A message from Mark Avery on helping the Hen Harrier
We are heading towards the Inglorious 12th – the annual start of the grouse shooting season.
Intensive grouse shooting is responsible for the low numbers of Hen Harriers across the UK – in the English uplands, where there should be over 300 pairs, last year there were just four pairs. Grouse shooting interests kill Hen Harriers illegally because these birds eat Red Grouse that people will pay a fortune to shoot for fun.
Only by maintaining the pressure on the industry to get its house in order, and on government to force this to happen, will anything change. You can be part of that change.
Here are four things you can do to help endangered wildlife:
1. Come to a Hen Harrier Day rally on 5 or 6 August
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You’ll learn more about the issues, meet some nice people and be showing that you care.
On Saturday 5 August there are rallies at Rainham Marshes RSPB reserve (with Chris Packham), in Sheffield (with Iolo Williams, Natalie Bennett and myself), in Northern Ireland at Glenarriff Country Park and at Loch Leven RSPB nature reserve – for details see the Birders Against Wildlife Crime website.
On Sunday 6 August there are rallies at RSPB Arne nature reserve (with Chris Packham), Dunsop Bridge in the Forest of Bowland, Lancs (with Natalie Bennett and Nick Miles (of Emmerdale), on both Rhum and Eigg and at the Boat of Garten community hall, Highland (with Harry Huyton from OneKind, myself and others) – for details see the Birders Against Wildlife Crime website.
2. Sign Findlay Wilde’s social media thunderclap to spread the word
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If you have a Twitter or Facebook account (or both) you can help spread this very simple message ‘I want to see an end to raptor persecution in the uplands. Criminal activity needs to be stopped #Inglorious12th http://thndr.me/sap5jM’ by signing up here alongside other thunderous supporters such as Chris Packham, the RSPB (@natures_voice), the Wildlife Trusts, the RSPCA, the League Against Cruel Sport, George Monbiot etc etc This message will be distributed automatically on 12 August as the grouse shooting season starts and already, with two weeks to go, has a social reach of over 6.75 million – please add your support.
3. Lend your copy of my book, Inglorious – conflict in the uplands , to a friend or suggest they get it from their local library – there’s lots about Hen Harriers and grouse shooting which explains the issues and the solutions.
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4. Come to London on Saturday 12 August
There is a march in favour of banning driven grouse shooting, stopping the badger cull and keeping the hunting ban in London on Saturday 12 August.
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If you can do any of these things then you will be making a difference for our endangered wildlife.
And, if you can – thank you!
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