For those of you interested in the uplands, UKEconet and the South Yorkshire Biodiversity Research Group are co-hosting a three-day conference in Sheffield in October.
The conference includes two days of presentations and discussion and a field trip to the Peak District on day three.
Key themes include the management and protection of important temperate rainforests such as Borrowdale in Cumbria, natural regeneration, Curlews, peat cutting, grouse moors and rewilding.
A Wilder Future for the Uplands: Unleashing the Power of Nature to Recover and Restore the Countryside
1-3 October 2025
Speakers include Kate Hanley (RSPB Dove Stone), Sara King (Rewilding Britain), Ian Rotherham (Sheffield Hallam University), Andrew Weatherall (RSPB), Danny Udall (Eastern Moors Partnership), Jade Allen (National Trust), Mary Colwell (Curlew Action), Daniel Cameron (National Trust), Luke Steer (Treescapes Consultancy), Mark Avery, James Fenton and others.
Conference information page here
Booking page here
Draft programme:
Raptor Persecution UK 
What no Moorlands Association, BASC, NGO or Countryside Alliance? Aren’t they interested?
Only joking, pleased to see that the wreckers haven’t got a platform.
A ridiculous comment appeared on the Moorland Ass website today that now seems to have gone down. A sarcastic comment regarding the RSPB asking for contributions to help save Curlews, it read “if only someone knew how to help Curlew to increase their breeding success” wouldn’t you think the Moorland Ass have enough on their plate trying to increase Red Grouse numbers so they could have something to shoot rather than worrying about what the RSPB is doing. It’s as if their website is run by teenagers
Aye, MA are really ringing the bell of the “Bullshit-O-Meter” just now!
On 8th August their media man Rob Beeson stated this regards raptor persecution: “The industry actively works to combat these illegal acts through investment in the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the hen harrier taskforce.” I had to pinch myself – had I missed something? No.
In my personal opinion that is a highly misleading thing to say, and is an example of statement they often make that are not made by accident, but which instead are carefully calculated to promote a false narrative to any new / unwary readers.