What’s new?
8 October 2007
Vine House Farm and The Wildlife Trusts
The launch of a new partnership
A new partnership between The Wildlife Trusts and conservation award-winning Vine House Farm - who offer a full range of high quality bird foods and accessories as well as advice on feeding and attracting birds into your garden - was launched this summer
The Wildlife Trusts recognise farmers hold a key to the well-being of our countryside and, in turn, the health of our wildlife. Gardeners manage a vast area of the UK too. Gardens are estimated to cover about 270,000 hectares – more than the area of all the National Nature Reserves in the UK.
One way everyone can discover and re-discover the wonder of nature, is to feed, and provide habitats for, garden birds and other wildlife visitors to our gardens. In doing so, wildlife corridors are created, which are vital to ensure wildlife has enough room to adapt to threats including climate change.
Lucy Watts, daughter of Nicholas Watts who owns Vine House Farm, explains: “We started selling wild bird seed almost by mistake when my father held an open day in aid of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust at one of our farm yards to show people the incredible number of birds we had feeding there. Some of the visitors were so impressed that they asked where they could buy the bird seed. The same happened the following year and hence Vine House Farm Bird Foods was born! My father first became a member of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust in 1964 when he was twenty one, so we are very pleased about the partnership having long supported The Wildlife Trusts.”
Michael Allen, chairman of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “We are delighted to bring wildlife-friendly farming and gardening together by working with Vine House Farm, whose active commitment to conservation, and to sustainable and ethical supply chains, makes it a natural partner to The Wildlife Trusts.
“Wildlife has had to adapt to climatic fluctuations in the past but the current scale and rate of change places much greater pressure on habitats and species. Large areas of natural habitat, which once acted as buffers against change, have been replaced with barriers such as urban development or intensive agriculture. That’s why a new approach to land management is needed.
“The Wildlife Trusts are leading the way with their vision of ‘A Living Landscape’, joining up vital habitats such as meadows, woodlands and wetlands. Trusts are identifying wildlife-rich places and connecting them together, providing room for wildlife to manoeuvre to shadier slopes, higher or alternative habitat. We can all help. Your garden can play a vital part in helping to create wildlife corridors, through thoughtful management.”
To find out more about Vine House Farm, the conservation work that they carry out, and how to order visit www.vinehousefarm.co.uk.
For further information please contact Anna Guthrie, senior press officer at The Wildlife Trusts on 01636 670075 or aguthrie@wildlifetrusts.org