PROTECT THE WILD. DUE PROCESS IN WALES FOR THE BADGER CULL OR NOT

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Next steps have been announced in the fight to stop the Wales badger cull ELIZA EGRET NOV 13 READ IN APP Yesterday, Protect the Wild joined Dyfi Badger Group at the Senedd to hand in a petition signed by almost 29,000 of you, demanding no badger cull in Wales. Shortly after the handover, the Senedd Petitions Committee met to decide whether to recommend a full parliamentary debate on badger culling. The petition not only demanded no cull, but also a full public consultation, and the petitioners hoped to trigger a debate before minister Llyr Gruffydd makes his announcement on the Government’s culling policy. Welsh Labour MS Vikki Howells recommended to the other Committee members that a debate should go ahead. She pointed out that a previous pro-cull debate in the Senedd had not been presented with accurate scientific evidence. Chair of Petitions Committee, Reform’s Jason O'Connell, was (surprisingly!) another fair voice in the room. He also called for a debate, but the biggest push-back came from the Tories’ Janet Finch-Saunders. Welsh Labour MS Vikki Howells, Dyfi Badger Group’s Sarah Reisz and Barry Wise, and Reform UK’s Jason O’Connell The Committee ultimately decided that due to time constraints, it would await Gruffydd’s announcement on badger culling, which is expected to come within the next couple of weeks. This is disappointing, because we wanted to ensure that Gruffydd would make a decision based on accurate scientific evidence, rather than farming lobby influence and inaccurate statistics. The Committee did state that it had never seen such an effective petition campaign, and commended the huge number of signatures. It also stated that it would draw the minister’s attention to the petition. It concluded that it would recommend a government debate once Gruffydd makes his announcement. Both Protect the Wild and Dyfi Badger Group are dissatisfied with this result. Dyfi Badger Group stated: “We welcome the Petition Committee's decision to request a full plenary Senedd debate in the Senedd as soon as possible. We also welcome their commitment to bring the petition to the Minister's attention immediately. However, we would request that, crucially, the Committee should not wait until after his announcement of his decision before they urgently request clarification from the Minister of the evidence base on which he has made his decision. We need full transparency around what current evidence or sources of advice he has relied on to make his decision and how he has ensured that those sources are truly independent.” Show Quoted Content “We welcome the Petition Committee's decision to request a full plenary Senedd debate in the Senedd as soon as possible. We also welcome their commitment to bring the petition to the Minister's attention immediately. However, we would request that, crucially, the Committee should not wait until after his announcement of his decision before they urgently request clarification from the Minister of the evidence base on which he has made his decision. We need full transparency around what current evidence or sources of advice he has relied on to make his decision and how he has ensured that those sources are truly independent.” And so the fight to save Wales’ badgers continues. Keep following Protect the Wild as we announce the next steps in the campaign, working alongside Dyfi Badger Group, the Badger Trust and others to try to save Cymru’s badgers. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack

CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST WITH WINTER BIRD APPEAL

View this email in your browser Give Cornwall's winter birds a safe haven Hi John, What’s your fondest memory of wildlife in winter? Perhaps it's the sight of a robin in your garden, fieldfares gathering in the hedgerows, or a short-eared owl gliding silently over the grassland. These are the moments that remind us just how special Cornwall is for wildlife, offering a welcome refuge for birds escaping harsher conditions elsewhere. But these natural havens are under increasing pressure. As habitats are lost, the safe places birds need to feed, rest, and shelter are becoming harder to find. And with climate change and more extreme weather adding further challenges, our nature reserves have never been more important. That’s why we’ve launched the Winter Bird Appeal, aiming to raise £20,000 for our Nature Reserves Fund to support the conservation work that keeps Cornwall's wild spaces full of life - even in the coldest months. Donate today As a valued member of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, you already help to protect Cornwall's wildlife, and we are so grateful for your support. If it feels right, an additional gift this winter will help us do even more to protect and restore these diverse landscapes - from wetlands and grasslands to hedgerows and woodlands - giving wildlife the space and conditions it needs to thrive. With your help, we can keep Cornwall a safe haven for winter birds. Donate to the Winter Bird Appeal With heartfelt thanks Andy Collins Mid Cornwall Reserves Manager Cornwall Wildlife Trust 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.

SAY NO TO THE BADGER CULL IN WALES. IT IS NOT INEVITABLE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I've just left the Senedd. And I'm angry. ROBERT POWNALL NOV 10 READ IN APP I’m writing this from a little café just around the corner from the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff, where I’ve finally managed to escape the freezing cold and rain after spending the last few hours protesting against the possibility of a badger cull being introduced in Wales. And I have to say, despite the weather being absolutely miserable, more than 100 people turned up to make their voices heard. People who could have quite easily stayed at home in the warmth instead chose to stand outside in the pouring rain, united by one very simple message: Wales must not start killing its badgers. The demonstration was organised by the brilliant team at the Badger Trust, who deserve an enormous amount of credit for bringing everyone together and continuing to lead the fight to keep Wales cull-free. I’m incredibly grateful to them for organising today’s event and giving us all the opportunity to stand together for these wonderful animals. SIGN THE PETITION I was also fortunate enough to be invited to speak to the crowd, and I went into it determined to be as optimistic and upbeat as possible. Spoiler alert: I definitely didn’t manage that. Because the more I think about the possibility of Wales introducing a badger cull, the angrier I become. How on earth are we still having this conversation in 2026? How, after everything we’ve witnessed in England, after more than a quarter of a million badgers have been killed, after years of campaigning, scientific debate and public outrage, are we now facing the possibility of yet another country going down the same dreadful path? When will we finally learn that killing wildlife is not the answer to every problem we create? The Welsh Govt should be pursuing solutions that address the disease itself, rather than reaching for the guns and killing protected wild animals. Better cattle testing. Stronger biosecurity. Improved disease surveillance. And dare we say actually ending animal farming itself, the only reason Badger culling is happening in the first place! These are the kinds of measures we should be investing our time, money and energy into. Instead, we’re once again having to fight to stop innocent animals from being made to pay the price. And what makes this all the more infuriating is that Wales has spent years pursuing a different approach from the mass badger culling carried out across England. Why on earth would we throw that away now? There is something profoundly depressing about spending years campaigning to stop wildlife persecution, only to find ourselves having to fight the very same battles all over again. But then I look back at today. At the people who travelled to Cardiff. At those who stood in the pouring rain holding placards. At the campaigners who have dedicated years of their lives to protecting badgers. At everyone who refuses to accept that killing wildlife should ever be the easy option. And suddenly, despite my best efforts to remain thoroughly miserable, I do find a little optimism after all. Because while there are people willing to stand up for animals who have absolutely no voice in the decisions being made about their lives, there is still hope. And let me be absolutely clear: a badger cull in Wales is not inevitable. Decisions have not yet been finalised, and there is still time for us to make our voices heard. But we cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot simply assume that common sense will prevail. And we certainly cannot allow the Welsh Government to believe that introducing a badger cull would be met with silence. So please, if you haven’t already, add your name to the Senedd petition calling for Wales to remain cull-free. SIGN THE PETITION And if you’ve already signed, please share it with someone who hasn’t. I want to finish by saying an enormous thank you to the Badger Trust, everyone involved in organising today’s demonstration, and every single person who came along. Seeing more than 100 people standing together in that awful weather was genuinely moving. These animals have done absolutely nothing to deserve what could be coming their way. They’re simply trying to exist in a country that ought to be doing everything it can to protect its remaining wildlife. The very least we can do is fight for them. Thank you, as always, for standing with us. Rob SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack

FROM PLANLIFE. A STORY OF SAVING A SPECIES

An epic tale of conservation action View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop John, did you know that we've just completed a rescue mission to save 3,000 rare wildflowers? The delicate, star-shaped, One-flowered Wintergreen is one of the rarest plants in the UK. It is estimated that more than half of the entire UK population of this flower has been lost over the last 50 years. Now, in the UK it can only be found in pine woods in North East Scotland. One of those sites is the stunning Culbin Forest in Moray. Deep in the woodlands, where iconic scenes from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey were filmed, a large patch of One-flowered Wintergreen was in danger of being lost to coastal erosion. Read the story So we set out on a rescue mission! Plantlife Scotland, alongside our amazing volunteers, and partners Forestry and Land Scotland and NatureScot, successfully rescued thousands of the rare flowers through a process called translocation (the movement of a species from one location to another).  A total of 3,400 plants were moved in an attempt to save one of Scotland's rarest wildflowers. How we rescued One-flowered Wintergreen This type of ground-breaking conservation work will help make sure endangered species like One-flowered Wintergreen are not lost forever. We want to say a special thank you to our fantastic members and supporters who help make vital work like this possible. Find out how we helped protect one of our rarest and most vulnerable wild plants. 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.

ARMISTICE, A POEM

I wrote this years ago. I was able to blend in memories, news items and my childhood visions of Herefordshire’s country lanes. My first visit on Armistice Day was in 1963 and I view it each year. With the continuing atrocities in Ukraine we are reminded again of loss, of waste in war. I have written four poems on the conflict initiated by Putin. There are many killers out there! Eleven Eyes take it in and feed the mind greens, in lines, and hues of them with depth and shadow Eyes at work on the hedgerows flailed, smashed hedgerows give cover for grasses and hemlock, tall and showing deathly white there among those waving heads delicate petals, plainly red looking past, the sides merge with the road as it bends blending green with green — much as thoughts do No sound is heard eyes see no detail just the canvas of it all The smudge of muddy soil and water mixed like dough robbed, stark trees blunt reminders in a no-man’s land consuming mud, hide sinew fragments of bone, broken belt with the stench of wasted lives Now brick and concrete hide the earth— another place for man to hide. Remember —we will —as flag draped coffins slowly pass for tomorrow —think of the earth — stay within its touch. Remember life skills. See the man as he strolls by with his dog —his lapel weeping red.

FROM WILD JUSTICE ON HUNTING WITH DOGS IN SCOTLAND AND DEFRA DELAYING A VERDICT ON WOODCOCK SHOOTING

Good morning, Today’s newsletter brings you news of our latest legal challenge, an update on the Woodcock consultation – or lack of one (!) Flushing to guns – our legal challenge in Scotland We’ve partnered with the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) to launch a legal challenge against NatureScot over its granting of licences to flush Foxes using more than two dogs. We believe that the licensing system is continuing to allow Fox hunting with packs of dogs in Scotland. The Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 limits the number of dogs used to flush Foxes to two but it also allows more dogs to be used under licence, for either the management of wild mammals above ground, or for environmental benefit. These licences can only be granted if there is a strong justification, such as Foxes being likely to cause serious damage to livestock, and if no other solution (such as constructing fencing) would be effective. During the Bill’s passage, the minister told Parliament that a licence would only be “available in exceptional circumstances”. Evidence gathered by LACS via Freedom of Information Requests has revealed significant loopholes in this legislation which, we argue, has resulted in some licences being wrongly granted. We also argue that there has been a substantial lack of compliance monitoring by NatureScot. Our legal challenge comes as huntswoman Clare Bellamy was sentenced at Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday for illegally hunting a Fox. At the time, her hunt held a NatureScot licence to use more than two dogs. During the trial, Ms Bellamy and the landowner both said that once Foxhounds had the scent of a Fox, it was impossible to call them back. To read our joint press release follow this link. All’s (still!) quiet on the Woodcock front For years, Wild Justice has been campaigning for stronger protection for Woodcock – a species of high conservation concern (it’s Red Listed) which can be legally shot from 1 October to 31 January. We were really pleased when Defra finally launched a public consultation in March of this year, which proposed an extension to the close season (the period when they can’t be shot) in England and Scotland, alongside other changes which could result in better protection for other ‘quarry’ species. Wild Justice would prefer Woodcock shooting to be completely banned, however we’re aware this will take time, so we are calling for the closed season to be extended to 1 December. In the winter Woodcock populations are bolstered by significant numbers of migratory Woodcock from the continent. Shooting only during these winter months (December -January) would reduce the risk of resident Woodcock populations being severely impacted. It is a simple and straightforward ask – even the shooting industry organisations don’t support shooting Woodcock before December. You can read more about our position and action here. Defra’s consultation on amending the shooting season for Woodcock and other quarry species closed in mid-May, and the outcome was expected in August 2026, but it never appeared. In late September at the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) conference in London the Head of Wildlife Crime and Wildlife Management Policy at Defra announced that they plan to publish a response sometime in the next two months. However, on 6th November we received information from the Minister’s office that the consultation responses are still being analysed. We were told that when the analysis has been completed (no date!), Defra will publish a summary of the responses and will outline the next steps. Frustratingly, the wait continues. Unfortunately, this delay has meant that once again, the chance has been missed to minimise the impact on resident Woodcock populations this year as the shooting season for this species started on 1 October. As soon as we know more about the outcome of the consultation and subsequent decisions, we’ll let you know. Call for Evidence – thank you! We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who submitted evidence to Defra’s Call for Evidence on gamebird shooting and rearing which closed on 1 November. We’re grateful for the time you gave to this. It was an important opportunity to shine a light on the impacts of the gamebird shooting industry. Thanks also to those who have shared their evidence with us. As soon as we have any news about the outcome of Defra’s Call for Evidence, we’ll let you know. Thank you, Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 277th Wild Justice newsletter. This email was sent to you because you subscribed to it through the Wild Justice website or through an e-action or a petition where you ticked a box. Thank you. We will only use your personal details to send you the Wild Justice newsletter. We will not give or sell your details to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time: there is an unsubscribe button at the foot of this email or you can reply to this email and ask us to remove you from the list (the former will happen immediately, the latter might take a few days). 124, City Road London Greater London EC1V 2NX UNITED KINGDOM Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

FROM PROTECT THE WILD WITH THREE GAME FARMS BURNING DEAD BIRDS AND ANYHTING ELSE. BLOODY HELL THREE FARMS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Burn Piles Exposed: As seen on Channel 4 News PROTECT THE WILD NOV 7 READ IN APP The shooting industry loves to call itself the “guardian of the countryside”. But, behind the claim and the ‘game’ bird farm buildings, we found something else. Over the summer of 2026, Protect the Wild investigators filmed burn piles at three ‘game’ farms. At every single one, we found the same thing: the bodies of pheasants and partridges, chicks and unhatched eggs, dumped alongside plastic and rubbish, left to rot, and set alight in the open air. Not just “one bad apple” We didn’t just go to one ‘game’ bird farm. We went to three, on purpose. Whenever a single farm is caught out, the industry calls it a one-off. One bad apple in an otherwise good bunch. So we filmed Hall Farm Gamestock in Leicestershire, Minster Game near Nottingham, and Shreeves Game Rearing on the edge of Nottingham. Three farms. Three hatcheries. The same burn pile, again and again and again. We did this to prove it is not just one bad apple. It is systemic. It appears to be how an industry that breeds millions of birds just to shoot them gets rid of its waste. Become a Game Changer All three farms, could be the same burn pile right? What we found Hall Farm Gamestock. We first filmed this pile in 2025. This year, we came back for ten days. Bodies and rubbish were dumped several times a day, and the pile was set alight four times. Dead birds were thrown in loose or in plastic bags, topped with soft plastic and wood. On one occasion, a worker was filmed emptying a canister marked with hazard warnings into the ground, then throwing the canister onto the fire. We still do not know what was in it. Minster Game. Over two weeks, the pile grew every single day: plastic, rubbish, and bags of pheasant and partridge bodies, chicks, eggshell and unhatched eggs. It was set alight just once. The rest was left to rot, crawling with maggots, for foxes, buzzards and crows to pick at. Shreeves Game Rearing. In ten days, the pile was set alight five times. It sits in the middle of the farm, and every time it burns, the smoke rolls straight into raised cages of live pheasants with nowhere to go. We also filmed a whole truckload of plastic, pipes, cables and wood being tipped onto the pile and burned. Green claims, black smoke: the secrets the shooting industry burns Hall Farm rears birds for the Thorpe Estate. On its website, the estate boasts of wildflower meadows, miles of new hedgerow, hundreds of native trees and more than a decade of investment in renewable energy. It says it is mindful of safeguarding the planet for future generations. Meanwhile, at the back of the farm that rears its birds, plastic, chemical canisters and animal bodies were burned on an open pile, week after week. This is the shooting industry’s version of environmentalism. Plant a hedgerow. Post about it. Then burn the plastic and the bodies where nobody is looking. You cannot call yourself a guardian of the countryside while poisoning the air above it. Born to be shot. Binned at birth. The shooting industry breeds far more birds than it can use. The ones it does not want end up on the pile. At Minster, we found unhatched chicks still inside their eggs among the ash. At Shreeves, hatchery footage appears to show workers crushing the necks of unwanted chicks before throwing them out with the eggshell. Other times, live chicks were simply left in the trays and bagged up with the waste. A burnt chick inside their egg amongst the Minster farm burn pile. On 3 June, our investigator found a chick alive in the Shreeves burn pile, hours after the farm had hatched a batch of eggs. We called her Pippi. Her neck is badly deformed, which suggests a botched attempt to kill her before she was dumped. Against all odds, she survived. Pippi now lives at a safe sanctuary with other pheasants. How many others were not so lucky? Pippi was found in the Shreeves farm burn pile - more to come on her! Become a Game Changer An open buffet for disease Foxes, buzzards and crows were filmed feeding on these piles. Every visit is a chance for disease to move from farmed birds into the wild, and back again. In a country battling bird flu outbreaks year after year, that should alarm everyone. There are rules for this. Animal carcasses and eggs are classed as animal by-products, and must be collected by an approved company or destroyed in a licensed incinerator. Burning them on an open pile, mixed with plastic and rubbish, is in our view against the law. Yet at three separate farms, it appears to be routine. Proper inspections and tighter regulation could stop this. Right now, it seems nobody is checking. More to come This is just the overview. Over the coming weeks, we will dig into every angle of this investigation: what we found at each farm, the industry’s environmental claims, the chicks thrown away alive, and the laws that appear to be broken with no one watching. Join the movement. Become a Game Changer. This is exactly what your monthly donations help make possible. Undercover investigators gathering evidence. Hundreds of hours of shocking footage being reviewed. Investigations turned into powerful stories reaching millions of people through national television, the press and our social media channels. More investigations. More national exposure. More pressure on the shooting industry. And ultimately, a stronger, better-funded campaign to bring bird shooting for sport to an end once and for all. But we can only keep exposing what this industry is hiding with your support. Right now, we have 875 Game Changers. Our goal is 1,000 by the end of this year but we’d love to get there even quicker. Every monthly donation, no matter how big or small, helps us investigate more farms, expose more cruelty and bring us closer to ending this industry for good. Will you become one of our first 1,000 Game Changers? 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 your Substack

FROM AMY AT MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY

Marine Conservation Society logo View in browser In shallow waters, two children are splashing with their feet. To the right of the image overlaid on top is a common dolphin swimming away from the camera. There is a white outline of the Atlantic Coast on top of both images. Your November ocean update 24 hours left to donate. Hi John, Firstly, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who responded to my email last week. I was so worried about our Atlantic Coast appeal as we were nowhere near our target. Thanks to the generosity of amazing ocean-lovers who dug deep and donated, we're now close to reaching our goal of £12,000. Can you be the spark the Atlantic Coast needs, John, to help us reach our target? Your donation could just be the one that gets us over the finish line in these final 24 hours. Yes, I'll donate £5 > Speaking of sparks for the ocean, Blue Planet 3 exploded onto our screens in spectacular fashion on Sunday night, and we couldn't be happier about it. It’s wonderful to discover some of the remarkable marine life found across the globe, will you be watching each week? This month, you can take action to safeguard Scottish waters so wildlife and habitats can thrive again. You’ll also find some gift ideas for those ocean enthusiasts in your life, from ocean-themed goodies to brands that support our ocean regeneration work. Let's dive in! Staff member Amy is smiling at the camera wearing a light pink jumper. Amy Digital Channels Manager Two puffins are pictured on a cliff edge. In the distance is the sea, with low clouds slightly obscuring the background. Credit: Kevin Morgans Be a voice for marine life Protect vulnerable seas With just a couple of clicks, you can do something major to help protect more of Scotland's seas. Responding to the Scottish government’s latest consultation could ensure over 160 inshore MPAs and Priority Marine Feature areas get the best protection. Don’t worry, you don’t need to live in Scotland to show your support. Take action > Eco-friendly gifts displayed on a sandy beach, including a navy drawstring bag with whale illustrations, a black tote bag with a lobster design, a reusable water bottle and a wrapped gift box among driftwood and shells. 'Tis almost the season Christmas gift guide If, like me, you have little ones at home, you’ll be in no doubt as to how many days away Christmas is (49). It can be overwhelming thinking of and buying presents, especially if you’re trying to minimise waste. To help you get ahead, we’ve curated a one-stop shop of gift ideas that will bring joy to recipients while giving back to the ocean. Inspire me > Facebook logo Threads logo Instagram logo LinkedIn logo Bluesky logo Contact Us General 01989 566017 info@mcsuk.org Membership membership@mcsuk.org Beach cleans beachwatch@mcsuk.org Fundraising fundraising@mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG. Contact us | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe

HUNT SABOTEURS GIVE THE OCTOBER ROUNDUP OF CRIMINAL HUNTERS

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter OCTOBER ROUND UP First conviction under Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 October kicked off with Glasgow Hunt Sabs reporting that Claire Bellamy, ex-huntswoman and former Master of the Lauderdale Hunt, was found guilty under the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023. Footage which was obtained by sabs shows hounds chasing a fox outside the area covered by a licence that had been granted by NatureScot, and was described by the judge as “gut wrenching.” This is the first ever conviction under the new Scottish legislation and you can learn more about the legislation in Scotland and what led to Claire’s conviction here. Claire Bellamy found guilty of deliberately hunting a fox with dogs in January 2025. Image: Glasgow Hunt Sabs Drone theft On the 3rd of October Dorset Borders Sabs reported that their drone had been stolen by The Cattistock Hunt as they hunted in Corscombe, Dorchester. The last image visible on the drone was a known member of the hunt running towards it in a field. The incident has been reported to the police and thanks to the generosity of supporters Dorset Borders Sabs raised enough funds to replace the drone. What do you do when you receive a CPW? If you’re a fox hunt then you break it as soon as possible of course It didn’t take the Four Burrow Hunt long to break their Community Protection Warning (CPW) which had just been freshly issued by Devon and Cornwall Police. On the 10th of October the hunt was caught breaking condition 7 of the CPW, by failing to give police 24 hours’ notice of their meet. As they had failed to give the details of the meet this means they won’t have provided a map of their “trail” meaning they will have broken more conditions that just number 7. It remains to be seen what action the police will take. Read our recent article about CPW’s. Four Burrow Hunt were issued with a CPW after years of trespass and livestock worrying. Image: Kernow Sabs, Monitors and Animal Rights Team-Cornwall Stag hunting horror continues The horror of stag hunting has continued to escalate in the south west. On the 12th of October the Quantock Staghounds hunted a stag towards the A39 between Nether Stowey and Holford. This is a stretch of road where the hunt are continually causing chaos and putting people’s lives in danger. This particular incident resulted in a hunted stag running across the road and colliding with a car. A witness described how the terrified stag “was flipped over the top of the car. Its leg kicked out smashing the rear nearside window. The Stag landed heavily on the verge.” Luckily the woman driving and her small child were not hurt but were badly shaken up. The cruelty doesn’t end there. Two weeks later North Dorset Hunt Sabs reported that the Quantock Staghounds had once again inflicted sickening suffering and pain on a stag. This particular large stag had a visibly infected wound on his side and it is also suspected he had a broken leg. These injuries unfortunately indicate that it is likely the stag that was hit by the car. Despite these injuries the hunt continued to torture him, subjecting him to a chase through thick gorse which no doubt would have caused him unbearable pain. A stag hunted and terrorised by the Quantock Staghounds. Credit: North Dorset Hunt Sabs On the 22nd of October hunt master of the Quantock Staghounds, Christopher Gibbons and huntsman Martin Watts, appeared at Taunton Magistrates Court. Gibbons is facing two counts of hunting a wild mammal under the Hunting Act, and Watts is facing one relating to the barbaric five-hour chase and ultimate killing of a stag on the 23rd of April 2026. Both have pleaded not guilty and the case has been adjourned until the 18th of January 2027 for a case management hearing; no trial date has been set. In the meantime, the Quantock Staghounds are continuing to commit abhorrent levels of animal cruelty whilst putting the safety of the general public at great risk. This stag was tortured for five hours and ultimately killed on the 23rd of April by the Quantock Staghounds. Credit: Mendip Hunt Sabs They’re blatantly hunting foxes Amidst the CPW’s, convictions, court hearings, road chaos and trespassing, foxes are still being chased, like the one pictured below. Beds and Bucks Hunt Sabs along with Peterborough Hunt Sabs have been keeping the pressure on the Fitzwilliam Hunt, seeing no less than six foxes to safety on the 24th of October. Huntsman for the Fitzwilliam Hunt, Shaun Parish is due to stand trial in December for charges under Section 1 of the Hunting Act, relating to an incident back in November 2024. Whipper in Jacob Whalley has already pleaded guilty for the same incident. Fox number 1 of 6 escaping from the Fitzwilliam Hunt thanks to sabs. Credit: Beds & Bucks Hunt Sabs On the 31st of October North Dorset Hunt Sabs and Dorset Borders Hunt Sabs reported that the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale killed a fox at their opening meet at Purse Caundle. Footage obtained by sabs of the kill has been passed to the police and shows a fox breaking in front of hounds before they quickly descend and begin killing. The whipper in Ben Summersgill, runs in to retrieve the fox’s body and attempts to conceal it. The BSV are currently subject to a Community Protection Notice and in three years have racked up eighteen convictions; ranging from Actual Bodily Harm and theft to hunting offences. So once again we will wait and see what action the police take. Blackmore & Sparkford Vale whipper in tries to conceal the foxes body while sabs film from the sky. Credit: North Dorset Hunt Sabs On the 22nd of October the Duke of Beaufort Hunt were caught by Wiltshire Hunt Sabs and Cirencester Illegal Hunt Watch killing a fox near Calne. Upon noticing the drone overhead hunt staff moved in to remove the body. However, as they have proven in the past, the Beaufort Hunt do not care about being caught illegally hunting and just over a week later they were caught chasing a brace, which were flushed towards the pack of hounds. The Beaufort Hunt brazenly hunting a brace. Credit: Wiltshire Hunt Sabs On Friday the 16th October Northants Hunt Sabs caught the Quorn Hunt killing a fox during a kennel meet at Kirkby Bellars, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Northants Hunt Sabs drone caught riders surrounding a barn stacked with bales while hounds were at the side of the barn in narrow passageway. The drone then captured the huntsman swinging the dead body of a fox, encouraging hounds to repeatedly tug and pull at it. This continued on before the hunt realised the entire thing was being recorded from up above. They then tried to hide the fox’s body and conceal their identities before leaving the area. The footage of this kill lays bare the horror of hunting. Credit: Northants Hunt Sabs The release of this footage coincided with the British Hound Sports Association “trail” hunting day, whereby they attempted to promote the non-existent sport of following a pre laid trail. As this footage demonstrates, “trail” hunting is a smokescreen, but the loopholes in the law are allowing hunts to continue, so the HSA has asked its supporters to contact their MP, making them aware of this footage and asking them to push for a full ban on hunting with hounds. Following on from the “trail” hunting day, a member of West Midlands Hunt Sabs was interviewed by the BBC. Speaking to a reporter they said “Hunting hasn’t stopped. Our role is to document it, expose it, show that it’s still happening…There are too many loopholes that the hunts exploit. They get around it by saying “we’re following a trail, it was just an accident that a fox came out.” A fox recently hunted by the Warwickshire Hunt Credit: West Midlands Hunt Sabs All of the cases reported on in this article have been taken from HSA affiliated groups who are working tirelessly to stop blood sports. Please find your local group here and show them some support. If you would like to support the HSA you can do so by donating or becoming a member for only £20 a year. With cub hunting season coming to an end, we are now entering the main fox hunting season and sabs are still out there working tirelessly to save wildlife and expose blood sports. Credit: Bristol Hunt Sabs Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM PROTECT THE WILD ON INDUSTRIAL SLAUGHTER OF GAME BIRDS BRED TO BE KILLED

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more 22,000 birds gassed alive: you weren’t meant to see this PROTECT THE WILD NOV 2 READ IN APP For the first time ever in the UK, footage of a game bird flu cull has been made public. What it shows is shocking. Earlier this year, anonymous activists handed us footage of a cull of around 22,000 breeding game birds at Westfield Game Farm near Pickering, North Yorkshire. It was the farm’s second bird flu cull in two years. Why this is such a big deal This is monumental because game bird culls often happen behind closed doors. Until now, the public has never seen how they are carried out. This footage changes that. It shows the whole process, from catching to gassing to disposal. And it raises three serious concerns: the suffering of thousands of animals, biosecurity failures that put wild birds at risk, and the cost to you, the taxpayer. Become a Game Changer Why did it happen? From December 2025 to April 2026, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) was in force. Every farmed bird had to be housed, or at least netted, to keep it away from wild birds. The pens at Westfield appeared to lack netting. These rules exist to stop exactly this kind of outbreak. But rules mean nothing if nobody enforces them. 22,000 lives, gassed and dumped These birds were bred for one thing: to be shot for sport, but they never even got that far. In the footage panicked birds were chased and thrown, packed into crates and driven into gas chambers. They were gassed with argon, and their bodies were tipped into lorry sized skips like rubbish. Every one of them a life. Every one of them wasted and thrown away by the thousand. Biosecurity concerns Most worryingly, a cull is meant to contain a disease. Yet with the pens apparently unnetted, birds were filmed flying away mid-catch. Even vets and workers were recorded admitting they could not tell how many had escaped. Any one of those birds could have carried avian influenza into the wild. The footage also captured workers repeatedly breaking personal protective equipment (PPE) rules. Some unzipped their suits inside the infected zone. Others wore no protection at all. Every breach is another route for avian influenza to spread. Become a Game Changer Who pays? You do. What could be worse? well, we pay for it… When a game farm’s flock is culled for bird flu, the taxpayer compensates the farmer. Using APHA’s own rate, we estimate the payout at around £620,000. That is for a farm that had been through exactly the same thing just 11 months earlier. We asked APHA, through a Freedom of Information request, what this cull cost. Sadly they refused to tell us and an independent review backed that refusal. So we still do not know how many birds escaped, what was done to make the cull effective (or if it was), or what the public paid for a cull that following the housing rules might have prevented. So, to sum it up: the public pays, but the public is not allowed to know what for or how much! A pattern, not a one-off This is a farm with history. In 2011, its owner and his company were each fined £20,000 for releasing thousands of pheasants onto a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), damaging a protected conservation site. In 2014, the RSPB found five illegal pole traps set around the farm. Two employees were cautioned. The owner was convicted of permitting their use, though that conviction was overturned on appeal. Now, two bird flu culls in two years. And once again, the rules appear to have been bent. Given that record, none of this comes as a surprise. More to come This is just the overview. Over the coming weeks, we will dig into every angle of this story: the animal suffering, the money the taxpayer pays, and the biosecurity failures that appear to have been frequent on this farm. We want this to be a game changer. In every sense. To drag what happens on these farms into the light, and to stop it ever happening again. These birds deserved better. Join the movement. Become a Game Changer. This is exactly what your monthly donations are helping make possible. Undercover investigators gathering evidence. Hundreds of hours of footage being reviewed. Investigations developed into stories that reach millions of people through national television. More investigations. More national exposure. More pressure on the shooting industry. And ultimately, a much stronger campaign to bring bird shooting for sport to an end. If you want to help us expose what else this industry is hiding, please become a Game Changer today. There are 830 Game Changers at the time of sending this email out. Will you become one of the first 1,000? 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 your Substack

FROM PROTECT THE WILD. SPEND ANOTHER POUND TO SEE HOW WELL IT CAN BE SPENT

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Quite possibly the best £1 you will ever spend.. ROBERT POWNALL NOV 1 READ IN APP It’s the 1st of November! £1 donation day is upon us! This time I thought we’d change it up a bit. As you’ve (hopefully) seen, we recently launched Protect the Wild Scotland, our new campaigning arm to fight even harder for Scottish wildlife. So I figured for this month’s email we’d put the focus on this exciting new chapter for Protect the Wild. Every pound donated from this email will go straight towards our work in Scotland as we endeavour to be a loud, unapologetic force for animals. We’ve got huge aspirations. The victory in stopping the longest surviving seabird hunt in the country has shown what is possible when we have dedicated people working obsessively to bring about an end goal. And we want to do the same on so many issues impacting Scottish wildlife. Whether that’s challenging the horrendous salmon farming industry, dealing with the flawed ban on hunting or tackling the Scottish shooting industry head on. We will never compromise or sit on the fence. Over the next 12 months we will prove to you that we deserve your support and we will fight for wildlife across all fronts, from all angles, until we topple industries and cruel pastimes one by one. Even just writing this email gives me goosebumps thinking about what is possible. If this sounds like the sort of thing you’d want to throw your support behind, we’d love to have you with us. Donate £1 Ps. Feeling even more fired up to back us from the very beginning? You can become a founding supporter of Protect the Wild Scotland and we’ll send you a limited edition badge as a thank you :) SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack

BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL

View email in browser Hi John, We hope to see many of you at our upcoming State of the World’s Birds webinar so we can share more about the difference your support is helping to make. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy catching up on some wonderful news for birds and nature this month. Want to inspire others? Click here to forward these highlights. More than 1.25 million voices for nature! Around 30 campaigners stand in a paved plaza holding banners in front of a large glass and brick office building. A red banner shows the number 1,254,722 and a white one reads “Hands Off Nature.” A banner reading “Democracy” hangs on the building behind them. So many of you were among the 1.25 million people who raised their voices for nature through #HandsOffNature. Now those voices have been taken directly to the European Commission, sending a powerful message that the laws protecting Europe’s birds, wildlife and water must remain strong. We'll keep you updated but until then, thank you! The worlds first unified birding checklist has been updated A small dark House swift with a white rump patch in flight against a soft green background, its long, swept-back wings held out and one wing raised. Following its launch in 2025 as a consensus-formed taxonomy for every species of bird found on planet Earth, the AviList checklist has now been released in a revised 2026 version. This is the first in what is set to be an annual update each October. See the headline changes New digital series spotlights global effort to protect migratory birds A camera monitor on a film rig shows four large, long-necked birds flying in a loose line across a peach-colored sunset sky. Behind the monitor, a green field stretches to a glowing horizon. If you haven't already seen, we have launched a digital film series, in collaboration with Content With Purpose, that brings together scientists, conservationists, communities, organisations and local voices to reveal the global effort to protect migratory birds. Watch the journeys that connect our world Supporter photo spotlight A small Aruban burrowing owl with bright yellow eyes stands upright on a pale rock, facing the camera. Its plumage is brown and cream with spotted markings, and white rocks and a blurred pale ground surround it A big thank you to David E. Fitzgibbons for sharing this wonderful photo of an Aruban burrowing owl. In David’s words “Endemic to the island of Aruba, the Aruban Burrowing Owl, is beloved by the islanders and nicknamed the ‘Shoco’.” The Shoco appears on the 50 Florin banknote, as well as several national stamps. David adds “In 2013 the population was estimated at 200 breeding pairs. The decline of the Shoco is due to the development on the island, nest destruction, and predation by the boa constrictor,” a non-native species. “While exploring the island I found myself in an abandoned construction site watching some Black Bellied Whistling Ducks frolic in a large puddle. It was then I saw the Shoco leave his ground nest and alight to some rocks.” For your chance to be featured, send us your best shots and a short paragraph about it to: howtohelp@birdlife.org. Get your photography featured Online talk and Q&A: State of the World's Birds RSVP today Thank you for your support, Mairianne Walker | BirdLife International Supporter Team From £5 you can be part of our global community helping to bring birds back from the brink. Check out our memberships. 10% off on a BirdLife Bundle! Get everything you need to take out birding. All purchases can help birds and nature thrive. Need a Will? Estate planning doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re offering a free, easy-to-use resource to help. Get started! LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

ROM PROTECT THE WILD. GAME CHANGERS WITH MONTHLY DONATIONS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more We’ve done it again. This time, on Channel 4 News. PROTECT THE WILD OCT 31 READ IN APP For the second time in less than six months, we’ve blown the lid off the shooting industry on national television. First it was ITV, and last night it was Channel 4 News. And I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of what we’re achieving. Back in May, ITV News broadcast our undercover investigation exposing the horrific reality of how millions of pheasants and partridges are intensively farmed across Britain, just so people can blast them out of the sky for fun. This time, I headed to the Channel 4 studios to sit down with Alex Thomson and expose the shooting industry’s shocking disregard for wildlife, the countryside and the environment. Once again, we’re bringing what this industry would rather keep hidden into the national spotlight. Dead birds and plastic waste dumped into enormous piles and set on fire. A baby pheasant found ALIVE in a pile waiting to be burned. Rotting carcasses left for wild animals to scavenge. And 22,000 birds gassed following a bird flu outbreak, with our footage raising serious questions about biosecurity and the potential risks to wild birds. Become a Game Changer Two major investigations. Two of the biggest news broadcasters in Britain. Less than six months apart. For a relatively small organisation taking on an industry with enormous financial resources, powerful lobbying groups and political connections, this is a bloody big achievement. And there’s something else that makes this so important. We’re just days away from the end of DEFRA’s call for evidence into the impacts of game-bird shooting. At the very moment the government is examining this industry, we’re helping expose its practices to a national audience. And we’re far from finished. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing several further investigations, going into much greater detail about what our cameras uncovered. This is just the beginning. When we launched our campaign to End Bird Shooting, we set ourselves an ambitious target of reaching 1,000 Game Changers (people donating monthly to fund this work) by the end of 2026. Well, after last night, I want us to aim even higher. Let’s reach 1,000 Game Changers by the end of October. Become a Game Changer Because this is exactly what your monthly donations are helping make possible. Undercover investigators gathering evidence. Hundreds of hours of footage being reviewed. Investigations developed into stories that reach millions of people through national television. You’re seeing exactly where your money goes. And you’re seeing the difference it’s making. Imagine what we could achieve with 1,000 people funding this work every single month. More investigations. More national exposure. More pressure on the shooting industry. And ultimately, a much stronger campaign to bring bird shooting for sport to an end. I’m incredibly proud of everyone who’s helped make this possible. But believe me, we’re only just getting started. If you want to help us expose what else this industry is hiding, please become a Game Changer today. There are 777 Game Changers at the time of sending this email out. Will you become one of the first 1,000? 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 your Substack

FROM PROTECT THE WILD AND A MAIN NEWS CHANNEL AGAIN ON INDUSTRIAL GAME BIRD REARING

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more We’ve done it again. This time, on Channel 4 News. PROTECT THE WILD OCT 31 READ IN APP For the second time in less than six months, we’ve blown the lid off the shooting industry on national television. First it was ITV, and last night it was Channel 4 News. And I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of what we’re achieving. Back in May, ITV News broadcast our undercover investigation exposing the horrific reality of how millions of pheasants and partridges are intensively farmed across Britain, just so people can blast them out of the sky for fun. This time, I headed to the Channel 4 studios to sit down with Alex Thomson and expose the shooting industry’s shocking disregard for wildlife, the countryside and the environment. Once again, we’re bringing what this industry would rather keep hidden into the national spotlight. Dead birds and plastic waste dumped into enormous piles and set on fire. A baby pheasant found ALIVE in a pile waiting to be burned. Rotting carcasses left for wild animals to scavenge. And 22,000 birds gassed following a bird flu outbreak, with our footage raising serious questions about biosecurity and the potential risks to wild birds. Become a Game Changer Two major investigations. Two of the biggest news broadcasters in Britain. Less than six months apart. For a relatively small organisation taking on an industry with enormous financial resources, powerful lobbying groups and political connections, this is a bloody big achievement. And there’s something else that makes this so important. We’re just days away from the end of DEFRA’s call for evidence into the impacts of game-bird shooting. At the very moment the government is examining this industry, we’re helping expose its practices to a national audience. And we’re far from finished. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing several further investigations, going into much greater detail about what our cameras uncovered. This is just the beginning. When we launched our campaign to End Bird Shooting, we set ourselves an ambitious target of reaching 1,000 Game Changers (people donating monthly to fund this work) by the end of 2026. Well, after last night, I want us to aim even higher. Let’s reach 1,000 Game Changers by the end of October. Become a Game Changer Because this is exactly what your monthly donations are helping make possible. Undercover investigators gathering evidence. Hundreds of hours of footage being reviewed. Investigations developed into stories that reach millions of people through national television. You’re seeing exactly where your money goes. And you’re seeing the difference it’s making. Imagine what we could achieve with 1,000 people funding this work every single month. More investigations. More national exposure. More pressure on the shooting industry. And ultimately, a much stronger campaign to bring bird shooting for sport to an end. I’m incredibly proud of everyone who’s helped make this possible. But believe me, we’re only just getting started. If you want to help us expose what else this industry is hiding, please become a Game Changer today. There are 777 Game Changers at the time of sending this email out. Will you become one of the first 1,000? 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 your Substack

THE QUORN HUNT TRAINING TO KILL

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter QUORN HUNT TRAINING HOUNDS TO KILL: WRITE TO YOUR MP The Hunt Saboteurs Association is asking our supporters to contact their MPs following the release of horrific drone footage involving the Quorn Hunt in Leicestershire. Members of the Quorn Hunt use the fox’s body to encourage hounds to tear it apart. Image: Northants Hunt Saboteurs On Friday 16 October 2026, Northants Hunt Saboteurs filmed an incident near Kirby Bellars in which a fox was killed by hounds during a Quorn Hunt cubbing meet. Hounds converge on the fox as hunt staff look on. Image: Northants Hunt Saboteurs The footage shows hounds seizing and tearing at the fox while hunt staff intervene to repeatedly encourage the hounds to attack. A hunting horn can be seen being blown over the hounds to reinforce the association between the horn call and the kill! Take action: Contact your MP Don’t let this disturbing footage go unnoticed. Write to your MP, ask them to watch the video and to support robust legislation to strengthen the Hunting Act. Template letter below: Organised Hunts hunting as usual – Famous Quorn Hunt filmed killing a fox Dear [MP] The 1st November will see the official start of the foxhunting season, but hunts have been out since August training their hounds to hunt and kill. This is called autumn hunting by them and cub hunting by the rest of us. This is illustrated by the film we obtained taken from a drone showing the Quorn Hunt killing a fox. This is ‘trail hunting’ in its bloody reality, and it happened just a few days ago, on the eve of the BHSA’s National Trail Hunting Day. The full video can be viewed here: https://www.huntsabs.org.uk/smokescreen-saturday-exposed/ Cub hunting is not some isolated activity. It is the preparation for the hunting season ahead. Throughout the autumn, young hounds are taught what to chase, what to kill and how to respond to the huntsman’s commands. What they learn – or fail to learn – during these crucial weeks sets the tone for the entire season. This is what makes the Quorn Hunt footage so damning. It shows hounds being deliberately encouraged to seize and tear at a fox, with hunt staff repeatedly intervening to reinforce that behaviour. As the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) and the Countryside Alliance prepared to showcase so-called 'trail hunting' on National Trail Hunting Day - aka Smokescreen Saturday - the Quorn Hunt provided a horrifying glimpse of the reality behind the myth of trail laying. The BHSA and defenders of so-called trail hunting want the public to believe the same hounds will spend the season following scent trails. Yet here they are, being trained on foxes, and of course, killing to the delight of the hunters. The footage strikes at the very heart of the trail hunting smokescreen. We need parliament to finish the consultation and push through a real hunting ban in the next parliament term as promised in the manifesto. Regards [Name] [Address] Find contact details for your MP here 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. THE WELSH SENEDD AND A PROPOSED BADGER CULL

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more All out on 10 November for badgers! Come to the demonstration at the Senedd in Cardiff to demand NO BADGER CULL. ELIZA EGRET OCT 27 READ IN APP With a badger cull in Cymru looking increasingly likely, your voice is needed in Cardiff on Tuesday, 10 November. This is YOUR chance to take a stand. Join Protect the Wild alongside the Badger Trust, local groups and individuals, both outside and inside the Senedd, to demand no badger cull. The message is simple, Wales has shown another way; it should not repeat England’s failed and costly badger cull, but focus on real solutions. The schedule for the day is as follows: 11am - 2.30pm: Peaceful demonstration outside the Senedd. Let’s show that people across Wales want to protect wildlife and support genuine - solutions to bovine TB. 👉 12pm - 1.30pm: Talks inside the Senedd media room. The Badger Trust will host an event for MSs, stakeholders, supporters and the media, setting out why Wales should protect its science-led, cull-free approach to bovine TB. Guest speakers include: Dr Dick Sibley BVSc Hon FRCVS: Cattle vet with five decades’ experience in herd health and infectious disease, including frontline work on bovine TB. Rosie Wood, Chair of Trustees, Badger Trust. In England, a quarter of a million badgers were culled over thirteen years, only for Keir Starmer’s Labour government to declare the killing “ineffective”. Wales, on the other hand, has consistently proven that it doesn’t need a badger cull to fight bovine TB. Instead of following England’s failed path of mass slaughter, it must double down on smarter cattle testing, better biosecurity, and upcoming cow vaccines. A cull would only waste public money and distract from the scientific solutions that actually stop disease transmission. On top of this, Wales is already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Its wildlife faces intense pressure from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change, and it cannot afford to lose any more. The Badger Trust says: “Badgers are protected native wildlife. They belong in Wales and should be part of nature’s recovery, not its decline.” Take action with these easy steps! Join the demonstration outside the Senedd on Tuesday 10 November. Sign the Senedd petition here, demanding no badger cull! Contact your MS, asking them to attend the Senedd event and urging them to keep Wales cull-free. For more information, visit the Badger Trust’s Keep Cymru Cull Free page here. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack

AN IMMENSE POST FROM ROB POWNALL. PHEASANT FARMING AND POLLUTION

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more They want to breed 32,000 birds to be shot. Help us stop them. PROTECT THE WILD OCT 25 READ IN APP On the edge of the Cranborne Chase National Landscape, near Brixton Deverill in Wiltshire, sits a pheasant rearing field. Part of Woodcombe Farm, it contains twelve sheds, up to 2,000 pheasant and partridge chicks in each, raised to be shot. That’s not enough for Woodcombe. It wants four more sheds, taking the site to 16 sheds and 32,000 birds. That’s another 8,000 birds a ‘season’. We oppose these sites on principle, of course. End Bird Shooting is supporting Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) in objecting to planning application PL/2026/02714. Wiltshire Council’s own ecologist has already lodged a formal objection. We need you to add yours. Here’s why… Sign Our Petition A chalk stream under pressure The site lies around 200 metres from the River Wylye, a chalk stream that forms the headwaters of the River Avon Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Chalk streams are among the rarest freshwater habitats on Earth. Around 85% of all the chalk streams on Earth are located in England. a fish swimming in a shallow body of water Photo by Jon Sailer on Unsplash The River Avon is protected for its Atlantic salmon, sea and brook lamprey, bullhead, and its precious chalk-stream plant life. This river is already struggling with phosphorus pollution. Natural England now requires new development in the catchment to prove “nutrient neutrality”, meaning no net increase in phosphorus. Thousands of confined birds produce vast quantities of droppings. Those droppings carry phosphorus and ammonia into soil and water. Wiltshire County Council’s ecologist has warned that the expansion could harm the SAC through phosphorus discharge, alone or combined with other development. She has said permission cannot be granted unless the Council completes a Habitats Regulations Assessment that reaches a positive conclusion and Natural England agrees with it. The applicant has supplied no nutrient evidence at all. Her objection doesn’t stop there. Aerial photographs show large areas of bare ground left by the existing rearing operation. She also concludes the scheme does not appear to qualify for the biodiversity net gain exemption the applicant has claimed. Sign Our Petition Salami Slicing? Woodcombe has grown its rearing facility in steps: 7 sheds in 2018 10 sheds in 2022 12 sheds in 2024 an enlarged boundary in December 2025 and now a request for yet more sheds. Together these applications add up to a substantial, intensive operation that has never been screened for a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Planners call this “salami slicing”: dividing one large project into smaller applications that each slip under the thresholds for proper scrutiny. The courts have been clear that environmental rules cannot be sidestepped this way, whether by design or by accident. We can’t state definitively that ‘salami slicing’ is driving the staggered expansion at Woodcombe, but CAFF calculates that, if assessed as a single installation, the 16-shed site would exceed the 500m² threshold at which intensive livestock units must be considered for EIA. The council must assess the whole operation, not just the latest slice. There’s more. Only last December, the council capped the site at twelve units to protect the National Landscape and neighbours. Less than a year later, the applicant wants to break that cap. Their own Supporting Statement even says there is “ample room” for two more sheds, yet they are applying for four. Sign Our Petition Cruelty by design The breeding and rearing of birds for the gun as a whole is inherently cruel. Our undercover Investigations series has documented chicks tipped onto conveyor belts, live chicks found chirping beneath dumped eggs, filthy breeding cages, and the “dead week” when worn-out birds are disposed of. And all these birds are being raised so that armed hobbyists can blast holes into them anyway. What does the applicant have to say about animal welfare? Nothing. The Supporting Statement is a single page. It talks about demand, rotation and traffic, but the words “animal welfare” don’t appear once. The High Court confirmed last year that animal welfare can be a material planning consideration. The applicant hasn’t addressed it at all. Act now The Woodcombe application is about more than four sheds. It’s about whether an industry that breeds birds in their millions to be shot for entertainment can keep expanding, unchecked - and in this case by one of England’s most precious rivers. If you live in Wiltshire: use CAFF’s quick objection tool at caff.org.uk/woodcombe. It takes a couple of minutes, and you can add your own reasons for objecting. Tool for Wiltshire residents If you live elsewhere in England please add your name to Protect the Wild’s email petition here: Stop the expansion of a pheasant rearing site in Wiltshire Wiltshire residents who would prefer to send an objection directly to Wiltshire County Council can email: developmentmanagement@wiltshire.gov.uk. Please state that you are objecting, include your full name and address, and quote the planning application reference PL/2026/02714. Every objection counts. Please share this with anyone who cares about wildlife, rivers or animals. Let’s make sure Wiltshire Council hears us loud and clear. Sign Our Petition 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 have been hard at work. Months of undercover work. Hundreds of hours of footage. Farms across the UK exposed. We are making a difference. But we are only just getting started. Many of you have already become a Game Changer, standing 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. We are extremely grateful. We are reaching a larger audience all the time, though, many who won’t know that Game Changers helps us fund investigations, take on staff, and make us more effective. So we are going to repeat the call here - this is just the beginning, please be a 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 your Substack

FROM PROTECT THE WILD WITH ROB POWNALL. HE HAS OVERLOOKED THE ´PET´ INDUSTRY

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I need to admit something... There's an entire industry I've overlooked for years. That's about to change. ROB POWNALL OCT 21 READ IN APP Until fairly recently, the commercial pet trade wasn’t an issue I’d given much thought to. But I came across the video below and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. When we think of pets, we think of animals being loved, cared for and treated as members of the family. We walk past rabbits, hamsters, birds and reptiles in pet shops without really questioning it. We assume there are rules in place, that the animals are being looked after, and that everything is generally okay. But the more I’ve started looking into this industry, the more I’ve realised just how wrong that assumption can be. According to UK Pet Food’s 2026 research, there are an estimated 36.5 million pets in the UK, with 62% of households owning at least one. That’s an extraordinary number of animals. Yet how much do we really know about the industry supplying them? Where are these animals bred? What conditions are they kept in? How are they transported? How many die before they’re ever sold? And what happens to the countless animals who are bought, unwanted and eventually abandoned? For an industry involving so many millions of lives, the lack of public scrutiny is sickening. We’re talking about rabbits spending their lives confined in hutches, hamsters unable to carry out their most basic natural behaviours, parrots denied the opportunity to fly, and reptiles kept in enclosures that don’t come close to meeting their needs. Rescue Not Retail For some of these animals, suffering isn’t something that happens to them occasionally. It’s the only life they’ll ever know. Yet we’ve somehow normalised the idea that living, feeling creatures can be bred, displayed in shops and sold to anyone willing to pay for them. The more I think about it, the harder I find it to understand why this isn’t a much bigger issue. So we’re doing something about it. I’m incredibly excited to announce that Rescue Not Retail is officially joining the Protect the Wild family. Rescue Not Retail is an existing campaign dedicated to challenging the commercial pet trade, exposing the suffering hidden within it and ultimately ending the sale of live animals in pet shops. And we’re not planning to simply raise awareness. We’re going to investigate the businesses involved, scrutinise the laws supposedly protecting them, and explore every opportunity to hold those responsible for suffering to account. We’ll combine investigations, research, legal work and public campaigning to challenge an industry that has avoided serious scrutiny for far too long. Our ambition is to turn Rescue Not Retail into a major national campaign capable of forcing genuine change. Rescue Not Retail But what does this have to do with British wildlife? Quite a lot, actually. The exotic pet trade can directly affect wild populations, while escaped or released non-native animals can threaten native wildlife and ecosystems. But for me, there’s something even more fundamental. We campaign against the shooting industry breeding millions of pheasants to be killed for entertainment. We fight against the persecution of foxes and badgers. We challenge the idea that animals exist simply for human enjoyment or profit. A snake rack system in a UK pet shop (pic: Rescue Not Retail) So why should our compassion end when an animal is kept behind glass in a pet shop instead of living in the British countryside? Whether it’s a fox being chased by hounds, a pheasant bred to be shot or a rabbit confined to a tiny cage, these are animals whose lives should matter. And as an organisation that exists to challenge animal exploitation, I believe this is an issue we simply cannot ignore. We need you to be part of this. Rescue Not Retail is only just getting started, but I genuinely believe it has the potential to become something enormous. There is so much we want to investigate, so many questions that need answering and an entire industry that needs challenging. And as we’ve shown time and again at Protect the Wild, when enough people come together, we can force issues onto the national agenda that those responsible would much rather keep hidden. So today, I’m asking you to back Rescue Not Retail from the very beginning. Rescue Not Retail Please sign up to Rescue Not Retail and receive our campaign emails, investigations and opportunities to take action. Giving us your support and helping us build this movement would mean an enormous amount. Thank you :) SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start your Substack

FROM MARINE CONSERVATION. THE CUTTLEFISH IS AN AMAZING CREATURE

Marine Conservation Society logo View in browser Donate Meet the common cuttlefish They're molluscs, related to slugs, snails, mussels and clams Watch a cuttlefish glide through the water with our latest video. Show me the cuttlefish > Against a background of mostly dark water, with a streak of vivid green seagrass, a common cuttlefish is pictures gliding through the ocean. Its stripy skin is reflecting the streams of light coming through the water Credit: Georgie Bull Hi John, Did you know that the common cuttlefish has one of the biggest brain to body ratios and it's so intelligent that it can actually count? When I learnt this I was genuinely blown away - marine life really is incredible! And the fascinating facts don't stop there. The cuttlefish has two feeding tentacles (and eight arms) which they shoot out to catch their prey - they've even been known to eat smaller cuttlefish. Cuttlefish lay their eggs in seagrass to give their young a safe place to begin life. It's one of the reason's we're planting 10,000m² of seagrass in the next three years, and protecting 2,400m² of existing seagrass meadows with eco-friendly moorings by 2030. You can be a part of this epic story of seagrass restoration, John. With a little donation from you, we can achieve a lot. Will you chip in? Yes, I'll donate £10 > Favourite fact: during spring and summer, the male cuttlefish will engage in spectacular displays of colour to attract females, passing pulses of colour rapidly along their body - like a disco ball in the ocean! Have a wonderful day. Staff member Amy is smiling at the camera wearing a light pink jumper. Amy Digital Channels Manager Facebook logo Threads logo Instagram logo LinkedIn logo Bluesky logo Contact Us General 01989 566017 info@mcsuk.org Membership membership@mcsuk.org Beach cleans beachwatch@mcsuk.org Fundraising fundraising@mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG. Contact us | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe

FROM PLANTLIFE’—READ ABOUT THE BRILLIANCE OF THE LUGG MEADOWS IN HEREFORDSHIRE

Explore Lugg Meadows with us View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop John, this autumn, we want to invite you on a virtual adventure to one of our most ancient nature reserves, Lugg Meadows. This stunning site running alongside a river in Herefordshire is steeped in history and heritage, sharing connections with the community that go back centuries. In fact, these meadows were even recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086! Even today, Lugg Meadows still feels ancient. It's managed using some traditional techniques passed down through generations. So step back in time with us, meet our Nature Reserve Manager, and members of the community who cherish their connections with this special place. John, we've created this 2-part series to explore this incredible meadow, will you join us? There's a chill in the air and the nights are drawing in, we're all missing the warmth of summer already. So sit back, grab a cuppa and let's take a virtual walk through a summers meadow! Part 1: Join the people who love Lugg Meadows and experience why this place is so special. The first part of the series above, delves into the community connection with Lugg Meadows. Hear from people who have grown up near this special place, learn about the farming heritage of the area, the common grazing and the historic hay auction. Part 2: Join our Nature Reserves Manager to hear all about the conservation and management of the meadow. In the second part above, you can hear from our Nature Reserves Manager Joe Costley, as he shares more about the conservation and management of the meadow. Joe says: "You're sort of walking on history. And you've got the big sky, sweeping expanse of grassland, it's sort of invigorating to be here. And you're part of that history really." We hope you enjoy this virtual visit to our nature reserve! Don't forget, our nature reserves are the perfect way to connect with nature, spring, summer, autumn or winter! If you ever take a trip to Lugg Meadows, or any of our other 23 reserves, we would love to see - make sure to tag us on social media. 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.