Our first meeting of the Autumn season was held on Wednesday 27th September 2023 with an excellent talk given by Chris Seabrook from the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG).
A variety of questions had been forwarded to Chris prior to the meeting to ensure his talk covered a wide range of topics which the Committee thought would be of interest to an audience of the Conservation Society.
What an interesting meeting it turned out to be.
FWAG was initially set up in the 1960’s by a group of farmers who recognised the importance of caring for the environment and the important part it played in a successful farming business. The Group provides independent and environmental advice to the farming community together with helping farmers understand the new environmental land management schemes.
Chris is passionate about the environment and wildlife and discussed with us the Group’s keenness to work with the farming community to encourage wildflowers, protect hedgerows and discourage the use of pesticides whilst encouraging sustainable farming practices. Chris was also keen to promote the use of herbal leys. To the uninitiated – including myself – these are a complex mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs which bring huge benefits to livestock and soil fertility.
There was much discussion about the disappearance of certain species of wildlife such as lapwing, swallows, swifts and yellowhammers plus hares, reptiles and butterflies. He was keen to mention that the number of butterflies had increased slightly in 2023.
There were around 27 people in the audience, and we all felt we were much better informed about farming practices and wildlife as a result of Chris’s fascinating talk.
Lynne Ingram
Secretary, Stonnall Conservation Society