The Barn Owl Trust was founded in 1988 by a small group of volunteers who believed not only that they could reverse apparent Barn Owl decline through practical conservation work, but also that they could use people's interest in the Barn Owl to increase environmental awareness. Thus the Trust's two-pronged approach and slogan "Conserving the Barn Owl and its Environment" was born.

The priority is to increase the species’ survival rate and nesting success, which means both increasing the owls’ food supply and tackling the causes of mortality.

Working closely with farmers and landowners they create areas of Barn Owl habitat, not only boosting their food supply but also benefiting a huge range of other species that inhabit rough grassland: wildflowers, butterflies, a wide variety of other birds, insects and lots more. The Trust provides Barn Owls with perfect places to roost and nest by erecting safe nestboxes, which help boost the number of young produced.

The Barn Owl Trust works to ensure that the needs of Barn Owls are taken into account where planning applications threaten occupied sites. They are the main source of Barn Owl training for Ecological Consultants across the UK who survey potential development sites. The Trust’s guidance on the subject is now published by Government and many Local Planning Authorities have adopted these recommendations.

They provide a 24-hour Live Owl Emergency Service dealing with casualty owls of all species by providing advice and local contacts as well as hands-on care.

For unreleasable owls the Trust runs a genuine owl sanctuary; a place of peaceful retreat rather than a visitor centre. For the more fortunate owls the Trust uses their own gradual release methods to maximise the chances of survival. It is a sad fact that most of the injured owls that are rehabilitated are road casualties and the Trust first tackled this problem by carrying out the biggest-ever investigation into Barn Owl road mortality. They are now pushing the Government to make major roads less dangerous by changing road verge designs.

The Trust’s educational work brings increased environmental awareness to children and adults through inspirational presentations in schools, colleges, clubs and societies. They encourage everyone to help Barn Owls by providing information nationwide. The Barn Owl Trust website hosts over 90 webpages, 40 leaflets, and 70 slideshows giving high-speed access to the widest range of Barn Owl information available anywhere.

The Trust has worked closely with many organisations, including the Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society, collaborating to produce the following documents:

Grant, Keith, Pearce, Geoff & Ramsden, David (1993), Barn Owl Survey of Devon; a Joint Project by the Barn Owl Trust and the Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society (Barn Owl Trust)

Ramsden, David J. & Howells, John A. (2003), 2003 Devon Barn Owl Survey Report; results from a county-wide survey by the Barn Owl Trust with the Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society, (Barn Owl Trust)

For loads more information go to www.barnowltrust.org.uk