A healthy farming industry is crucial to the Cairngorms National Park, not just for the economy but for our landscapes and wildlife too.  Cairngorms Nature wants to find out who has been making a difference for wildlife on their farm or croft and is inviting nominations for the Cairngorms Nature Farm Award 2019.

The award was launched in 2015 to recognise and reward farmers and crofters from within the Cairngorms National Park who are making a substantial contribution to the natural environment around them, whether big or small. The winner could be a business which has been making a steady and consistent contribution to the landscape and environment for a number of years, or a business which has changed its management practices to make a real difference to the environment.

Last year’s winner was Lynbreck Croft near Grantown-on Spey.

The Cairngorms Nature Farm Award will be judged by a panel of judges representing both Cairngorms Nature and the farming community.

Bruce McConachie, Land Management Adviser at the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), explains:  “Our judging panel are looking at areas that are currently managed under environmental schemes but they will also be hoping to find people that have gone beyond what’s asked for by e.g. creating wet areas for wading birds, protecting river banks or by planting native woodlands that in time will provide shelter for livestock and wildlife. Farmers in the Cairngorms have a proud history of showing that farming and crofting businesses work better when the environment on them is thriving, economic success and environmental success go hand-in-hand.”

If you know a business that is making a real contribution to wildlife and would like to nominate them for this award you can find out more at

https://cairngorms.co.uk/caring-future/cairngorms-nature-2/farm-award/

The closing date for nominations is July 31st

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