RSPB Launches Project To Help Cumbria's Wetland Birds
28/06/05

The future is looking brighter for wetland birds in Cumbria, with the launch of a new RSPB conservation initiative in the county.  The North of England RSPB team is delighted to welcome a new member of staff, Tonia Armer, who will be working as the new Cumbria Wetland Bird Recovery Progamme (CWBRP) Adviser. The CWBRP is a partnership project between the RSPB and the Environment Agency.

Tonia will be focussing her work on four main areas of the county: Sandford near Appleby; the Bassenthwaite area; the Holme Dub near Aspatria; and South Cumbria.

Tonia has previously worked for English Nature to help achieve favourable condition in the uplands. Tonia lives and works on the family farm near Burneside.

The CWBRP has been launched by the RSPB to help take forward the wet grassland restoration work currently being undertaken by farmers in Cumbria under the Countryside Stewardship scheme administered by Defra (now closed to new entrants). The RSPB has worked closely with the Rural Development Service, the Environment Agency and English Nature to promote wet grassland restoration, which will primarily be managed for breeding wading birds such as lapwing, snipe, redshank and curlew as well as scarce wetland species such as yellow wagtail.

In addition to working with farmers already carrying out wet grassland work, Tonia will be talking to other farmers about the opportunities through Defra's new Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship schemes which have attractive payment rates available for wet grassland management.