Charity wants Thames Valley bee, bird and butterfly population boost

A charity wants to raise £70,000 for a project aimed at boosting wildlife populations on farmland in the Thames Valley.

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) said the money would form part of its Nature Recovery Fund and would be used to tackle falling numbers of birds, bees and butterflies.

The trust said farmland bird populations had fallen by 63% since 1970, while half of the UK's 27 bumblebee species were in decline.

It said measures to help wildlife could include using fewer chemicals in farming to create healthier soil and less polluted waterways, as well as setting aside corners of grassland for animals.

BBOWT's chief executive Estelle Bailey said: "Farmland makes up 68% of our three counties, so to truly have an impact on nature's recovery, our work must expand far beyond our precious nature reserves."

In 2023, a report produced by government agencies, environmental groups and universities found one in six species in the UK were at risk of extinction.

Bailey added: "I want future generations to experience the joy of countryside filled with life - swallows darting above fields, butterflies and bumblebees feeding on abundant wildflowers, hedgerows alive with the sound of birdsong, and to eat locally grown food that supports a healthy, resilient landscape."

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