Trustees of the BASC Wildlife Fund visited Monkwood shoot near Chesterfield on 31 July to see the results of sustainable game shooting and habitat conservation working hand in hand.
Managed by Jim and Catherine Allsop, the 270-acre shoot has undergone years of dedicated, self-funded habitat management. Keen to fast-track his vision of turning the shoot into a sanctuary for all wildlife, Jim applied to the BASC Wildlife Fund in May 2025. By July he had been awarded a grant to fund a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, establishing a scientific baseline for Monkwood’s biodiversity and guiding future projects.
“The grant for our baseline surveys has been invaluable,” said Jim. “It has opened many doors to shooting and conservation knowledge and people willing and keen to share it. When the chance came to almost start afresh, our goals were simple: a shoot that was sustainable, with low impact or a net positive, a modest harvest of birds within a like-minded community, and real gains in biodiversity. All of that has been achieved, and then some.”
Seeing the results firsthand
Trustees and BASC staff discussed ongoing work at the site, including Monkwood’s involvement in BASC’s Four Seasons campaign, and explored areas for future grant support.
“People often ask which species I really wanted on the property,” said Jim. “I used to say barn owl, naively, because it’s one of my favourite birds. Now I understand the aim isn’t to chase a single species but to build a mosaic of habitats for as many as possible.
“This year we’ve found adder on the property and had visits from bittern and nightjar, while swifts and swallows share the skies with goshawk and kestrel. But it’s often the species that have benefited from the ground-up work, the ponds, the wild bird plots, the beetle banks, the bee banks, the coppice, the hedgerows, that bring the biggest smile. Seeing the air full of dragonflies, and the sheer numbers of butterflies and moths, is something else.”
A model for what a grant and hard work can do
Trustee of the BASC Wildlife Fund, John Harlow, said:
“What Jim and Catherine are achieving at Monkwood is exactly what the BASC Wildlife Fund exists to support. The PEA will give them a proper baseline to work from – one they’ll be able to measure future progress against.
“You can already see the difference their work on the ground is making, not just in the game bag but in the adders, the bitterns, the sheer volume of insect life across the site. It’s a model for what a grant and a lot of hard work on the ground can do. We’re grateful for the chance to see that success firsthand and we’re looking forward to following Monkwood’s progress in the years ahead.”
Get involved
If your shoot wants to enhance its natural environment, apply for funding, or donate to the BASC Wildlife Fund, visit the BASC Wildlife Fund website or contact your local regional team.