Gloucester wildfowlers celebrate 70 years
Gloucester Wildfowling and Conservation Association gathered to celebrate more than 70 years of conservation, volunteering and responsible wildfowling.
Hampshire ecology student wins BASC Wildlife Fund scholarship
Willow Bloomfield, a first-year ecology student from the New Forest, has been awarded up to £3,000 a year towards her studies as the 2026 recipient of the BASC Wildlife Fund David Gray Conservation Scholarship.
Willow, a BASC member, is studying for a BSc in Ecology and Wildlife Conservation at Sparsholt, with the aim of building a research career in mycology or ornithology.
Alongside her degree she is training for her passerine C-permit in bird ringing and regularly takes part in species identification training and ecological survey work. She records and identifies UK fungi with the Hampshire Fungus Recording Group and has previously worked on wader breeding bird surveys and hawfinch colour ringing.
Conservation on her doorstep
Much of Willow’s fieldwork takes place close to home in the New Forest National Park, where she is also a practising commoner, one of the people who exercise traditional rights to graze livestock on the open forest.
Willow said: “Being a practising commoner adds another layer of depth and appreciation to this stunning landscape. I try to understand the forest from a conservationist’s point of view, but also as someone who has to understand the history and culture around the livestock.
“That dual perspective has strengthened my interest in finding ways to bridge the gap between conservation objectives and local communities, and in helping to safeguard this exceptionally biodiverse environment. I haven’t decided on a specific career path yet, but I know for certain it will be in conservation.”
A promising start to Willow's degree
Curtis Mossop, BASC’s head of training and education, said: “We’re delighted to name Willow as our 2026 scholar. Her fieldwork record is already impressive for someone at the start of her degree, from ringing to fungus recording to breeding wader surveys.
“Just as valuable is what she’s learned as a New Forest commoner. Conservation works best when it sits alongside the people who live and work on the land, and Willow already understands that. We look forward to following her progress.”
Would you like to apply next year?
The scholarship is open to BASC members, or the immediate family of members, studying a further or higher education course in conservation or land management. Applications for 2027 will open next year. Find out more and express your interest by clicking here.
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