Accreditation Overview
Wildlife Estates (WE) was first promoted as a best practice concept in 2004, with the European Landowners Organisation (ELO) taking the lead on its development as a LIFE project from 2005. It gained enthusiastic support from the EC’s Directorate-General Environment in Brussels, paving the way for a Scottish equivalent in 2010, with the first pilot estates gaining accreditation in 2013. Nineteen European countries now support the WE Initiative.
The Wildlife Estates Scotland scheme (WES) is managed on behalf of the WE Initiative by Scottish Land and Estates. WES promotes a holistic approach to land management which encompasses many different land management uses. These include agriculture, forestry, tourism, hunting and management purely for conservation and restoration purposes. WES has been adapted to incorporate specific Scottish legislation with respect to environmental, political and public interest requirements.
Much of the habitat and land management across Scotland is already carried out to a high standard, but there are acknowledged gaps and tensions with wider land use goals and interests, and there is always room for improvement. WES recognises that land managers must rise to the challenge of demonstrating how Scotland’s biodiversity benefits from, and is being enhanced by, their day-to-day practices. WES accreditation demonstrates that land is being managed sustainably with biodiversity and best practice at the heart of all management systems.
WES Level 1- Supporter member
Level 1 members are required to sign up and adhere to nine commitments derived from the European Wildlife Estates Charter. These are detailed in the application form below. Level 1 members gain access to the wider WE network, exclusive events and Level 2 application support. The Level 1 membership fee is £60+VAT annually.
WES Level 1 application formWES Level 2 – Accredited member
Level 2 membership is obtained through accreditation. To begin the accreditation process, existing Level 1 members should notify Neil Gunn, WES Project Manager, and register for an online account on this site to access the application form. The form consists of five modules that cover potential activities that members undertake. Submitted applications are independently assessed through a desktop assessment and site visit by Food Integrity Assurance (FIA). Once achieved, the accreditation is valid for 5 years. The Level 2 membership fee is £250 + VAT annually.
WES Level 2 application introductory guidance
Habitat Area Management System (HAMS.online) integration option
HAMS.online is built on the fundamentals of adaptive wildlife management. Modules A and C of the WES Level 2 accreditation application require applicants to have accurate and up to date information on species present on the landholding. Such information has to be recorded, processed and analysed. This is what HAMS is designed for. Furthermore, HAMS users will get many more useful features when it comes to habitat and wildlife management.
HAMS is integrated into the Level 2 accreditation portal. This means that species data collected by applicants through HAMS can be filled automatically by when applicants connect their HAMS account.
HAMS.online is the world's fastest growing habitat and wildlife management system. It is also a community of dedicated, responsible landowners and game managers.
Want to know more about HAMS? Watch this 8 minute long quick tour of the features and functions:
