The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group
The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) is a national charity providing advice to farmers and landowners on how best to combine efficient, profitable farming with wildlife and landscape conservation. The organisation has a network of county-based professional Farm Conservation Advisers. There are two advisers in both Suffolk and Norfolk, supported by development officers in each county. FWAG is a membership organisation with around 850 farmer members in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Project Objectives
The project will deliver at least 30 days advice to farms in the Waveney and Little Ouse catchment (the UK TEN area) for each of the years that the project runs. A particular priority is helping farmers obtain agri-environmental grant support to implement habitat creation, to buffer watercourses and important designated sites, as well as create new wildlife corridors to link existing areas of semi-natural habitats. In the first year of the project, for example, 120 hectares of new wet grassland was created from land that had been in arable use for many years in the Fens natural area by the Little Ouse. Agri-environmental schemes help to increase a sense of place for landowners and promote their role in protecting the environment. Community involvement and public access are promoted and implemented through new permissive rights of way.
Farm walks
Each year of the project a farm walk is being organised on a demonstration farm in a different part of the TEN area that shows good practice of conservation and sustainable farming techniques. Specific technical issues, such as soil erosion that often has serious implications for watercourses, can best be tackled through such farm walks. Consideration is given to requirements of the Water Framework Directive.
The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) is a national charity providing advice to farmers and landowners on how best to combine efficient, profitable farming with wildlife and landscape conservation. The organisation has a network of county-based professional Farm Conservation Advisers. There are two advisers in both Suffolk and Norfolk, supported by development officers in each county. FWAG is a membership organisation with around 850 farmer members in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Project Objectives
The project will deliver at least 30 days advice to farms in the Waveney and Little Ouse catchment (the UK TEN area) for each of the years that the project runs. A particular priority is helping farmers obtain agri-environmental grant support to implement habitat creation, to buffer watercourses and important designated sites, as well as create new wildlife corridors to link existing areas of semi-natural habitats. In the first year of the project, for example, 120 hectares of new wet grassland was created from land that had been in arable use for many years in the Fens natural area by the Little Ouse. Agri-environmental schemes help to increase a sense of place for landowners and promote their role in protecting the environment. Community involvement and public access are promoted and implemented through new permissive rights of way.
Farm walks
Each year of the project a farm walk is being organised on a demonstration farm in a different part of the TEN area that shows good practice of conservation and sustainable farming techniques. Specific technical issues, such as soil erosion that often has serious implications for watercourses, can best be tackled through such farm walks. Consideration is given to requirements of the Water Framework Directive.
United Kingdom
Norfolk and Suffolk
