Finalists unveiled for the 2026 Schöffel Countryside Awards

Schöffel Country and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) are delighted to unveil the shortlist of finalists for the 2026 Schöffel Countryside Awards.

The Schöffel Countryside Awards have returned for a second year following the success of 2025’s inaugural event.

Celebrating those delivering working conservation – practical, on-the-ground action that proves wildlife recovery and food production can go hand in hand – the awards have once again attracted entries from an impressive range of private land managers, farms and partnerships whose dedication to wildlife management and conservation is helping to improve the health of the British countryside.

More than 70 nominations were received during the nomination period, from which 28 finalists have been shortlisted across six categories. These countryside heroes include individuals, farms and estates from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A handpicked panel of judges, made up of GWCT ecologists and advisors alongside external experts from across the rural sector, will now visit each finalist to see their conservation work in action before the full panel cast their votes later this year.

The awards ceremony will again be hosted by Coutts Landed Estates in London in November.

A diverse mix of people and projects managing all manner of habitat types across the UK have been shortlisted for the 2026 Schöffel Countryside Awards.

Marcus Janssen, executive director of Schöffel Country and the driving force behind the awards, says: “Once again, the calibre of entries to this year’s awards has been truly outstanding.

“At Schöffel, we’re committed to telling the stories of those who are doing remarkable things for wildlife in the British countryside. We really hope that by highlighting these examples of working conservation, we can engage with and inspire others.

“To do that in partnership with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, whose research and science is central to so many biodiversity success stories across the UK, is hugely rewarding and important to us as a brand.”

Megan Lock, judge and senior farm environment advisor for GWCT, says: “I am looking forward to meeting these finalists, who have all been nominated for delivering huge benefits for wildlife on private land, both independently and collaboratively; to hear of innovations in conservation; meet young passionate rising stars and to hear about the fantastic work that has been done to improve wetlands and watercourses. So much work like this goes under the radar and these awards showcase those who are quietly striving to make nature thrive.”

Group of people holding certificates in a formal setting with 'Schöffel Countryside' branding.

Last year’s category winners were recognised at an awards ceremony in London hosted by Coutts Landed Estates.

Adrian Thornton-Berry, a farmer from North Yorkshire and founding member of Swaledale and Wensleydale Environmental Farmers Group (SWEF), which has been shortlisted in the Farm-Environment Partnership category, says: “I was genuinely surprised and very proud to learn that SWEF had been nominated for the Schöffel Countryside Awards.

“Supporting SWEF is something I care passionately about because it represents the living heritage of the Yorkshire Dales, from native sheep breeds and traditional farming on the hills and in the valleys, to the iconic dry-stone walls that help make these landscapes such important havens for wildlife and biodiversity.

"By seeking other funding for upland farming families who are threatened following removal of government support, SWEF aims to conserve the generational knowledge essential to enhance biodiversity and ensure these managed landscapes remain productive, environmentally resilient and culturally significant for the future.”

The 2026 judging panel has been boosted by two of the winners from the inaugural 2025 Schöffel Countryside Awards – Rupert Brewer, game and wildlife manager of the Bisterne estate, who won the Working Conservationist category and the Wetland and Watercourse category with his team, and Tom Hilder, senior nature-based solutions officer for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, who won the Rising Star category.

Also joining the panel of judges this year are Paul Coulson, Alison Baker and Richard Negus.

Two men wearing Columbia jackets outdoors with blurred greenery in the background

Tom Hilder and Rupert Brewer join the panel after winning award categories in the 2025 Schöffel Countryside Awards.

The finalists

The Nature-Friendly Farm/Estate Award

The Innovation in Conservation Award

Sponsored by B-hive Innovations

This category champions individuals or groups who have developed innovative solutions, technologies or methods that advance conservation and the natural environment.