farm wild lifeCONSERVATION MANAGEMENT IDEAS FOR WINTER
This month’s conservation management ideas, provided by the RSPB, will help you plan ahead and identify specific areas of the farm that can be managed for wildlife. Key topics this month include:

Do the Birds need more Grain?
Demand for grain waste will increase in mid-winter, especially in cold weather. So try putting out more between December and February.

Thin Overcrowded Woodland
Woodland that hasn’t been managed for a while will become tall and spindly, and offers little for birds and other wildlife. In time, the trees may start to die. So start to thin out woodland areas and take as much of the felled timber as you need for fuel wood or sale, and leave the rest where it lies to rot and feed the soil.

Winter is a Good Time to put up Nest Boxes
Put up nest boxes around the farm – barn owls and tree sparrows will be especially grateful.

Tell People About Your Wildlife Work
Put up LEAF information boards next to footpaths that explain the conservation work that people can see around them. We have a number of ready made boards to put up around your farm that tell people all the good things that you’re doing to care for the environment and wildlife on your farm. Click here to view the boards and order on line. RSPB have some great advisory sheets that could be laminated or you could make up your own.

For more information go to www.thinkwildlife.org.uk

If these management ideas pose any questions, then post them on the discussion forum on www.farmwildlife.info to get your answers.