Pensthorpe nature reserve hands corncrake and curlew conservation projects to Deepdale Conservation Trust

A nature reserve has been able to hand over its successful conservation project to a charity.

Pensthorpe, near Fakenham, has spent 19 years breeding and releasing corncrakes and curlews in partnership with national organisations such as Natural England, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, the Zoological Society of London, the British Trust for Ornithology, and the RSPB.

Now, the trust will be giving both projects to the newly formed Deepdale Conservation Trust, based in Burnham Deepdale, with the hope that the protection of the endangered species will continue.

The full handover includes support with infrastructure, knowledge sharing, and technical expertise.

Christopher Papworth, chair of trustees at Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, said: “Conservation has always been at the heart of Pensthorpe. We’re incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved through our work with corncrakes and curlews.

“This moment marks a natural and positive step, handing on the baton to a dedicated new trust with the energy and focus to take it forward.

“Like any forward-thinking charity, we’re evolving, just as we have over the last 20 years, continuing to modernise and adapt our work to meet today’s conservation challenges.

“We now welcome more than 3,000 local school children each year and engage more than 110,000 visitors with issues like habitat loss, land management, and species conservation.

“Pensthorpe remains a living, learning landscape where wildlife can thrive and people can connect with the urgent need to protect it.”

The programme for the corncrakes was developed to reintroduce the farmland bird to the East of England.

The project has seen them return and breed in the area for the first time in more than 50 years - a significant milestone for the reserve.

When it came to the curlews, Pensthorpe first stepped in to help when the birds were found nesting on active airfields.

Before the project started, the base had to destroy the eggs for flight safety - but the reserve came up with an alternative option.

The eggs were collected and incubated, and chicks were reared in purpose-built pens.

Later they were released to safe sites, such as Wild Ken Hill and the Sandringham Estate.

In 2021, 87 of 106 collected eggs had hatched and 82 birds successfully fledged.

Nick Acheson, chair of Deepdale Conservation Trust, added: “At Deepdale Conservation Trust, we are delighted to take on the corncrake reintroduction and curlew headstarting projects from Pensthorpe.

“As a result of human land management, both birds have declined enormously in the English landscape over the past 200 years.

“We can either accept this as a given or work harder to bring them back, delivering both an ideal habitat and a stock of healthy young birds to aid recolonisation.

“Neither project would exist but for the hard work over many years of our colleagues at Pensthorpe Conservation Trust.

“It’s an honour for us to continue their great work now, we look forward to releasing both corncrakes and curlews into suitable habitat later this year.”