Living heritage include practices shared and safeguarded by communities. It is seldom passed on through “official channels”. It is held in trust, conserved, developed and transmitted through the communities that value and continue these practices.
It follows that the UK’s Living Heritage Inventories process is based on a grass roots approach that requires clear evidence that the inclusion of practices on the inventory has the support of the community of practice linked to that activity. This means demonstrating that wildfowlers and clubs not only support the submission but are directly involved in the process.
BASC’s role has been to facilitate this process. Through existing structures such as BASC Council and the Wildfowling Liaison Committee (WLC), and affiliated clubs, BASC has been working across the community to ensure that a wide range of views are represented in the submission work.
This has involved extensive work across the country, publicising the process and encouraging wildfowlers to provide us with memories, stories and snippets of history as well as expressions of support. We have also reached out to non-member wildfowlers and others who, while not directly involved in wildfowling themselves, understand the value of wildfowling heritage. Our aim has been to “let the stories tell themselves”, amplifying wildfowlers’ own views and voices.
Our work has included:
We believe that this process ensures the submission reflects the views and experiences of the wildfowling community.
The consultation also forms part of a wider programme to highlight and protect wildfowling heritage, educate the public and support future generations. Material gathered will form the basis of an online archive, and this work will continue beyond the submission.
A selection of expressions of support from clubs and individuals can be accessed below:
We invited wildfowlers from across the UK to share their experiences. In response we received accounts that are, at times, almost lyrical in their evocation of dawn, the wonders of nature, the wild birds, and the ever-changing seascapes of our coasts. Alongside poetic reflections, many also spoke of the pride and fulfilment they gain from honing their craft and gathering their own wild
A long-established tradition Evidence from Skara Brae shows that wildfowl were being taken for food in the Neolithic period, requiring detailed knowledge of bird behaviour and coastal environments. By medieval times, wildfowlers had developed specialised equipment, including distinct arrowheads and mist nets. Almost certainly, mud pattens (used to walk across marsh and mud) were in use by then. Meanwhile,
Becoming a wildfowler is not an event, it is a process, shaped by interests, experience, mentorship and love of place. For some, it is inherited through ties to family, nature and landscapes, traditions passed down across generations. For others, it begins with a memorable outing that forges a lasting connection. In all cases, becoming a wildfowler involves more
