cheer to your home and support Buglife in the process! Spring/Summer Brochure Don't forget you can stay up to date with the work of the Buglife team via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube! Thank you for your continued interest in and support of our work; together we can save the small things that run the planet! The Buglife Team Join the Buglife Community Donate Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon Website icon Buglife Logo Copyright © 2026 Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications electronically from Buglife. Thank you. Our mailing address is: Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust Allia Future Business Centre London Road Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 8AN United Kingdom Company No. 04132695 | Registered Charity No. 1092293 | Scottish Charity No.SC040004 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

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.

THE HUNT SABOTEURS HIGHLIGHT CRIMINAL ACTION BY THE FOX KILLING INDUSTRY! MY WORDS NOT THEIRS

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter Four Weeks To Go Until The Trail Hunting Consultation Closes! Coniston Foxhounds in the act of digging out a fox and ripping her to pieces There’s now less than four weeks to complete the government’s consultation on banning trail hunting. Please make sure your voice is heard before 18th June 2026. White terrier latched onto the fox’s hind quarters. This week, we are urging any of our supporters who have not filled out the consultation to rewatch the horrific video of Coniston Foxhounds and Teme Valley Hunt engaged in a dig-out. To date, around sixteen people have been arrested in relation to this incident. This is the kind of activity that takes place under the smokescreen of trail hunting. One of the most disturbing aspects of the video is the way that visibly young individuals – who would not even have been born when hunting was made illegal – are most involved in the abuse of the fox. Older male locates the subterranean terrier, while two youths get ready to dig. For example, while it is an older man who uses a terrier location device to find the site of the subterranean battle between fox and terrier, it is the younger hunters who are most enthusiastic in dragging the animals out. And, of course, it is a youth who takes the lead in grabbing the doomed fox by the scruff of the neck and carrying her off to the woods where she is thrown – alive – to the hounds. This youth grabbed the fox by the scruff and took her to the woods to be torn apart. The youths and children present are clearly experts in digging out foxes, handling hunted foxes and working with hardened terriers – this is, of course, compelling evidence that the horrors shown in the video are routine practice for the Coniston Foxhounds. But it is also evidence that these youngsters have been groomed into this criminality by the older individuals on the scene. Like any other Organised Crime Gang, the Coniston Foxhounds have been passing on a culture of cruelty and criminality to the next generation. The Coniston Foxhounds: sticking two fingers up at the law. Over the last twenty years, the hunters have proved themselves to be absolutely determined to carry on hunting. To stop them we need a ban on trail hunting - together with our other recommendations - to produce a watertight ban that even the extremist hunters cannot overcome. You can complete the trail hunting consultation here Complete the Trail Hunting Consultation 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 PROTECT THE WILD — REHOME THE FOXHOUNDS. WE COULD EXCEPT THE HUNTS HAVE ANOTHER IDEA. SO SAD

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Rehome the Hounds! We took our campaign to Westminster! CHARLOTTE SMITH MAY 20 READ IN APP The hunting lobby is down to its last argument. They can’t hide behind the smokescreen anymore. So now they’re hiding behind their hounds, claiming that if hunting is banned, every single one of their dogs will have to be shot in the head. That they’re unrehomable. That the blood will be on the hands of people who want to protect wildlife, not hunts. They are weaponising the very dogs they claim to love. Dogs they are already killing, quietly, routinely, every single year, because they are no longer useful. We are not standing for it. So, we went to Parliament. We spoke with MPs who are hearing this argument and we showed them, with evidence, with expertise, and with one very large and very loveable hound called Alfred, that everything the hunting lobby is claiming is a lie. Rehome the Hounds The Lie We Are Dismantling When asked “what will happen to the hounds if hunting is banned?”, our answer is unflinching: what will happen is, sadly, already happening. A trail hunt ban does not seal these dogs’ fate. Hunts do. And that can change, the moment hunts choose mercy over convenience. Laura Walker, founder of The Pack Project UK, stood before MPs and showed them, from lived experience, that rehoming hounds is not a fantasy. It is achievable. With phased rehoming programmes, with proper support, with approaches that other countries have already pioneered, these dogs can and do find loving homes. Amelia Steele a behaviourist, an expert in rescue dogs, in greyhounds, in Spanish hunting breeds, gave MPs the scientific and practical credibility to understand that these dogs’ needs can be met. That behaviour can be supported. That adopters and rescues won’t be abandoned to figure it out alone if they take part in the Rehome the Hounds Pledge. And then there was Alfred. One of a handful of hounds lucky enough to have been rescued, Alfred reminded everyone what this fight is for. This enormous, gentle, giant brought laughter to those he met. MPs stopped. They crouched down. They buried their hands in his fur. They asked what we all have thought “how could anyone let this dog die?” Rehome the Hounds PTW, Amelia and Laura with Alfred. And the MPs who came? They came because they care. Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole) Douglas McAllister (West Dunbartonshire) Navendu Mishra (Stockport) Rachel Maskell (York Central) Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn) Alex Mayer (Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard) Richard Burgon (Leeds East) Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby) Richard Burgon MP pictured with Alfred the rescued hound. Eight Members of Parliament from across England and Wales came, listened, and met Alfred. They left with our 2025 Forgotten Victims of Hunting Report, and the knowledge that a ban on fox hunting isn't just a victory for wildlife but for the hounds too. Rehome the Hounds This Is Where You Come In Our messages are simple; Hounds can be rehomed. Hunts need to stop breeding them and start rehoming them. And if you are a rescue, the hounds need your help. That is where you, our wonderful supporters come in. We are building a rescue network. A coalition of organisations willing to pledge one space (or more) to hunt hounds. Rescues who will stand up when everyone else walked away. Rescues who will say: not on our watch, because hounds are no different to other dogs - they deserve that chance. If you donate to a rescue, volunteer for one, work at one, tell them about this campaign. Ask them to pledge a space. Ask them to be part of something that could save lives and to get in touch with us on: hounds@protectthewild.org.uk We are also creating a verified list of accredited behaviourists ready to support rescues and adopters who take in hounds, because no rescue should ever feel like they are doing this alone. Hunt hounds are rehomable. Hunts must stop breeding and start rehoming them. Rehome the Hounds Alfred with PTW, he agrees that hounds should be rehomed! Stand with us. Stand with Alfred. Stand with the hounds. Find out more on our rehomethehounds.uk website. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

ALL ABOUT BUMBLEBEE PRESERVATION FROM BUMBLEBEE CONSERVATION TRUST

view online Bumblebee Conservation Trust logo Side profile of yellow and black bumblebee on purple flower with pollen baskets As gardens burst into bloom, May comes alive with colour, warmth and wildlife. Today we're celebrating World Bee Day by learning more about the vital role bumblebees play in our ecosystem, including tips on how to identify bumblebees in your local area. Why not make a 'world' of difference by becoming a member to celebrate the charismatic bumblebee? 🐝What better time to support our science-led conservation work and help secure a future for bumblebees. Helping Carmarthenshire’s bumblebees: major project now underway Bumblebee on yellow flower with purple flower and grasses in foreground A major new conservation project has begun in Carmarthenshire to protect some of the UK’s most threatened and beloved bumblebee species, with local communities at the heart of the effort. Cynefin i Wenyn is a three year initiative funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund which will work to restore and reconnect vital habitats for bumblebees on the coast from Llanelli to Cydweli. Read the full news story 📰 Celebrate World Bee Day by bee-coming a member! Bumblebee on purple flower to right with text and pin badge example to the left with purple background Bee-come a member and receive a White-tailed bumblebee pin badge – PLUS wildflower seeds, pocket ID guide and loads more in your welcome pack 🐝 Together, we can restore wildflower meadows, inspire more people to take action, and secure a future for bumblebees. See your membership options 🤍 How to identify a bumblebee 🔍 Bumblebee in flight over a purple flower with greenery in background When you start identifying bumblebees you might find it a little daunting. Some of our 24 UK species appear similar, but if you look carefully (if you have the chance!) there are some telltale differences 🤔 There are several features that we can use as clues to help identify bumblebees including the tail colour and banding pattern. Find out more! Boost your bumblebee identification 🧐 Do you work with children aged 5 and under? Image of three young children wearing coats digging earth with illustration of items contained in box Our NEW Bumblebee-friendly Early Years Award is here! A hands-on accreditation programme designed to protect bumblebees by inspiring a love of pollinators from the earliest years 🐝 Delivered in a physical Early Years Award Box, it includes everything nurseries, pre-schools and home learners need to run fun, play-based activities 🎨 Order your box 📦 Bumblebee in the spotlight Bumblebee on blue flower amongst yellow, and white flowers and grass The Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) is one of the Big Eight common and widespread bumblebees. Let's take a closer look. Meet the Red-tailed bumblebee Protect your home, protect bumblebees! Close up of bumblebee on purple flower with Evergreen Insurance Services logo to the right and text to the left in white Protect what matters most at home while helping to protect the UK’s bumblebees 🏠 From now until 30 June, Evergreen Insurance Services will donate 25% of their commission from every policy requested to support the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s vital work. It’s simple: arrange your cover, safeguard your home, and know you’re helping to protect the future of the UK’s bumblebees 🐝 Request your quotation 📄 Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Registered Charity No: 1115634 / Scottish Charity No: SC042830. © 2026 Bumblebee Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this newsletter because you are already a member, subscribed via our website, an event or when becoming a volunteer. We hope you enjoy reading it! Registered address: International House, 109-111 Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8JA; Correspondence address: Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Beta Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling FK9 4NF Unsubscribe

IT’S BADGERS AGAIN - SEE WHAT THE HUNT SABOTEURS WERE ABLE TO PREVENT

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter The Long Fight for Badgers A family of badgers snuffle the ground, rooting out grubs for their supper. Alerted by a strange scent, they turn around to see silhouetted against the moonlit sky two human figures standing there. One is carrying a gun. They don’t understand what this means but know there is danger close by. Before they can move, another group of humans appear carrying torches. They move towards the armed men and they drive away. The badgers are safe. Badger cull sabs have chased the shooters away and they will survive another night. A survivor in a cull zone. Image © Wiltshire Against The Badger Cull This much persecuted native animal has been made a scapegoat for the flawed biosecurity of the dairy industry and is being blamed for Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. In 2013 the government at the time, the Conservative & Lib Dem coalition, introduced what it called pilot culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire. Bowing to pressure from Defra and influenced by the ‘Krebs trials’ from the 1990s and 2000s, these culls were to allow shooters to kill badgers by free shooting at night and cage trapping followed by shooting. In 2012 Lord Krebs, who chaired the review team behind the randomised badger culling trials, was interviewed and stated that “The scientific case is as clear as it can be: this cull is not the answer to TB in cattle.” Yet in 2013 the cull’s aim was to kill 70% of badgers in each cull zone. Huge public protest and resistance followed. Anti-cull protests took place across the country. Image © Gloucester Badger Office Rightly outraged by this proposed massacre, activists and ordinary members of the public alike organised protests and arranged nightly patrols. The resistance was so fierce that in 2013, the cost of policing alone in the two pilot areas was £2.6m. Despite the exhaustive efforts of campaigners who were out patrolling and guarding badger setts night after night, over a period of six weeks, during this first year 1,879 badgers were killed in Gloucestershire and Somerset, the total cost per badger at around £5,000. A victim of flawed policy. Badger blood visible in a cage trap. Image © Gloucester Badger Office Many prominent celebrities spoke out against the cull, including Sir Brian May, as well as expert veterinarians and scientists. There were concerns that the killing was not humane, with badgers shot but not killed outright, suffering lingering deaths, or left in unchecked cage traps during the heat of the day. This murdered family of badgers included a cub. Image © Wiltshire Against The Badger Cull As well as being senseless, the culls were also ineffective. Thousands of badgers were being killed while bTB in cattle remained high. Instead of this being the end of the badger cull, it was instead rolled out to further areas. As the cull zones grew larger and covered more and more of the country, activists worked even harder to cover these wider areas and protect as many badgers as possible. Meanwhile the culls were costing the public a fortune; by 2018 the cost of the badger cull had exceeded £50 million. Campaigners protest in Derbyshire. Image © Derbyshire Against The Badger Cull In 2024, Sir Brian May released a BBC documentary called ‘Brian May: The Badgers, The Farmers and Me’ which challenged the scientific basis of England’s badger cull policy. The film showed how it was cattle-to-cattle transmission, rather than via badgers, that was the main source of bTB. With public opinion firmly against the badger cull, in 2024 the Labour Party stated they would phase out the cull and instead introduce vaccination. At the beginning of May we received the news that no new badger cull licences had been issued in Cumbria - the last cull zone remaining in England. While we remain optimistic that the badger culls are over in England, we will be ready should they ever start again. We are also closely watching events in Wales with Plaid Cymru now leading the Welsh government and claiming they will use a “science-led” approach, rather than the previous government’s cattle-focused approach, to bTB and “potentially opening the door to the use of badger culling as a management technique.” A cruel trap placed directly onto a badger sett. © Wiltshire Against The Badger Cull Since 2013, the badger cull in England has resulted in the killing of roughly a quarter of a million badgers. This means that roughly half the estimated badger population has been needlessly killed. When we look back at the long years of fighting the badger cull in England, we remember first and foremost the innocent lives lost. These shy creatures just wanted to live. They did not deserve to die. We also remember the huge numbers of ordinary people who achieved extraordinary things, who came together as strangers united by the determination to fight for badgers and who saved countless lives in the process. On patrol. Image © Somerset Against The Badger Cull As the cull areas grew, so did the numbers of people taking a stand against them and from these activists many hunt sab groups were formed - with people learning the essential sab skills of endurance, camaraderie and resistance. 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 PROTECT THE WILD — STUFF THE TAXIDERMISTS IS WHAT I WOULD SAY

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more We paid a visit to the most vile shop in Scotland Taxidermied hunting victims, fox fur coats, racoon's tail hats and owl feather fishing hooks. DEVON DOCHERTY MAY 18 READ IN APP Last week, we were travelling down from some campaigning work in Inverness, and we passed a shop called The House of Bruar. We decided to go in for a look, and what we found shocked us. The House of Bruar is a high-end department store in the Scottish highlands, and it looks innocent from the outside. But step inside and you will find some of the most sickening displays of animal cruelty on the market. TAKE ACTION Real fox fur jackets selling for £1,150. Hats made with raccoon tails. Fishing hooks tied with the feathers and bodies of owls, hares, snipes and peacocks. Taxidermied animals displayed throughout the store like decorations - dead pheasants, stags and grouse turned into props for entertainment and profit. There was even a stuffed fox dressed in hunting gear, clutching a gun, as if to mock the victims of hunting and shooting. It’s absolutely vile that they think this is acceptable decoration. Wild animals are not ornaments. They are not status symbols. And they should not be reduced to lifeless displays to sell an outdated vision of “country culture.” No animal should end up skinned for a coat, turned into a hat, or mounted on a wall to entertain people. That’s why we’ve launched an e-action calling on House of Bruar to: Stop selling fur and feather products Remove taxidermied animals from displays Commit to becoming a fur-free, cruelty-free retailer, in line with the values of the vast majority of the British public House of Bruar has a choice. It can continue down the path of becoming a House of Horrors - or it can move with the times and show respect for animals. Please take 30 seconds to send an email today. EMAIL HOUSE OF BRUAR SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

MAKERFIELD BY-ELECTION - ROB OF PROTECT THE WILD WANTS TEN RESIDENTS TO NOMINATE HIM - JUST LIKE THE GUGA

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I need 10 fox-friendly people in Makerfield… PROTECT THE WILD MAY 18 READ IN APP Hi everyone, I have a slightly unusual request. As some of you may remember, during the Scottish elections I stood dressed as a giant gannet bird to raise awareness about the brutal Guga hunt. Well… I may be about to do something similar again. The government’s public consultation on banning trail hunting closes on the very same day as the upcoming Makerfield by-election. After years of promises, warm words and political hesitation, I think it’s time to make a bit of noise and remind politicians that people have not forgotten about hunting. So yes, there is a very real possibility I’m about to stand in the election dressed as a fox. This would not be about becoming an MP. It would be about using what is likely to become one of the most heavily watched and widely discussed by-elections in British electoral history to force wildlife protection, fox hunting and the government’s promises back into the national spotlight. If Andy Burnham wins the seat, it is highly likely he will become the Prime Minister. And that creates an opportunity. An opportunity to make sure the issue of illegal hunting is not ignored, brushed aside or quietly forgotten yet again. To officially appear on the ballot paper, I need 10 people from the Makerfield constituency who are registered to vote there and willing to sign a nomination form. That’s all it is: no campaigning obligations no volunteering no financial commitment Just a signature to help get a fox onto the ballot paper. To make things easy, I would come directly to you, wherever you are in the constituency. If you live anywhere within the Makerfield constituency — including Ashton-in-Makerfield, Bryn, Golborne, Hindley, Orrell, Abram, Winstanley or surrounding areas — and would be willing to help, please email: makerfield@protectthewild.org.uk with: your name postcode and contact number. British democracy may be about to get slightly stranger :) Rob SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

GOOD NEWS FROM CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST - DONATIONS TO BY BARTINNEY ARE AT 80K

Dear John We wanted to share some fantastic news - thanks to the incredible generosity of hundreds of supporters, our Bartinney Land Purchase 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. By bringing this land into the reserve, we can reconnect fragmented habitats, restore species-rich grassland, strengthen Cornish hedges and build a more resilient landscape where wildlife can adapt and thrive as the climate changes. From cuckoos and skylarks to adders and rare bees, so many species will benefit from the larger, better-connected reserve. If you donated to the appeal, thank you so very much. Your gift truly helped make all this possible, and we are so grateful for your support. If you wanted to donate but didn’t get the chance, there’s still time - you can still make a gift today. Any further donations will help fund future land purchases or similar conservation projects, allowing us to protect more places for wildlife across Cornwall. Send a gift today From everyone here at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, thank you for being part of a growing community of people taking action for wildlife – and helping to create a Cornwall where nature thrives. Best wishes, Cornwall Wildlife Trust View this email in your browser Facebook icon Instagram icon YouTube icon LinkedIn 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.

FROM PROTECT THE WILD - FACTORY BRED GAME BIRDS - IS A GAME OF FUN FOR THE SHOOTERS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The Reality Behind Britain’s Shooting Estates PROTECT THE WILD MAY 17 READ IN APP There is a deep cynicism at the heart of the shooting industry. The same estates that advertise days in pursuit of wild, free-flying birds - charging their clients thousands of pounds for the privilege - often source those birds from breeding stock that have spent months in cages. Pheasants and partridges used for egg production spend a large part of their adult lives held in what are known as ‘raised laying units’: raised cages. They spend months suspended above the earth in wire mesh cages, never making contact with soil, leaf litter, grass or anything that might connect them to the natural world they are being sold as representing. This is a business decision. Cramming as many birds into as little space as possible. And the birds pay for it with their physical and mental health every single day. Become a Game Changer A pheasant is not a domesticated animal. Thousands of years of selective breeding have not dulled a pheasant’s instincts or reshaped a pheasant’s needs. These are birds that have evolved to forage. To scratch at the earth, turn over leaves, and investigate their surroundings. A pheasant makes hundreds of small decisions every day about where to go, what to eat and how to interact with other birds. These are not optional extras in a pheasant’s life - they are the behaviours that define them. Remove them, and you do not have a pheasant living a reduced life. You have an animal in a state of chronic deprivation. And that is precisely what the raised cage does. It removes everything. The wire mesh floor means the birds cannot scratch, cannot dustbathe, cannot forage. The cage dimensions mean they cannot move freely, cannot escape conflict with other birds, cannot make any meaningful choice about how to spend their time. In their glossy video Heart of England talk about how they have ‘enriched’ the birds’ environment. Enrichment is apparently a piece of wood. There is no complexity. There is just feed, water, and wire. And a bit of timber. Here’s a screenshot from the Heart of England Farms promotional video. But this is only part of the story. These birds, non-native Red-legged or French Partridges, will spend months in the cages before being boxed up, trucked to a shooting estate, and put in front of the guns… This is sensory and behavioural poverty on an industrial scale, imposed on creatures that are, by the shooting industry’s own proud description, wild. The consequences of caging are not theoretical. They are visible, documented and deeply disturbing. Crowded, unstimulated birds under chronic stress do what stressed, bored animals do: they turn on each other. Feather pecking, aggression and injurious behaviour are endemic in these systems. The industry’s response to this suffering has not been to question whether the cages themselves are the problem. Instead, it has reached for a technological fix. Beak guards — plastic devices attached to a bird’s face to prevent it from inflicting wounds — are routinely fitted to pheasants and partridges in cage systems like these. Saddles are strapped to the backs of hens to protect them from the damage caused by repeated, stressed mating in confined spaces. We will be examining these practices in detail in the coming weeks, because they deserve far more scrutiny than they have ever received. What they represent is not about animal welfare or animal care. They are damage limitation tools applied to animals that should never have been put in these conditions in the first place. None of this can be fixed with a welfare code. None of it can be addressed through voluntary guidelines or industry pledges to do better. The raised cage is not a flawed version of an acceptable system — it is the definition of a system that should not exist. Become a Game Changer Shooting’s fantasy world The shooting industry has spent decades hiding this reality behind images of rolling countryside and talk of conservation and stewardship. It has sold a fantasy of wildness while operating an infrastructure of confinement that would generate public outrage if it were applied to any other species. That outrage is overdue. This industry does not need reform. It needs to be held to account for what it actually is — and what it has been allowed to be, in plain sight, for far too long. At Heart of England Farms in Warwickshire, our undercover investigator found something even more shocking: colony cages — cages arranged in long rows and stacked three levels high, housing birds at every tier. The inevitable consequence of this arrangement is as straightforward as it is appalling: the birds on the upper levels defecate onto the birds confined directly below them. There is nowhere to move. There is no escape. The birds on the lower tiers simply endure it. The noise in the shed where these cages are housed is overwhelming. But Heart of England has tried to promote these hellish cages as an improvement, a step forward. The level of suffering they are attempting to whitewash has to be seen to be believed. In our upcoming Substack posts, we will be taking a detailed look at these colony cage systems. It is not easy to look at, but PLEASE don’t turn away. The birds are counting on us. All images are screenshots 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. 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. 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

PROTECT THE WILD SAY BREEDING OF BIRDS TO BE SHOT FOR FUN IS AN INDUSTRY

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The shooting industry would hate you seeing this PROTECT THE WILD MAY 15 READ IN APP You are probably staring at that image above right now trying to work out what you are looking at. Most people will think it is a solar farm. It is not. This is the Heart of England ‘game’ farm. Rows of tiny cages. Hundreds and hundreds of them, stretching across acres of the Warwickshire countryside. And inside each one are birds caged for one reason: to produce more birds to be shot for “sport”. Cage after cage after cage, across an entire farm containing thousands of birds. A systematic, industrial breeding process carried out on living creatures who have no choice, no escape, and no existence beyond their function as reproductive units. The industry itself states that more than 30 million pheasants are shot each year. Many people wonder how a figure that high can be true. How can there be SO MANY pheasants? THIS is how. Millions of pheasants and partridges are factory-farmed like this every year in the UK in tiny cages like these. Become a Game Changer This is misery on an industrial scale. The shooting industry works hard to present itself as a small-scale rural tradition, woven into the fabric of the British countryside. The numbers tell a very different story — one that this investigation will be examining in detail over the coming weeks. More than 60 million pheasants and Red-legged Partridges, both non-native species, are released onto British shooting estates every single year. That figure has ballooned by nearly 600% over the past half-century, and in 2018 alone exceeded 61 million birds. This is not a handful of estates maintaining a countryside tradition. It is one of the largest annual releases of farmed animals into the British landscape ever undertaken, on a scale that dwarfs the wild populations of almost every native bird species in this country. And it begins with factory farming. In rows of cages. Video clip: Pheasants in raised cages, Heart of England. 2025 The overwhelming majority of shoots depend entirely on hand-reared, intensively farmed birds to function. Feeding that demand requires a network of around 300 ‘game’ farms across Britain, topped up by a substantial continental supply chain, with at least half of all birds beginning their lives on industrial farms overseas before enduring long-distance lorry journeys to reach UK estates. Become a Game Changer This is an operation with the infrastructure, supply chains and lobbying muscle of modern agribusiness. Yet it has successfully avoided the regulatory oversight applied to every other form of intensive animal farming in Britain. In the weeks ahead, we will look in more detail at the appalling cages in the images above: the infamous raised laying units — part of a system that could not be described in any better way than “factory farming.” And if you think these cages are bad, wait until we show you what we found at Heart of England. Its owners have taken the suffering one step further: colony cages. Cages piled three high, where birds literally defecate on the birds in the tier below. For now, though, take in the scale of all of this, recognise the suffering, and remember it. All screenshots from the undercover investigation at Heart of England Farms. 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