The grace and beauty of the brown hare, Lepus europaeus, have become symbolic of the British countryside. After the long winter months there can be few sights more uplifting to the human spirit than the spring-time boxing antics of these delightful creatures. But the brown hare has become increasingly rare, especially in western regions. It is second only to the water vole as the British mammal which has shown the greatest decline during the past century. The Society aims: •  To act as a focal point for the gathering of all types of information about hares and to convey that information to members through a quarterly newsletter, plus updates posted on this website. •  To raise the hare’s profile through the media and promote improved education about hares. •  To encourage all landowners to view hares as welcome residents of their land and to actively participate in ways of improving the preservation and welfare of hares. •  To co-operate with other wildlife organisations in promoting wildlife friendly farming methods and establishing areas dedicated specifically to wildlife, particularly hares. •  To encourage further research into the reasons for the decline of the brown hare in Britain and to propose ways in which the trend might be reversed. •  To lobby Government for increased legal protection for hares and to ensure that existing legislation is enforced. •  To promote non-destructive human enjoyment of hares in their natural habitats, for example by hare watching, photography, video production, painting or drawing.