Strength in numbers

The success of Britain's growing band of Farmer Clusters shows the value in working together and engaging with the public in the name of conservation, says Gabriel Stone

- Gabriel Stone

IN A WORLD that leans into gloomy headlines, it's important to wave the flag for a refreshing success story. That's especially the case when it comes to our overburdened farming sector and the wider way in which we manage the landscape. Yes, we: everyone can play a role, not least through one inspirational initiative. Ever since a 2013 pilot project by the GWCT in association with Natural England, Farmer Clusters have mushroomed across Britain. Led by farmers with guidance from expert advisers, today's network of about 125 clusters encourages a cohesively managed, locally tailored, larger-scale approach to conservation work.

Farmers may be among the best placed to look after our countryside but the whole community has a stake in it. Although public engagement is not a compulsory element of Farmer Clusters, many groups have seized the opportunity not only to show the positive impact farmers can have on the environment but also to recruit an enthusiastic army of citizen scientists. If you'd like to brush up your butterfly identification skills, build a barn-owl box or spend a morning unearthing evidence of harvest mice, then you might be just the sort of volunteer they could use.