A NORTH Yorkshire father and daughter are through to the finals of a competition to find the UK’s most wildlifefriendly farmer.

John Harrison and Ruth Russell are arable and beef farmers at The Cobblers, Settrington, near Malton.

Hugely enthusiastic about wildlife, they have been named North of England winners in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB’s) Nature of Farming Award 2010.

The judges said they had gone “above and beyond”

the requirements of their agri-environment schemes to dramatically increase numbers of lapwings, tree sparrows, grey partridges, barn owls and corn buntings.

Mr Harrison has recorded more than 90 bird species on the farm, including two pairs of curlew. Wildlife includes numerous brown hares and the 6m margins, beetle banks and rough grassy areas are ideal for field voles, the main diet of barn owls.

Mr Harrison and his daughter are one of four finalists – the others represent Northern Ireland and the South and East of England.

Votes can be cast at rspb.org.uk/farmvote until August 27th.

Darren Moorcroft, the RSPB’s head of agriculture advice, said: “These are people who understand that the bright flash of an orange tip butterfly, the bubbling trill of a skylark and the summer splash of the emerging cornflower are signs of a healthy, wildlife rich farmed countryside.”