2008 saw the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Hawk and Owl Trust.
This project follows in the footsteps of our other innovative schemes; enthusing, educating and training local people to enjoy and appreciate their environment, whilst helping us to study and conserve it.
The long-eared owl is our scarcest owl species, but is rarely studied or surveyed, or in many cases even heard of. Since 1999, Hawk and Owl Trust Conservation Officer, Chris Sperring, has made Long-eared Owl conservation one of his principal goals. He has strived to convince landowners to create hunting habitat, organised yearly surveys on a local and national scale, and through persistence has succeeded in making the long-eared owl a Biodiversity Action Plan listed species in Somerset.
The Long-eared Owl Community Project has, through talks, shows and events, recruited more than 100 new volunteers from communities surrounding the Mendip and Quantock Hills. These volunteers have been trained to recognise habitat, survey prey species, and survey calling long-eared owls. To date they have put in well over 1000 volunteer hours helping to survey long-eared owls, as well as other BAP listed species which share the same forest and open grassland habitat, and have provided 60 artificial nest baskets.
The information being collected is a vital tool that will enable us to continue to create and implement effective conservation measures in the future.
