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Burnham farmer receives RSPB award
A BIRD loving farmer has been rewarded for his efforts to boost natural habitats for wildlife.
Martin Smith, of Burnham Wick Farm in Wick Road, Burnham, has been chosen as the first Eastern England winner of the RSPB's new Nature of Farming Award.
Although the farm has been in his family for a number of years Martin has only been farming it himself for five years.
But in that time he has managed to combine profitable farming with wildlife-friendly management.
Thanks to funding from Environmental Stewardship, Martin has created a wetland habitat at the farm and birds including corn buntings, grey partridges, lapwings and yellow wagtails all benefit from his 220 hectare site.
The lagoon or scrape, as it is also known, takes advantage of the farm's location near the Crouch estuary and uses a solar-powered pump to retain water levels throughout the year.
He has also planted special mixes of crops to provide food for wild birds and pollen for insects.
These, combined with beetle banks, which are uncultivated stubbles left over the winter, and a fallow plot have boosted numbers of corn buntings in particular.
Martin received a plaque, a cheque for £200 and RSPB management guides for farmland birds and their habitats.
He said: "It is fantastic to see my efforts are appreciated and the award has provided a pat on the back for efforts being taken here to enhance farm wildlife.
"We have been working with the RSPB on a number of things and various schemes are on the go.
"I've always been very interested in birds and that's the driving force behind it really."
7:24am Wednesday 6th August 2008
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CommentPosted by: Anon....., Burnham on Crouch. on 1:59pm Wed 6 Aug 08
Well done Mr Smith, perhaps you could show the trustees of the Riverside Park in Burnham how its done properly as they seem to think that leaving grass to grow long/seed/die and letting trees grow without proper management will attract all sorts of wildlife & encourage wild flowers (read: weeds) to grow.
Well done Mr Smith, perhaps you could show the trustees of the Riverside Park in Burnham how its done properly as they seem to think that leaving grass to grow long/seed/die and letting trees grow without proper management will attract all sorts of wildlife & encourage wild flowers (read: weeds) to grow.
Posted by: Ian, Maldon on 9:39pm Wed 6 Aug 08
Maybe he should speak to the tree officer in Maldon who has agreed that some of the Lime trees in the Plume School should be cut down (which are perfectly healthy otherwise)so all the lime trees are the same size! Hope the RSPB knows what is happening...
Maybe he should speak to the tree officer in Maldon who has agreed that some of the Lime trees in the Plume School should be cut down (which are perfectly healthy otherwise)so all the lime trees are the same size! Hope the RSPB knows what is happening...
Posted by: Anon...., Burnham on Crouch on 10:11pm Wed 6 Aug 08
Maldon’s tree officer did the same kind of thing in an open space off Springfield Road, they chopped down a dozen or so mature trees earlier this year under the guise they were dead/dying & dangerous and the local bat population has gone from loads last year to the odd one this year. I always assumed bats were a protected species?
Maldon’s tree officer did the same kind of thing in an open space off Springfield Road, they chopped down a dozen or so mature trees earlier this year under the guise they were dead/dying & dangerous and the local bat population has gone from loads last year to the odd one this year. I always assumed bats were a protected species?
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