A pants idea

Fellow rural charity the Country Trust has been asking for more volunteers to pop a pair of underpants in the ground and CRT tenant farmer and trustee, Tim Scott, couldn’t wait to bury his boxers in the name of science.

The underpants in question have to be made of cotton so the microbes in the soil can break down the natural material. We should add that Tim’s pair of white cotton pants also sported a lovely green tractor on the side which, he claims, is what all farmers wear underneath their trousers!

The cotton pants, now sitting in a hole in the middle of a field at Lark Rise Farm, will remain there for the next eight weeks. It’s impossible to know how much decomposition will take place as weather conditions, as well as soil health, will both be a factor.

However, as Tim dug the hole for his pants to be popped into, the soil in his regeneratively farmed field showed plenty of organic activity, including several healthy earthworms, always a sure-fire sign of good soil. The healthier the soil, the more Tim’s pants should be degraded by the time he digs them up.

Tim direct drills the field the pants are now buried in, and this means that the soil isn’t disturbed by a plough that turns the top few inches of earth over, disturbing all the microscopic life that lives there. By direct drilling, the soil structure is maintained, and the soil ecosystem is healthier. This is good for the crops that grow in it; as well as the many species of birds, animals and insects that look to the soil for items to eat!

Not all soil is healthy however, and by burying Tim’s pants, we’ll be able to see in eight week’s just how much underground activity there has been nibbling away at the cotton!

Tim’s marked his pant burial spot so he can find them in July when it’s time to dig them up and look at the results!

How you can help

We can’t do it without you. If you want to help us protect local wildlife you can support the CRT in any number of ways, from joining as a CRT Friend to volunteering on one of our farms and attending our events. You can also sign-up to our monthly newsletter 'CRT News' for regular updates from our farms, straight to your in-box.

Read more about the wildlife and conservation initiatives on our farms here Wildlife Blog

Latest

Wildlife Boxes Helping Dormice Thrive

Thanks to generous donations from the public, we've made 20 wildlife boxes for dormice for several of our Countryside Regeneration Trust properties.
Bluebell Walk at Margaret Wood

Enjoy a beautiful walk at Margaret Wood, marvelling at the fabulous bluebells. Stay for a tea, cake and chat afterwards with our amazing team of volunteers.
Meet the Trotters... Bere Marsh Farm’s two new boars Del Boy and Rodders!

Two new residents have made their home at Bere Marsh Farm in Dorset and are already squealing with excitement and busy rootling around.
Withie beds provide new habitats for wildlife

Thanks to money raised in our Twelve Gifts of Christmas campaign, we were thrilled to buy new withies to plant in our osier beds at Bere Marsh Farm. These willows will help provide important habitat for wildlife.

Mucking in to tackle invasive species

Volunteers are playing a key role in the battle against a species that blights our rivers – Himalayan balsam. Teams have spent the summer pulling out this dominating, invasive plant on many of our properties, including Pierrepont Farm in Surrey, Bere Marsh Farm in Dorset, and Lark Rise Farm in Cambridgeshire.
Wet winter woes prove need for adaptability

The extremes of weather are creating very real challenges for farmers this winter. Read about the impacts on Lark Rise Farm in Cambridgeshire.
Going for gold

Lark Rise Farm was pleased to provide the location for a camp run by the Cambridgeshire Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Open Awards Centre. Twenty-five people aged from 17 to 24 travelled from all over the country to participate as part of their (DofE) Gold Award, learning survival skills and getting stuck in with conservation tasks.
New rail link to destroy important habitat at Lark Rise Farm

The preferred route for the East West Rail development linking Cambridge to Bedford will devastate nationally important farmland habitat on the Countryside Regeneration Trust’s Lark Rise Farm.
A Prince at Lark Rise

On the eve of King Charles' Coronation, we look back at his two visits to Lark Rise Farm.
A step in the right direction

With new, nature-friendly farming incentives and an Environmental Improvement Plan from the UK Government, we discuss whether agriculture is at a turning point.
Volunteer with the CRT

Would you like to help wildlife and do your bit to create a landscape bursting with life? To enjoy quiet time connecting with nature to benefit your wellbeing, or to get stuck into exciting conservation projects with a friendly team? To learn new skills or develop existing ones? Whatever motivates you to consider volunteering, we’d love to have you in our team.
Tackling an invasive species

CRT volunteers have been clearing Himalayan balsam from the Bourn Brook on Lark Rise Farm as part of our joint venture with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (WTBCN).
Regional ELMS co-ordinators should be provided by Defra

One of the biggest issues for farmers engaging with the Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) is Defra providing the right initial and ongoing support so farmers can understand and utilise them fully, says the Countryside Regeneration Trust.
Water voles return as mink numbers significantly reduced

Water voles return as mink numbers significantly reduced

School trips on the farm
Volunteer with the CRT

Would you like to help wildlife and do your bit to create a landscape bursting with life? To enjoy quiet time connecting with nature to benefit your wellbeing, or to get stuck into exciting conservation projects with a friendly team? To learn new skills or develop existing ones? Whatever motivates you to consider volunteering, we’d love to have you in our team.
What We Do

The CRT promotes nature-friendly farming to help reverse biodiversity decline and combat climate change. We believe nature is integral to good farming and we protect, promote and regenerate our land and all life on it. We put our philosophy into practice on over 2,000 acres of working farms, small-holdings and woodland across England.
Slow-worms – the gardener’s best friend

The UK has 6 native reptile species including the curious slow-worm (Anguis fragilis). Although serpent-like in appearance, slow-worms are in fact limbless lizards and an amazing example of de-evolution.
Wildlife & Farms

To achieve our vision of a living, working countryside we have purchased 18 sites across the UK, each with their own unique ecosystem and biodiversity.
Conservation Volunteer

This is your chance to get 'down and dirty' to help CRT improve the habitats and environment on our farms, with a wide range of conservation projects and initiatives.
Bere Marsh Farm

Mixed farmland, Dorset
Robin Page

Co-Founder
David Mills MBE

Trustee
Regenerative Farming & CRT

Since our inception we have been working tirelessly to achieve our vision of a living, working countryside, and that is not changing, but in a world that’s in its sixth mass extinction we must evolve to fight this threat.