Pensthorpe Conservation Trust
We’re here to nurture nature today to bring it to life for tomorrow – supporting hands-on conservation, habitat restoration, and community education that inspires lasting connections with wildlife
Nurturing Nature
Pensthorpe Conservation Trust (PCT) plays a pivotal role in ensuring Pensthorpe and its inhabitants will be around for generations to come.
Started in 2003, the PCT’s purpose is to nurture nature today and bring it to life for tomorrow. Based at Pensthorpe, we strive for excellence in habitat management and restoration, animal conservation, along with education and engagement, as well as offering visitors the opportunity to see our work in action.
How we’ve helped
From restoring lost voices to the landscape to championing lifelong learning, the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust has a proud track record of conservation in action.
Working in partnership with leading organisations, our captive breeding and headstarting programmes; including the Corncrake Reintroduction Programme and Curlew Headstarting Project, have helped reverse declines of two of Britain’s most threatened farmland birds. These nationally significant initiatives, now successfully transitioned to a new charitable trust, represent a legacy of practical, impactful conservation.
We’ve also supported the recovery of other iconic species, including Eurasian cranes, red squirrels, and the increasingly rare turtle dove, working to protect and enhance their habitat within Pensthorpe and the wider region.
Ongoing, the Trust plays a key role in the management of a diverse range of habitats, from nutrient-rich wetlands and wildflower meadows to ancient woodland and farmland, all carefully stewarded to maximise biodiversity and create resilient ecosystems for future generations.
Alongside this, we remain committed to sharing our knowledge and inspiring action. Whether through wildlife walks, seasonal talks, or hands-on school visits, we help people connect with nature and understand their role in protecting it.
As the Trust evolves, our focus continues on habitat management, plus community education and engagement. With a dedicated Education Officer in post, we now provide curriculum-linked outdoor learning for over 3,000 schoolchildren annually, while supporting visitor education across the wider Pensthorpe estate. We’re proud to continue championing wildlife conservation, not only protecting what we love, but helping others understand why it matters.
Trustees
PCT is a registered not for profit charity (charity no. 1100589). The trustees of Pensthorpe Conservation Trust are:
Bill Jordan MBE
Deb Jordan
Jed Jordan
Andrew Wolfe – Chair
Ben Marshall – Secretary
Why we exist
Birds are powerful indicators of a landscape’s health, and right now, they’re sending us a warning. Since the mid-1990s, the number of species on the UK’s Red List of most endangered birds has nearly doubled, with once-familiar species now struggling to survive.
Much of this decline is due to human activity: intensive agriculture, habitat loss, climate change, hunting along migration routes, and shrinking food availability are all placing pressure on birds across the globe.
That’s where the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust steps in. We exist to create and protect the habitats that birds and other wildlife need to thrive, and to inspire action through education, research, and collaboration. From restoring wetlands and meadows to giving children a hands-on connection with nature, we’re working for a future where birds and biodiversity can flourish.
Explore some of the impactful projects we’ve delivered, and the ongoing work we’re doing to give nature a voice.
Our Projects
Turtle Doves
With their food source and habitat threatened, turtle doves are in decline. But as part of Operation Turtle Dove, we’re helping to turn the tide.
Eurasian Cranes
Learn why Eurasian cranes need protecting, how the Great Crane Project is working to bring them back from the brink and meet our delightful trio of this special species.
Education
The Pensthorpe Conservation Trust educates over 3,000 local schools to learn outside the classroom, along with supporting the Wider Pensthorpe mission of visitor engagement and inspiring the next generation to support species and habitat.
Bird Ringing
We’re part of the Constant Effort Sites (CES) scheme where professional ringers come to monitor, ring and release the birds.
All the information we gather goes to a data bank at the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology). With their help, we can better understand the birds that visit here.
Farming for Nature at Pensthorpe
At Pensthorpe, conservation and farming aren’t opposites — they’re allies. Our working farm is a living demonstration of how agriculture can support wildlife, regenerate landscapes, and inspire people.
Corncrakes
You’ll probably hear a male corncrake before you see one. Find out how we’ve given a voice, and a chance, to these endangered farmland birds.
Curlew
The curlew’s call is perhaps the most evocative song of any wild bird. But with the population under threat, Pensthorpe and our partners played a vital role in giving the species a fighting chance.
Red Squirrels
Red squirrels are native to Britain, but their numbers have been in decline for centuries. Discover how our decades-long breeding programme has made a difference.
Help us when you shop at Amazon
Did you know that Amazon donates money to a charity of your choice when you sign up to Amazon Smile? The website acts exactly as Amazon does, only when you buy a product it will donate money to charity. To help us raise money for our conservation projects, simply choose ‘Pensthorpe Conservation Trust’ as your charity of choice.
