‘Bere Marsh Farm without its Barn Owls would be unthinkable. It is essential we rescue them from their plight. We need to do everything we can to make sure that they remain safe because they are the iconic symbols of this wildlife farm,’ says manager, Elaine Spencer White.

Ever since they settled at Bere Marsh, the owls’ home has been in the roof of a 100-year-old barn sited amidst the meadows and fields of the 92-acre farm.

The iconic owls, a key indicator species of a healthy eco environment, are regularly spotted by passing families, hikers, naturalists and cyclists and have become a much-loved feature of the surrounding idyllic countryside.

The Trust is hoping that this will prove an effective factor in rapidly raising the necessary £30,000 to replace rotten roof timbers and re-tile the 100-year-old barn in the short period this Autumn between the owls’ completion of the rearing of their current chicks and the start of a new breeding cycle with the onset of winter.

CRT Fundraising Manager, Hayley Neal explains ‘Barn owls are the pinnacle of the British Countryside and the centrepiece of Bere Marsh Farm.

‘We want to ensure that their home is safe and secure for them for many years into the future and hope that everyone will join us in raising the money to give them the new roof and security they need if they are to remain at Bere Marsh Farm.’

Barns owls, one of our most beautiful birds of prey, are regularly active in daylight, particularly on long summer evenings when they need to make frequent hunting forays across farmland and meadows to feed their voracious chicks. This ensures regular sightings and their presence in a locality means habitats and food chains are robust and thriving.

Originally, Barn Owls nested in the roofs of old barns and hollow trees – hence their name. However, recent trends of modernising and converting barns into rural homes have severely reduced their natural habitats and now up to 85% of today’s birds live in specially erected nest boxes.

This makes the Barn Owl Barn at Bere Marsh Farm even more important to save and restore as it shows the iconic species in its traditional, natural setting.

‘Bere Marsh Farm is synonymous with barn owls. Restoring and repairing their ancient barn represents everything that the CRT is about and demonstrates how we want to give wildlife a future in our farmland and countryside,’ points out Elaine Spencer-White.

‘We are confident that everyone who visits and walks through our wonderful farm will think the same and contribute to our emergency fund raising drive. It is vital we carry out and complete the repairs before the onset of winter, so the race is on.’

It is expected that the work to the Barn Owl Barn will take approximately two weeks to complete and has been scheduled to take place in early October once this year’s chicks have left the nest and before the owls re-start their nesting and breeding cycle in early winter.