Wight wildlife looks further afield

Farmers on the Isle of Wight can now have a better understanding of how to run their businesses while supporting wildlife-rich landscapes, thanks to the county’s closer links with similar-sized European islands.

After a year’s preparation and promotion, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust have won approval from the European Union Leader+ Community Initiative to undertake the ‘European Island Farm Landscapes’ project, a two-year initiative alongside the Shetlands (Scotland), Texel (Netherlands), and the Western Offshore Islands (Ireland).

The Trust is part of a partnership, Wight Wildlife, alongside The Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society and the Wight Nature Fund. Wight Wildlife was established to promote conservation on the Island and is actively looking towards Europe to find like-minded bodies with similar management issues.

The new project will explore how farmers on islands can best use new agri-environment schemes to maintain rural businesses supporting landscape and wildlife integrity through sustainable land use. It will also encourage co-operation, better communication and the sharing of experience between island farming communities and environmental organisations in Europe. The islands will together address overarching issues relevant to them all, and at the same time address these local issues:

• Biodiversity and Landscape Monitoring/Assessment A practical assessment of beneficial improvements in biodiversity and landscape, involving nationally accepted indicators. Information from Wight Wildlife’s historic information and new data from volunteers will be an invaluable contribution.
• Farming advice and information awareness Focusing on sharing know-how between islands on the widely varying approaches for farm management advice across Europe. This allows existing farm advisors and landowners to take advantage of case studies of best practice and on-the-ground biodiversity monitoring results. The experience of the Isle of Wight’s farmers and farm advisor will be invaluable in assisting other islands who are only just establishing their advisors.
• Farm Diversification Stimulating farmers to promote diversification of  activities which encourage the viability of island biodiversity and landscapes, and thereby broadening their sources of income beyond agri-environment scheme grants. Opportunities to be explored include the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty guidelines, farm accommodation, island farming produce, farmers markets (left), and agri-tourism.
• Island Farm Landscape Initiative Exploring a new framework for securing sustainable island farm landscapes across Europe by influencing European and international policy makers working on regional responses to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Get in touch with us…

For more information contact our Isle of Wight office
tel 01983 533180  email feedback@hwt.org.uk