Wildlife Trusts link up with Ribena growers

The Wildlife Trusts has announced a unique partnership with Ribena's blackcurrant growers throughout the UK to encourage farmers to help reverse the decline of native British wildlife. This is the first time that The Wildlife Trusts have entered into such a scheme on such a scale. Britain's most famous birdwatcher and native wildlife conservationist, Bill Oddie, is among those supporting the scheme.

Huge areas of the British countryside have been stripped of native wildlife and the challenge is now to balance the needs of farmers with proactive countryside management that benefits those species that are in most danger. The scheme has received widespread support from the farming and wildlife conservationists. It is hoped the Ribena-The Wildlife Trusts partnership is replicated across the country as an example of farm management that exceeds the current official guidelines.

Bill Oddie said: "It is vital that we all do what we can to safeguard the future of our native wildlife in Britain and that's why I am pleased to support this initiative as the first of its kind on this scale. Ribena and Wildlife Trusts are taking a bold step and I, for one, applaud it."

The initiative takes the form of a series of Farm Biodiversity Action Plans based around a 6 point Conservation Plan prepared specifically for blackcurrant growers and include both short and long term activities:

· when and how best to trim hedges

· erecting bird boxes and bat boxes

· creating rough grass margins around fields and ponds

· sowing wild bird seed mixtures

· establishing new hedgerows

· replace windbreaks with native shrubs

The pilot scheme has already yielded encouraging results, with reports of barn owls nesting in some of the boxes and increasing numbers of insects and small native mammals such as dormice and voles.

John Cousins, Head of Agricultural Policy, The Wildlife Trusts, said: "The Wildlife Trusts work directly with individual farmers throughout the UK to help them to work to enrich local wildlife. Indeed if we don't work with farmers and support them to help wildlife we will not change the countryside for the better. This project with Ribena, as well as providing local wildlife havens, helps provide the all important natural corridors that link up one wildlife area to the next, creating a more resilient countryside."

Beth Allen, Ribena's brand manager said: "95 per cent of Britain's blackcurrants are used to make Ribena so we have a strong connection with the British countryside. Moreover, we have a relationship of over 60 years with the nation's blackcurrant growers and we very pleased to be working with The Wildlife Trusts in this way."

Earlier this year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs introduced legislation whereby farmers can apply for grants to carry out environmental improvements but The Wildlife Trusts – Ribena growers partnership exceeds current guidelines and it is hoped this activity is seen as exemplar and is replicated elsewhere.