16th September 2023
Figures released today by Natural England show another rise in the population of Hen Harriers in England, with 141 chicks fledging successfully this year. This increase is nearly a further fifth from last year’s 119 chicks which was the highest number for a century. The data marks a decade of population growth for this very […]
13th September 2023
There are many misconceptions about the way moorland is managed to help red grouse and other ground-nesting birds to nest and fledge their chicks successfully. Controlled burning has been carried out for generations for improving grazing, but the association between heather burning and grouse shooting means that campaigners constantly seek to portray it as […]
22nd August 2023
The Moorland Association today announced that Director Amanda Anderson will be moving on from her role at the end of this year. Mark Cunliffe-Lister, chairman of the Moorland Association, said: “We are very sorry to see Amanda leave her role but fully respect her decision. Our members wish her the very best and we have […]
17th August 2023
A pioneering trial set up to help rebuild the population of the endangered Hen Harrier in England has reared and released 24 chicks this year, almost double last year’s record high of 13. Hen Harrier numbers have shown continuous improvement in recent years, coinciding with the introduction of the government-led Hen Harrier recovery plan in […]
9th August 2023
A new report concludes that, based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) environmental, social and economic definitions, moorland managed for grouse shooting provides greater overall benefits than any alternative use. Written by Professor Simon Denny, formerly of the University of Northampton, and reviewed by Professor James Crabbe from the University of Oxford, the new report titled ‘Sustainable driven […]
11th July 2023
More than 2,000 children had the chance to ‘rescue’ their teachers with mountain rescue teams, solve rural crimes with the police and learn about the importance of the precious carbon-rich peatlands below their feet when the UK’s largest upland classroom returned last week. Packed with fun, interactive lessons, schools from across the North of England […]
22nd June 2023
Bird of prey sightings on a North York Moors estate have risen to record levels. Spaunton Estate, which carries out detailed species survey work, has reported an increase of 201 per cent in bird of prey sightings over five years from 711 in 2018 to 2,144 in 2022. There were notable successes for many of […]
19th June 2023
THERE IS NO STATUS QUO Sustainable grouse moor management today is a world away from the myths presented by opponents A report commissioned by the RSPB, published last week, assesses the economic, environmental and social impacts of driven grouse shooting across the UK. The author, Matt Rayment of Rayment Consulting Services, sets out what he […]
12th May 2023
The largest translocation of curlew eggs ever undertaken begins next week, with 120 eggs due to be transported from the Yorkshire Dales to the south of England to help expand the breeding range of this endangered species. The scheme launched last year with 40 eggs collected from grouse moors and adjacent grassland. The translocation was […]
21st April 2023
World Curlew Day – is an opportunity to celebrate the much-loved curlew. The Moorland Association welcomes new research which shows that curlew are four times as likely to fledge a chick successfully on a grouse moor as on similar habitat without gamekeepers. The research paper by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust studied 36 upland […]
75% of Europe’s remaining upland heather moorland is found in the UK – but this area declined alarmingly over the latter part of the last century. The Moorland Association was set up in 1986 to coordinate the efforts of moorland owners and managers to halt this loss, particularly in England and Wales.
RECORD HIGH FOR HEN HARRIER POPULATION IN ENGLAND Figures released today by Natural England show another rise in the population of Hen Harriers in England, with 141 chicks fledging successfully this year. This increase is nearly a further fifth from last year’s 119 chicks which was the highest number for a century. The data marks a decade of population growth for this very […]
Can using fire help protect our beautiful heather moors? There are many misconceptions about the way moorland is managed to help red grouse and other ground-nesting birds to nest and fledge their chicks successfully. Controlled burning has been carried out for generations for improving grazing, but the association between heather burning and grouse shooting means that campaigners constantly seek to portray it as […]
