New Funding Boost for Curlew Conservation Across North East Wales
Fresh funding has been secured to continue efforts to protect one of Wales’ most endangered bird species across Denbighshire and the wider North East Wales region.
The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape has confirmed it will build on conservation work first launched in 2023 following the success of a new funding bid linked to curlew recovery projects in Wales.
The original Curlew Connections Wales programme, delivered jointly by the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, is due to conclude at the end of March as its initial three-year funding period comes to an end.
The initiative has focused on improving conditions for curlew populations through habitat management, ecological monitoring and close collaboration with farmers and rural communities across Denbighshire and surrounding areas.
Conservation teams say the project has helped strengthen local capacity for environmental action while building long-term partnerships with landowners to support the recovery of the species.
Curlews are considered one of the UK’s most rapidly declining breeding birds, with habitat loss, changing land management and predation among the key pressures affecting populations.
The newly approved follow-on project, titled Curlew Landscape Wales, has been supported through the Nature Networks Programme, delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government.
The next phase of work will expand conservation activity across key landscapes, continue supporting farmer-led environmental management and create more opportunities for public engagement in conservation efforts.
Project leaders say the initiative will also help shape longer-term approaches to integrating biodiversity support into future land management schemes, including the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme and Ffermio Bro initiatives within designated landscapes.
Emlyn Jones, Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services, said the original project had demonstrated the value of collaboration between conservation organisations, farmers and local communities.
He said: “The work delivered through Curlew Connections Wales has shown what can be achieved when farmers, communities and conservation partners come together with a shared purpose. Curlews are an irreplaceable part of our natural and cultural heritage, and although the challenges they face are significant, this project has given them real hope for survival.
“This new funding will allow us to build on strong foundations that have been built to protect curlews and take forward the long-term action needed to secure their future.”
Environmental and biodiversity projects linked to rural land management are becoming an increasingly important focus across Wales, with conservation groups and local authorities seeking ways to balance agricultural productivity with habitat protection and climate resilience.
Source: County Voice
