All Posts

Controlled burning of heather on UK moorlands is often used to support red grouse management, but its effects on peatland health are frequently questioned.

A new tool has been launched by the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation to help land managers, emergency services and the public better understand and respond to wildfire threats in the uplands.

This short video compilation shows the abundance of wildlife found on a thriving Yorkshire Dales Grouse Moor, including red grouse, lapwing, oystercatcher, curlew, black headed gull, pheasant and sheep. Plenty of insects around too.

Time is running out to respond to Defra’s consultation on heather and grass burning. The deadline is 25th May, and it’s vital that those who understand the uplands - the people who live, work, and manage this land - make their voices heard.

Natural England’s recent evidence review on heather burning was presented as a definitive scientific update. Instead, it stands as a case study in how selective methodology, excluded expertise, and misrepresented findings can produce a flawed and unbalanced document.

A crucial study reveals the sobering reality of what happens to ground-nesting bird populations when predators are not controlled.

These frequently asked questions are taken from the scientific paper: Ten years on from a predator removal experiment in the English uplands: Changes in numbers of ground-nesting birds and predators.

Over the past century, parts of the British uplands have seen a steep decline in heather moorland - a globally rare habitat important for wildlife, rural heritage, and field sports.

Another spate of wildfires over the weekend, including one that has destroyed 12,500 acres of land on Dartmoor, highlights the growing concern over the risk of wildfires as dry conditions persist.

Hot spotting is the process of pouring a huge amount of water onto smouldering ground fires - often peat soils that have been ignited by slow burning fine fuels very close to the ground.

This study from Scotland looked closely at how prescribed burning - known as muirburn - relates to wildfires across the country.

Ever wondered what it's like on a moorland fire? It's hot, smokey, noisy, scary, dehydrating, energy zapping and sometimes dangerous.