| INTERVIEW - OUR CONSERVATION PARTNERS IN SCOTLAND
Talking to Simon Thorp
GWCT in Scotland has a huge amount of crossover with the work of Simon Thorp who, among other positions, is Director of The Heather Trust, and Director of Scotland’s Moorland Forum. So what’s taking up his time right now, and where are the areas where he and the Trust work closely together?
F
ormed 15 years ago, Scotland’s Moorland Forum has been crucial in bringing together all with an interest in Scotland’s uplands. Chaired by Lord Lindsay, its current workload includes Principles of Moorland Management, a suite of guidelines to promote best practice. Under this banner falls management of mountain hares, worm control in grouse and heather cutting. Simon says: “For mountain hares we are producing, following consultation, draft guidance for management – effectively a practitioner’s guide encapsulating the best current thinking that there is. GWCT is leading the group that is developing this guidance which, even when complete, won’t purport to provide the final answers but continue to encourage sensible debate. The intention is that all the guidance will respond to change, for example to regulations, new techniques and to reflect new research such as the joint work currently being undertaken by the GWCT and the James Hutton Institute. “Worm control in grouse also has historically raised concerns in certain quarters, over-use of medicated grit, withdrawal periods, and unsightly grit mounds. Again this work, led by the GWCT, will present the best current options and be made available to practitioners, agencies and others. “Heather cutting guidance will provide a summary of techniques and promote cutting, for example into narrow strip matrices, as practised in north-east Scotland and the Peak District, as an additional tool to burning, used alongside burning or where conditions or policy do not allow burning to take place.
34 | GAMEWISE • SUMMER 2017
The result of cutting properly is a mix of long and short heather of different ages and, importantly, a reduced fuel load for wildfires.” Simon has also just concluded production of the Muirburn Code that will be launched this summer. “It’s a Government-funded project and a major piece of work,” he says. “It will be available online and has had to reconcile a lot of different and sometimes conflicting interests, but I think we have achieved a good balance. Heather cutting has also been promoted as part of muirburn. The website
www.muirburn.org.uk will also be updated with graphics, images and video.” Working for Waders has evolved out of Understanding Predation, a project that concluded in spring 2016. “We are seeking to develop a different approach,” he says. “We want to attract engagement from all sectors and harness local knowledge alongside scientific research and monitoring,
“We want to attract engagement from all
sectors and harness local knowledge alongside scientifi c research and
monitoring...”
to address the decline of wader populations that Understanding Predation confirmed. We have found that practical management knowledge is often closely aligned to science, but not always exactly. For us it’s about showing direction without excessive
leadership, and it’s a real priority if we are going to halt the on-going and startling decline in our wader species.”
As for the Moorland Forum itself, where do its strengths lie? Simon says: “The Forum has brought debate together, often on very sensitive topics, engaging with a whole range of individuals and organisations, some with widely differing views. It has been very good at lowering the temperature and preventing war by press release! It has done well in delivering integration, co-operation and compromise and has the confidence of the Scottish Government.”
With all that crossing his desk, what about the Heather Trust? Simon says: “Again there is tremendous breadth of workload both in terms of issues and geography and our annual auction every May, the Country Market and Sporting Sale, helps us to fund our activities and attracts support from all over the UK.
“Our mixed bag of responsibilities and projects cover, for example, heather beetle, bracken control, the English Upland Stakeholder Forum, the England and Wales Wildfire Forum, the Uplands Management Group – we have a grazing management project running on Exmoor – and the Powys Upland Project which is funded by the Welsh Government. It’s broad-ranging and it’s never dull.
“The Heather Trust’s work washes over a lot of other upland activity in Scotland and on certain projects, like the Golden Plover Award, we are working very closely in partnership with the GWCT.”
www.gwct.org.uk/scotland
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