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Charity wants bee, bird and butterfly population boost
The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust is seeking £70,000 for a project to increase wildlife on farmland in the Thames Valley. The appeal is part of its Nature Recovery Fund and aims to address declines in birds, bees and butterflies, with the trust arguing that recovery efforts must reach beyond nature reserves.
The trust says farmland bird populations have fallen by 63% since 1970, and half of the UK’s 27 bumblebee species are declining. Possible measures include reducing farm chemicals to improve soil and waterways, and leaving areas of grassland for wildlife. Farmland covers 68% of the three counties; a 2023 report found one in six UK species at risk of extinction.
In short
- BBOWT is seeking £70,000 to support wildlife on Thames Valley farmland.
- Farmland bird numbers have fallen 63% since 1970.
- The trust proposes fewer chemicals and more grassland for wildlife.