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Request for Help....Farmland Birds
I am a PhD student at Imperial College London, embarking on my second year of research examining the impacts of biomass crops on farmland birds.
Although research indicates that Miscanthus and SRC Willow appear to be generally beneficial for birds, I am particularly interested in how ground-nesting birds are affected. The project, in conjunction with the Game and Wildlife Trust, therefore aims to investigate this by determining the breeding success of skylark and lapwing in biomass crops in comparison with those nesting in traditional arable crops. Having completed my first field season, selecting appropriate sites in Lincolnshire and collecting preliminary data, I am keen to maximise my chances of obtaining good sample sizes this year, and therefore wondered if any of your members might be interested in volunteering their time to the project? This would involve assisting me in searching for skylark and lapwing nests across a range of sites in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Ideally I would be looking for people who could make a regular commitment over the peak field season of late March to June, but any time would be greatly appreciated, with a minimum of 2-3 hours per session. Not only would volunteers be working in close proximity to these species and their normally unobserved nests, but they would also be actively contributing to a vital area of research during this time of rapid biomass expansion. Training would be given, and any help would be acknowledged in the final thesis and any papers that result from the project.
If you think any of your members would be interested in contributing their time, please let me know and I will happily provide more information.
Many thanks,
Henrietta Pringle
PhD Student
Silwood Park
Imperial College London
Ascot
Berkshire
SL5 7PY
Email: henrietta.pringle09 "AT" imperial.ac.uk
_________________ ----------------------------------------------------- Andrew Chick Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/
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