Some wildlife species 'need farmland to thrive'

Although some species of wildlife may thrive in gardens on housing estates, many are still dependent on farmland and the countryside.

That is the argument made by one expert in a letter to the Times this week, which was written in response to suggestions made earlier this week that gardens are better for wildlife than farmland.

Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, president of the Country Land and Business Association, said that species such as skylarks and stone curlews need open fields to breed and rear their young.

"Farmers and land managers are, and long have been, actively managing parts of their land for wildlife through agri-environment schemes," he wrote.

What's more, the agricultural expert explained that many are encouraging wildlife and use fertiliser in a responsible way, despite claims made to the contrary.

Recently, meanwhile, a pensioner from Whitley Bay was credited with transforming her local community after her garden was awarded a major award at the North Tyneside in Bloom competition, the Newcastle Chronicle reports.

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