Big Give
Thank you!
We did it!
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who supported our Big Give Christmas Challenge Campaign.
We’re delighted to confirm that with your generous help, we not only met our target, but exceeded it!
We are now looking forward to planning the survey and demonstration days next year and will keep everyone informed.
TOGETHER FOR DEER!
100% of the funds raised during the campaign will be used to initiate our first ever series of drone surveys to count deer at selected locations across the country.
The purpose of these drone surveys will not just be to count deer and inform local management – they will also be used to help us speak up for deer louder than we ever have before - as each survey day will be doubled up as an opportunity for us to offer a series of unique and highly engaging awareness and educational public events across the country.
WHY IS YOUR DONATION SO IMPORTANT?
Several concerning changes in deer management policy that may negatively impact their welfare are being discussed or have already been implemented. It is vital in coming months that the BDS is able to stand up and speak up for deer and their welfare louder than we ever have before. These surveys will provide an opportunity for us to do that and to push-back against the spread of misinformation, sensationalism and demonisation of deer that has been continuously fed to the public.
We believe every deer in the UK deserves management based on FACTS, not fiction.
The technology and tools are now available to make this happen. We want to make sure they get used everywhere they can be.
“All decisions concerning the management of deer must start with as accurate a population count as possible, an undertaking which has until now been extremely challenging. Technological developments have finally given us an unprecedented and exciting opportunity.”
CHARLES SMITH-JONES
BDS Technical Advisor & Author
YOUR DEER DESERVE EVIDENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT
Wild deer in the UK are facing unprecedented threats to their welfare from changes being made to how they are managed. Whilst we absolutely need more modern, effective and adaptive approaches to managing our deer, these must never be allowed to compromise existing standards of deer welfare.
The only way ahead is to use sound evidence, not guesswork, to develop and implement any new approaches.
Several of the management changes currently being suggested, or which in some instances have already been implemented, are often being justified because “deer numbers are at their highest ever – at 2 million animals”. However, this estimate is a highly questionable figure to be using for such a purpose as it is based on largely outdated, limited, and inaccurate data. On top of that, the total number of deer in the UK alone also has limited practical use for the development of ethical, effective and adaptive management strategies anyway, as impacts and issues can vary widely from place to place!
Except for a small number of well studied locations, no one really knows exactly how many deer there are in the UK, how many of each species there are, where their numbers are highest, or where they are having significant negative impacts on their surrounding environments.
Drone technology and other tools now exist that can help to solve these issues.
Despite recognition of these huge gaps in knowledge and available solutions, highly questionable changes to deer management that have the real potential to impact their welfare, are still being pushed forward.
The British Deer Society (BDS) believes that our deer deserve to be managed by facts,
NOT FICTION.
If you agree, then taking part in our campaign – ‘Help Us Get Your Deer Judged By Facts, Not Fiction’ is one way of helping us make sure this will happen.
Although the Big Give Christmas Challenge is now over, you can also still make a regular donation here. If you would like your donation to go specifically towards the work mentioned here, please inform us via email.
HOW WILL MY DONATION MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR DEER?
The purpose of these surveys will not just be to count deer and inform local management – they will also be used to help us speak up for deer louder than we ever have before - as each survey day will be doubled up as an opportunity for us to offer a series of unique and highly engaging advocacy and educational public events across the country.
SPEAKING UP FOR DEER LOUDER THAN EVER BEFORE
BDS is continuously striving for humane, effective, and sustainable management policies that put deer welfare first and that will encourage healthy deer populations that are in harmony with their environment.
To achieve this, it is crucial that policy immediately becomes more evidence driven. To enable that to happen, the UK public and relevant stakeholders must be informed about the issues and the available solutions.
This campaign will help us push back on all the sensationalism around UK deer numbers in the media that is negatively impacting their welfare (you can read more about this issue here).
Our results and survey days will also be used to help us raise a far greater awareness among the public and policy makers about our deer, their welfare, their management, and most importantly – the critical need for our entire nation to establish and maintain a far more complete evidence base to better guide their management.
All our deer species, native or otherwise, deserve to be managed on far better grounds than simple guesswork.
Although our campaign on the Big Give is now over, if you would still love to take part and support this critical work that enables us to speak up louder for deer than we ever have before, then please get in touch with the team via info@bds.org.uk.
You can also still make a regular donation here. If you would like your donation to go specifically towards the work mentioned here, please inform us via email.
*Useful donation information in regard to the BDS Big Give Christmas Challenge Campaign:
Only donations to the campaign via The Big Give website between midday on Tuesday 28th November 2023 and midday on Tuesday 5th November 2023 will be doubled.
The minimum donation amount is £1 and the maximum donation amount is £25,000. Please note only a maximum of £5,000 is available for match-funding during the BDS campaign. (i.e. once £5000 is donated and unlocks the total target amount of £10,000, any additional donations will no longer be doubled BUT will still contribute directly to the work outlined in the campaign).
Charities which successfully exceed their target may have the opportunity to enter the Big Give Christmas Challenge Awards and potentially win cash prizes of £1,000 – £3000.
The Big Give only accept donations via debit card, credit card or Apple or Google Pay and BACS. They cannot match fund donations on other websites or donations made offline, eg. cheques, CAF payments, etc.
