As a major operator in the supply of bird care products to garden centres, Westland has joined forces with the British Trust for Ornithology as part of an ongoing strategy to bring ‘education and quality’ to the sector.
The new partnership will re-invigorate the existing relationship that the BTO established with Gardman, which Westland acquired in 2018, and set it on a new path.
It will also enable Westland’s retail partners to access BTO data as well as use the charity’s knowledge and expertise to inspire consumers, educate staff and ‘engage’ through social media. The BTO and Westland say they will also create new standards in bird care products, ensuring ‘rigour in testing and design’.
A key aim of the partnership is to give a greater understanding of the role wild bird feeding has in the 24 million gardens around the UK.
VITAL RESEARCH
To deliver this there will be a series of activities taking place throughout the year and the BTO will be providing educational content. A highlight of this will be an event in October that will be the launch platform for a substantial piece of vital research.
For this, the two organisations will be uniting to conduct the largest survey yet of gardens and wild birds and the importance of gardens on wildlife. The survey results will provide valuable insight and aid future product developments, as well as increasing knowledge of how gardens are used, both now and in the future.
Rachael Dickinson, senior marketing manager at Westland, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with the BTO, the most authoritative name in ornithology. The partnership came out of the recognition that both Westland and the BTO are striving to boost the participation of caring for and enjoying wildlife. We both want to make a difference in every garden in the UK and inspire people to feed the birds, so what better solution than to combine efforts and join forces and expertise to launch a cohesive campaign?”
