I wanted to share this with you so you can see first hand all the work being done within Badger Trust at the moment and what's coming up over the next few months, especially in terms of campaign effort. Remember, Badger Trust has a team of just 7 people, 5 of whom work part-time. They punch well above their weight and deserve all the support we can give them. All the issues below affect Hampshire badgers and, on a local level, we're working very hard on a number of fronts to try and make a positive impact, especially in relation to the Hampshire cull, "Space For Badgers" and wildlife crime. As always, we value and appreciate the support of ALL our members and if anyone's got any questions about the information below, please don't hesitate to ask.
Do please all download the Badger Watch app on your phones! And if anyone has footage, photos or stories about hunt sett-blocking, please pass them on to me asap! Thank you!
Dear Badger Group Member
Happy New Year to you all and welcome to your latest edition of Group News. Our first edition of the year has some insights into our Q1 campaign planning to keep you better informed and enable your involvement. We have an exciting announcement about the new 'John Taylor Award', a new cull campaign update, and are asking for your thoughts on the location of our AGM and extended Group Meeting this year.
Quarter 1 Campaign Insight
NEW 'John Taylor' Award
Space for Badgers
Hunt Sett Blocking Article - Your Input Needed
AGM & Group Meeting - Your Input Needed
Badger Watch App Update
Dates for your diary & Looking Forward
Quarter 1 Campaigns Insight This is a brief snapshot of some of our focus in Quarter 1, we are, of course, working on many more projects and tasks in the background and we have some exciting campaign updates and collaborations coming soon. We look forward to sharing more detailed information with you as soon as we can. In the meantime please contact us should you have any comments, thoughts, or queries. *January* LOVE BADGERS: Social media: Ecology - January behaviour. Hedgehog Article >.
SPACE FOR BADGERS: New Planning & Development Guide webpage>
CAN THE CULL: Promotion of Sand Badger >. New FOI submissions.
CRIME: Snaring debate news article>. Promotion of Badger Watch App> . Hunt Related Sett Blocking Article>.
*February* LOVE BADGERS: Love Badgers Week, Cubs, behaviour and ecology. STATE OF THE BADGER: New webpage about the project and funding.
CAN THE CULL: New campaign launch to end the cull, the alternatives to culling, and stakeholder/political party sign-up. Groups 'Call to Action' and Resources. Launch national consultation to grow evidence base. Leading to two new reports later in the year for use in election lobbying.
GROUPS: Join your local group promotion on social media.
CRIME: Hunt-related Sett Blocking Press Release - focus on groups (Quotes and images). Collaboration project with LACS.
SPACE FOR BADGERS: Official Launch, New website pages, New articles on ecology, behaviour & positive stories, Action Ask: Contact local Councillors (template letters). *March* GIVE BADGERS A BRAKE: Cubs, Peak RTC, Social media awareness campaign; Facebook Ads, New road fatality articles. CAN THE CULL: Expected cull figure announcement, 200,000 deaths milestone - Press Release, Media, Articles, Social Media coverage. NB: Content and timings are subject to change.
The John Taylor Award This new award, named after John Taylor, a founding member and first Chairman of the Federation of Badger Groups, will be awarded to an individual for dedication and commitment to badgers. John Taylor was dedicated to badgers, conservation, and human social issues. As vice-chairman of the then Surrey Badger Protection Society, he galvanised support for the idea of a national body at its convention in 1985. John had the organisational and people skills to bring people together for the formation of the Federation, which has now become Badger Trust. We are honouring his tireless work and passion for badgers by naming this award after him and we offer thanks to Raymond Ings, a close friend and colleague of John, for sowing the seed of this idea. Nominations are now open - Nomination Form> There is little restriction on who can be nominated, but you cannot nominate yourself or a family member. We want to ensure that anyone who has given dedication and commitment to badgers, in various forms, can be nominated for consideration. We can't wait to read about all the wonderful nominees and their dedication to badgers! The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Friday, 14th April 2023. The judging panel consists of Peter Hambly, Sally Jones, Raymond Ings, and a Badger Trust Trustee. The award will be presented at our Badger Trust AGM on Saturday, 13th May 2023.
Space for Badgers
Our new Space for Badgers campaign is progressing nicely and we have published the first website page with a Guide to Planning & Development> The Planning & Development Working Group had its first meeting last year and is working towards key aims including, re-working and enhancing the Planning Guide Booklet for developers and badger groups and looking at training and resources for ecologists, local authorities, and badger groups. The second meeting of the group will take place in February.
Hunt-Related Sett Blocking Press Release
Badger Trust is doing a piece of work on badger sett interference with regard to hunting, this will include a dedicated press release with a badger group focus and, later a collaboration project with LACS. We know many of you deal with this issue, and how important it is to you. We're looking for the following to include in this piece of work:
Short Quotes highlighting your group's perspective, time, and effort in dealing with hunt-related sett blocking including emotion on how it makes you feel etc.
Short video clips and photos of blocked setts you've found.
It is important that your views and experiences are represented in this. More information on the collaboration project will be announced in March. Email: Groups@badgertrust.org.uk with your views.
AGM & Extended Group Meeting
As you are aware, this year we are holding a group event after the AGM on Saturday 13th May. The AGM will take place in the morning, followed by a break for lunch and a group meeting and discussion to follow.
The topics for the afternoon session will be:
Space For Badgers (Planning & Development)
The Cull
According to our recent groups' survey, these were your most important topics. We will have a short presentation on each topic followed by an open discussion. We hope that this will be a useful way for everyone to generate proactive discussion, ideas, and actions for the campaigns moving forward. We are also looking at live-streaming options for the afternoon session. Location: We understand logistics of getting to an in-person event can be difficult, so we are keen to ensure we are choosing the right location. We believe that a central Midlands-based location with both good road and rail links would be most accessible. However, if you have any other thoughts or ideas on alternative options, please do let us know ASAP by emailing groups@badgertrust.org.uk
Badger Watch App Update
The Badger Watch App is now live and downloadable for Apple and Android phones in the relevant app store. Full details can be found on our website > This is such an important tool to help fight badger crime and ensure they are recorded. We are asking all groups to share this information with your members and on your social media channel, tagging us when you do! Please help us to encourage everyone to download the app and use it to report badger crimes to Badger Trust, once they've been reported to the police. We also have a variety of infographics for you to use, explaining what the app is and why it is important, which you can find in the Groups Shared Folder >.
Dates for your Diary! Membership Renewals It is that time of year again when we will shortly be sending out your Badger Trust renewal documents for Associate or Full Membership, so please look out for them in your email inbox.
Full Member Benefits > Next Groups Quarterly Meeting Wednesday 1st March Next Badger Trust Grant Deadlines Monday 27th March If you need any advice or support when writing your application, please do get in touch and I will be happy to help you.
Looking Ahead
Coming soon: Information on regional meetings and training sessions, membership recruitment resources and more... If you have any questions about any of the information in the newsletters, need advice or support with something, or just want to chat about your group and badgers, please do contact us! Whatever you're up to for badgers, we'd like to hear about it! Let us know via groups@badgertrust.org.uk and we can profile your wonderful work nationally. Sally Groups Coordinator
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