Celebrating conservation and biodiversity
within the game industry
Brought to you by the NGO and Marsdens
Following on from the success of this year’s inaugural awards, nominations for the Conservation Champions Awards 2024 are now open!
The Conservation Champions Awards help to highlight and promote individual conservation success stories across the whole of the UK. Aimed at shoots, estates and gamekeepers, these prestigious awards highlight the positive impact their excellent work has on our wildlife, biodiversity, and the countryside.
There are five categories to choose from: Responsible Land management, Habitat, Innovation, Husbandry & Welfare, and The Marsdens Special Award.
David Pooler, Chairman of the NGO said: “We are excited to once again team up with Marsdens for the 2024 Conservation Champions Awards. Marsdens are leaders in their field of game nutrition, and a firm favourite among many of our members - we are thrilled to be working alongside them.
“Last year’s awards were a tremendous success, and we were delighted to see so many people, shoots and businesses nominated - as in most cases choosing the winners was a nearly impossible decision and we would urge anyone who entered last year to do so again for 2024.
“Gamekeepers and those involved in the shooting industry conduct vast amounts of conservation work across the British countryside – improving biodiversity, creating habitats, and carrying out sustainable land management. We are delighted to celebrate this work through these awards, which promote best practice and biodiversity across the industry.”
The 2019 Gamekeepers Conservation and Wildlife Report* showed that survey respondents provide 23,426 tonnes of supplementary food for farmland birds in winter, planting on average 47.3 ha or 117 acres of trees. More than £2.2 million worth of wild bird cover is privately funded, benefiting a host of red listed bird species such as yellowhammer and tree sparrow.
Next year’s award ceremony will take place in Spring 2024, where the winners for each category will be announced prior a celebratory sit-down lunch at the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation yearly AGM.
Thomas Welham, Commercial Manager for Marsdens Game Feeds commented: “Earlier this year we were proud to partner with the National Gamekeeper’s Organisation and launch the 2023 Conservation Champions Awards.
This is an area which can be often overlooked in our industry and yet it is integral to what keepers do. The positive impact their work has on ensuring the UK’s natural landscape and biodiversity continues to thrive, is something to be celebrated!”
This year it was great to see so many nominations for fellow keepers and industry experts with every nomination being a worthy winner. We strongly encourage everyone who was shortlisted to please enter again for 2024!”
You can nominate any individual who has made a significant contribution to conservation, land management or biodiversity - this could include your own staff, beaters, picker-ups, vets, nutrition advisors, and guns.
Unfortunately, you can’t nominate yourself for the awards, so please do share with others the excellent work you and your team do and encourage others to put you forward.
This year’s Conservation Champions Awards were a resounding success - we cannot wait for next year and look forward to receiving your nominations for 2024!
Contact your local specialist for advice and how we can help your business this season.
