Championing our curlews

Those who know the Dales will recognise the distinctive call of curlew heralding the arrival of spring. However, these beloved birds are on the brink of extinction. Placed on the red endangered list, curlew numbers have plummeted drastically in recent years, but the Dales remains one of their last strongholds in the UK and across Europe.

The Clapham Curlew Cluster project was born out of this urgent need for conservation. In response to dwindling curlew populations, Clapham Sustainability Group held public meetings with the RSPB, farmers, landowners and with Mary Colwell, a leading campaigner on curlew conservation in the UK.

From these meetings 12 farms and 18 volunteers came together to do wader surveys in partnership with the RSPB to start to understand the situation.

The result is a collaborative effort that aims to encourage stewardship of our natural heritage.

Building on this successful start and with the support of a YDMT Grant, the project aims to increase public awareness through a dedicated arts and education project and further improve the monitoring and protection of wader nests within our community by supplying essential equipment.

In June 2023, the group began working with local primary schools, in an immersive educational experience at Hill Top Farm in Malham. The children created poems, paintings, and a felting project, Our Curlew Landscape, based on their newfound understanding of these magnificent waders.

The children’s creative work will be used in a touring exhibition at venues across the region to raise awareness of the plight of the curlew and inspire action in the wider community. A specially commissioned film will also be shown, featuring two generations of farmers talking about their experiences of living and working alongside curlews and the drastic changes they have seen in their lifetime.

As well as raising awareness, the project seeks to enhance wader survey work in the community, identify breeding birds and provide nest
protection, and includes payments for farmers to help protect nests.

Image: An RSPB curlew nest protection day

The grant will also fund specialised equipment such as field cameras, to help monitor and protect nesting sites as well as understand predator
behavior. These will be used in conjunction with RSPB equipment of infra-red cameras and electric fencing to locate and protect nests.

Sarah Smith of the Clapham Curlew Cluster said: “The survival of curlews is not just a matter of ecological importance; it is deeply intertwined with our cultural identity. Their presence in our landscape is a testament to the rich tapestry of life that thrives in the Dales. 

“Curlew is an umbrella species and therefore a good indicator of the health of the environment of the farms and our community. By helping to preserve the curlew, we are ensuring they will be here for generations to come.

“The grant we received from YDMT helped a small local organisation to continue working with farmers and volunteers, bringing greater understanding in the community. It has increased awareness on an important and challenging issue, giving children the opportunity to learn and share their response with a wider audience.”

YDMT Grants were awarded to three more curlew conservation projects in 2023-24 -supporting the RSPB Curlew Chick Radio Tagging project in Bowland, as well as Hartwith and Darley Beck Curlew Projects.

 

Learn more about our work 

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