Over the last three years, the RSPB, the UK’s BirdLife partner, has supported thousands of farmers to deliver a better environment through our ‘Birds Directive on Farmland‘ project. This programme of work has been funded by the EU LIFE+ Programme, and has given us the opportunity to engage and enthuse farmers across the UK to deliver top quality habitat management for the benefit of biodiversity as part of a profitable farming business.

We are keen to continue to support farmers who want to make a real difference to wildlife on their land, and increase the awareness of others of the need to do so. We would like you to join us at our one-day conference where you can hear more about the project, its successes, and how similar activities could work in other countries across Europe. Farmers, volunteers and staff involved in delivering the project will also be on hand to talk about their experiences. As this is a pivotal year for CAP reform, we are fighting hard to ensure that farmers will still have the opportunity to farm in a way that supports biodiversity alongside food production after 2013, through targeted, well-designed and well funded agri-environment schemes.

Key speakers will include:

• Martin Harper, RSPB Director of Conservation: celebrating the successes of the EU LIFE+ project to support wildlife-friendly farmers
• Ariel Brunner, Head of EU policy for Birdlife International explaining the role of the Common Agricultural Policy in meeting the needs of the EU Birds Directive
• The views of farmers, advisors and volunteers in the programme on how the project has supported farmers and wildlife
• Dr Darren Moorcroft, RSPB Head of Species and Habitats Conservation: launching the new programme to enable the whole agricultural industry to learn how best to support wildlife-friendly farming together
• Sönke Eggers and Jonas Josefsson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences: describing how they have developed the British farmland survey project in Sweden to support their wildlife-friendly farming This conference is free to attend. It will be in English only.

Please contact Anna Broszkiewicz for more information and to register for the event.