Fair to Nature

A Partridge in a pear tree? The partridge has long been associated with Christmas, being the first gift presented in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. 🎵🎄 Unlike in the lyrics of this carol, you are unlikely to see a partridge in a pear tree.  They are ground-nesting birds of open farmland landscapes. It's thought the line “Partridge in a pear tree” comes to us as a corruption of the French word for a partridge: ‘une perdrix’. Say “perdrix” in English and it sounds somewhat like “pear tree"...! The Grey Partridge was once a common site across lowland farmland in the UK, albeit never in pear trees. Sadly, they are now a rare sight, suffering steep population declines. The loss of field margins and hedgerows, and use of insecticides have contributed to the fall in numbers. Where to see them: The winter is a great time to see them, in groups called ‘coveys’, on farms in bare fields feeding on seeds, roots, and shoots. Quick-fire facts: Breeds: They nest under the cover of thick hedgerows or amongst dense vegetation. Eats: Leaves and seeds from a range of plants. Insects, especially caterpillars, are important food for young birds. Status:  Red-listed. Between 1970 and 2022 the UK population has declined 92%, (source: DEFRA) Follow for more from our farm wildlife series #homeonthefarm #naturefriendlyfarming #farmwildlife --- Fair to Nature is a certification scheme, supply chain partner and advisory service run by the RSPB, the UK’s largest wildlife and conservation charity. Working with people across the supply chain, its ambition is to help protect and restore nature on farmland.

Yellowhammers: The Canary of the countryside. The bright yellow colouring of these farmland birds makes them easy to spot. The 'hammer' part of their name is a hangover from the Germanic languages of our past, as the word ‘ammer’ means bunting in German. Like the Canaries taken into coal mines, the presence of a Yellowhammer on farm is an indicator of a healthy habitat. Yellowhammers are often seen perched on top of bushes singing their distinctive 'a little bit of bread and no cheese' song. Yellowhammers stay on farms all year round and are still quite widespread across the UK. Quick-fire facts: Breeds: In areas of grassland and arable fields with hedges.  Eats: A range of seeds from grasses to nettle and dock, as well as invertebrates such as grasshoppers and caterpillars. Status: Red-listed. Between 1967 and 2022 the UK breeding population has declined by 64% (source: British Trust for Ornithology). Follow for more from our farm wildlife series #homeonthefarm 👋 #naturefriendlyfarming #farmwildlife --- Fair to Nature is a certification scheme, supply chain partner and advisory service run by the RSPB, the UK’s largest wildlife and conservation charity. Working with people across the supply chain, its ambition is to help protect and restore nature on farmland.

Alright, my Turtle Dove? In Cockney rhyming slang Turtle Dove is used to mean love. You’ll also know this bird as an integral part of the popular Christmas carol, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ 🎵. The Turtle Dove is named after its purring ‘tur-tur’ call, which can be heard from May to July, after which it migrates south for the winter. Its highly patterned black and russet back feathers resemble the patterns of a turtle's shell, possibly another reason for the name. Its gentle call is an evocative sound of summer, but it has become increasingly rare following rapid and sustained population declines. Double your impact for Turtle Doves - between 3 and 10 December, the RSPB is joining the Big Give's #ChristmasChallenge. That means for one week only, your festive donation to support Turtle Doves will go twice as far – so every £10 you donate is £20 to help Turtle Doves come back. www.rspb.org.uk/donate Turtle Dove quick-fire facts: Where to see them: A shy bird that can be spotted feeding in weedy field margins or tall hedges on an open perch. Eats: It eats mainly seeds of wild plants and cereal crops. Status:  Red- between 1967 and 2022, the population fell by  99% in the UK breeding population. #naturefriendlyfarming #farmwildlife   --- Fair to Nature is a certification scheme, supply chain partner, and advisory service run by the RSPB, the UK’s largest wildlife and conservation charity. Working with people across the supply chain, its ambition is to help protect and restore nature on farmland.

Just in case you missed the exciting news yesterday.... https://lnkd.in/dsTKan4g

Today we are pleased to announce a new partnership with Tesco that will provide dedicated conservation and habitat advisory support to farmers in East Anglia. The #biodiversity loss seen in the UK in recent decades places increasing pressure on UK farming. It threatens the health of our land and the stability of supply chains. RSPB Fair to Nature is an advisory service, supply chain partner, and certification scheme run by the RSPB. In this #partnership, RSPB Fair to Nature will provide dedicated conservation and habitat advice to farmers in Tesco’s supply chain and aims to create essential habitats for a range of farmland wildlife. The project will also offer specific advice for Turtle Doves, numbers of which have plummeted in recent decades. Providing good quality wildlife habitats can not only improve biodiversity by supporting a range of species, but also support farm resilience by boosting pollination of crops and offering natural pest control. RSPB advisors will also signpost farmers to existing funding opportunities to achieve this, such as the recently updated Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). #NatureFriendlyFarming

How many farmland birds can you name? Many people can name garden birds, but they might be less familiar with the typical farmland birds that live in the UK countryside. Too many farmland species are under threat suffering significant declines yet farming needs healthy wildlife if we are to secure food production for the future. 📆Over the coming weeks, we will be introducing a range of farmland wildlife that can thrive when we farm with nature in mind. Some are indicators of healthy habitats, others provide essential services to farmers such as pollination or pest control. From Turtle Doves to Dung beetles, we’ll introduce them weekly in our new #homeonthefarm series. 👋Give us a follow to find out more. --- Fair to Nature is a certification scheme, supply chain partner, and advisory service run by the RSPB, the UK’s largest wildlife and conservation charity. Working with people across the supply chain, its ambition is to help protect and restore nature on farmland.

  Too grow food, we need nature.   Nature gives us the very things on which all food production depends and helps us tackle climate change. To make sure we can grow the food we need in the future, we must value the part nature plays and put it at the heart of the way we farm. If we do, with 70% of the UK farmed, it could also see the beginnings of a revival for so much of the wildlife with which we share these lands.       RSPB has launched a campaign asking the UK government to secure funding for nature-friendly farming.  New independent research says increasing investment to £5.9bn a year across the UK is essential to meet legally binding nature and climate targets, and to improve the resilience of the UK food and farming industry. The RSPB is asking the UK Government to make investing in nature-friendly farming a priority.       We don’t just want nature-friendly farming. We need it.   📢Sign the petition below. ⬇️https://lnkd.in/ewhgzkeB  

RSPB's Mark Varney will be speaking at The Crowd's #regenerativebusinesssumit to share his perspectives on why nature must be at the heart of how the food industry embraces regenerative principles. There are still a few tickets left, so grab one and join us.   https://lnkd.in/eZC-SFC9 

https://lnkd.in/exUrdW9r

📢Great job alert! We are looking for a Fair to Nature Advisory and Project Development Officer. This advisory role will play a key contribution to help grow the RSPB’s Fair to Nature programme and improve habitats to protect and restore nature🌱on UK farms 🚜. Full details below ⬇ https://lnkd.in/eHev8cvc