Our New Relationship With The BTO
From October 2023 onwards, the principle organisation we will be supporting is the BTO. This change comes after unbroken and major support for The Wildlife Trusts since 2007 (though we will continue to support some individual Wildlife Trusts), and reflects what we see as a more relevant and focused relationship given that a) we’re essentially a bird food business, and b) the majority of the conservation work we implement on our farm is aimed at birds and specifically reversing their population declines.
BTO & Vine House Farm: Cultivating Bird Conservation Together
The BTO will receive funds from us in two main ways. The first will be an annual donation, and the second £10 per BTO member or supporter who makes a purchase. We will also support the BTO in more practical ways, by encouraging our customers to become BTO members or supporters.
It is estimated that more than half of all households in the UK engage in feeding birds in their gardens. BTO has long been at the forefront of monitoring and researching the effects of food provision on wild birds.
This work has yielded fascinating insights into how the UK public’s bird feeding habits have impacted wild bird populations and helped to produce best practice guidance for feeding birds safely. The new partnership between BTO and Vine House Farm will provide an opportunity to engage many more people in the enjoyable habit of feeding garden birds and to help them learn how to do this in the best ways for their birds.
Nicholas Watts has been associated with BTO since 1960, contributing to many BTO surveys and monitoring schemes.
“BTO is delighted to be joining Vine House Farm in a partnership that recognises the joy that feeding birds in gardens brings to thousands of people and the need to ensure that this food is high quality and sustainably sourced. Their support of BTO will help us to engage more people in discovering birds and help to conserve and understand them on our doorstep and further afield.”
“The BTO is a natural partner for Vine House Farm and this partnership will help our customers, understand more about the birds they feed and enable us to contribute even more to bird conservation..”
