The Schöffel Countryside Awards

Help us celebrate the unsung heroes of the countryside, inspire others to follow suit, and engage with the disengaged – enter yourself or nominate another person or project today...

In partnership with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), we are excited to announce the launch of a new national awards that will recognise and celebrate private land managers who are improving the health of the British countryside.

Here at Schöffel Country, we live and breathe the Great British countryside. It’s a passion that has shaped the brand and continues to drive what we do to this day. And we continue to invest in content and giveback campaigns to raise awareness of key issues and highlight those who are setting an excellent example.

You could say we’re on a mission... To recognise, celebrate, inspire, and engage. After all, there are many people out there doing great things – for wildlife, soil and water quality, and ecosystem services. Do we hear enough about them? We think not.

So, whether it is a patch of a few acres or an estate of several thousand, a single person or a collaborative endeavour, our aim is to shine a light on the finest examples of working conservation, in the hope that we can inspire others to follow suit, inform policymakers of real success stories, and engage the wider public.

Why now?

Put simply, the need to produce food and deliver for nature has never been more crucial.

Nature reserves and rewilding projects are important, but meeting our national biodiversity recovery targets will depend on integrating food security with sustainable ecosystem services on the 72% of the UK which is farmed. Otherwise, we risk simply exporting environmental problems overseas and confining nature to isolated pockets out of reach for large parts of the population.

This means providing the right financial incentives and expert advice for land managers.

It is also about sharing knowledge and spreading the word. That’s where the Schöffel Countryside Awards in partnership with GWCT can play a vital role.

How many award categories are there?

In year one, there will be six award categories. They are simple to enter and nominations are encouraged from all quarters. You can enter yourself or nominate another person or project that you believe deserves recognition. To jump to the entry form, click here.

The Nature-friendly Farm/Estate Award

To celebrate farms and estates that have excelled in implementing practices that promote biodiversity and species recovery.

The Innovation in Conservation Award

To champion individuals or groups who have developed innovative solutions, technologies or methods that advance agriculture and enhance the natural environment.

The Farm-Environment Partnership Award

To recognise farms that have formed successful partnerships with others, showcasing the positive outcomes of collaboration.

The Wetland & Watercourse Conservation Award

To showcase efforts and achievements in creating and restoring wetland habitats and watercourses to the benefit of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The Rising Star Award

To shine a light on a young individual who is demonstrating an outstanding approach to conservation.

The Working Conservationist Award

To celebrate an individual who has dedicated much of their life to the conservation of flora and fauna in the British countryside.

How will the awards work?

Entries and nominations are welcomed until the end of March 2025.

After the awards have closed for entries on 1 April, a set list of questions, tailored to each category, will be sent to selected entries in order to build on the information available to the judging panel.

Once a shortlist has been finalised for each category, entrants will be notified and visits will be arranged. The period for judging visits will run from May to July.

In partnership with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

Crucially, to help ensure the highest standards, we have partnered with our friends at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), the UK’s leading wildlife research charity.

Ahead of its time, the GWCT has produced decades of peer-reviewed science on farmland conservation, fisheries and moorland management. It developed many of the agri-environment measures included in the government’s Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), and pioneered Farmer Clusters.

For nearly 100 years the GWCT has been a champion for wildlife through an evidence-led approach to conservation. The breadth of research carried out by the GWCT makes it unique; as an independent wildlife conservation charity, it has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s and employs more than 60 post-doctoral scientists and other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics.

To learn more about the awards, visit our dedicated webpages.

To enter yourself or nominate another person, please see the entry form.