BOYD Bryce, of Inch
Island, has been announced as one of ten ‘Farming
for Nature’ ambassadors in the running for the
overall ‘Farming for Nature Award’ for 2019. Members
of the public, and in particular the farming
community, are being asked to vote for their top
pick.
Now in its second year, the awards are part of a
wider independent Farming for Nature initiative
which hopes to source, share and celebrate the
stories of those farmers across Ireland who are
doing great things for nature on their land and in
their community.
A short video has been made about each shortlisted
farmer and now the public are being asked to
view the films and vote for their favourite one,
with voting ending Thursday October 24th.
Boyd and Bridie Bryce
farm 350 acres of mixed arable and sheep pasture,
woodland and wildlife habitat on Inch Island. Since
his youth Boyd has been a strong advocate of
wildlife conservation and farming for nature. He is
a living showcase of the benefits that a close
connection with nature provides for wildlife,
community and farmer alike.
From the creation of a wildfowl sanctuary on his
lands in the 1970’s to the establishment of native
oak and ash woodlands in 1980’s, Boyd has
consistently pioneered and proactively demonstrated
that nature and farming work hand in glove and are
not mutually exclusive.
Boyd’s farm at Strahack is managed with nature to
the fore, in addition to farming his natural
shoreline, wetland and woodland areas specifically
for wildlife; he sensitively manages his hedgerows,
standards and scrub.
Paddy McCrossan, of Inishowen Wildlife Club, who
nominated Boyd for the award commented: “Boyd has
consistently pioneered and proactively demonstrated
that nature and farming work hand in glove and are
not mutually exclusive. In 2018 he was proud to thin
his maturing oak woodlands, to see wild grey
partridge chicks born on his farm, and to open up
new habitat for breeding waders, wildfowl and
amphibians.”
For more information and to vote visit
www.farmingfornature.ie .
