South East

Pledge a Pitch for turtle doves and help save them from extinction in the UK!

Kent is one of the few remaining UK breeding strongholds for turtle dove, but a lack of suitable habitat still means these birds are not breeding here as successfully as they once did. Turtle doves have suffered a 94% UK population decline since 1995 and are now Vulnerable to Global Extinction.

If we don’t act now, these iconic birds could disappear…

We have seen the upsetting images of the hedging works undertaken at the Winter Gardens, Margate and share your concerns over the destruction of important wildlife habitat during the sensitive breeding season.

We've received messages from the public asking us to investigate this situation and we've been in conversation with both Thanet District Council and Kent Police. 

We understand that Kent Police are now conducting…

Join the RSPB’s annual Big Wild Sleepout this summer and spend an exclusive a night under the stars on an RSPB nature reserve!

Offering truly unique camping environments, these events are about much more than just pitching up. Packed with fun-filled family activities, our Big Wild Sleepout events are designed to entertain and educate families about nature.

At RSPB Pulborough Brooks in West Sussex, you can uncover…

Have you heard about and been inspired by our Let Nature Sing single? Why not come and hear this spring spectacular in all its glory? 

RSPB South East reserves are great places to get up close to nature and hear the wonder of the dawn chorus in person. Join us at one of our special Dawn Chorus events throughout April and May, where you can experience the performance of our feathered friends, as they sing to attract a…

We’ve got some great family events in London, Sussex and Kent this Spring! Take a look below for some inspiration for the school holidays…

Get active in nature at RSPB Rainham Marshes, London

Investigate the weird and wonderful creatures that lurk in the watery depths of our ponds with our pond dipping events on selected days between 9-25 April, or hire an explorer bag from reception (£3) at any time during…

At RSPB Dungeness, one of the first signs of spring is a booming sound that carries far across the water.

This strange call is great news for the reserve team. It means Britain’s loudest bird, the bittern, has returned to breed again.

Once extinct in the UK, bitterns have only been booming at RSPB Dungeness since 2009, yet despite the relatively recent appearance, they are now regular visitors. Last year, bitterns…

In spring and summer, the skies above Brighton and Hove come alive with swifts, as these aerial acrobats dart and dash through the skies, chasing insects for dinner.

But across the UK, swifts are in trouble, with their breeding numbers plummeting fast.

The number of UK swifts has dropped by more than 50% over the past 10 years and they need our help.

Across Brighton and Hove, residents are already hard at work to help…

We can do more for nature when we work together! We've pulled together some great examples of how businesses, partners, supporters and individuals have helped us achieve even more for nature in 2018.

We know that some UK species are in serious decline, and we've been investigating the best ways to help halt declines and create more robust populations. One of these species is the iconic turtle dove.

Most often…

We can do more for nature when we work together! We've pulled together some great examples of how businesses, partners, supporters and individuals have helped us achieve even more for nature in 2018.

We really depend on donations made by our members and our communities to fund important projects and to protect our most vulnerable UK wildlife. Christmas is the perfect time to give thanks to our members, funders and…

The battle to Save Lodge Hill is so important and has such far reaching consequences for wildlife that it brought together the leading conservation charities with one voice.

The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Buglife, Friends of the North Kent Marshes and Medway Countryside Forum have all been fighting to #SaveLodgeHill for wildlife too. Together, our members and supporters have been taking act…

We can do more for nature when we work together! We've pulled together some great examples of how businesses, partners, supporters and individuals have helped us achieve even more for nature in 2018.

Our reserves are constantly evolving landscapes and need a lot of maintenance to ensure that they are in the best possible condition to attract and provide great homes for our most vulnerable wildlife. This can require…

We can do more for nature when we work together! We've pulled together some great examples of how businesses, partners, supporters and individuals have helped us achieve even more for nature in 2018.

The effects of climate change on our reserves is becoming more apparent year upon year. From rising sea levels at RSPB Dungeness, to threats to heathland at RSPB Blean, we’re facing new challenges all the time to try…

We can do more for nature when we work together! We've pulled together some great examples of how businesses, partners, supporters and individuals have helped us achieve even more for nature in 2018.

Bringing field crickets Back from the Brink

Earlier this year, a team of volunteers, led by species expert and license holder Mike Edwards, set out to find field crickets at a secret location, and then relocate them…

One of Britain’s loudest birds, the bittern, had never been heard booming on the Isle of Wight before this spring, when its distinctive mating call was heard by staff at RSPB Brading Marshes.

We can now reveal we are confident that the secretive birds successfully bred at the newly restored wetland, making this the first ever bittern breeding record for the Isle of Wight.

Bitterns are highly camouflaged and can be…

We can do more for nature when we work together! We've pulled together some great examples of how businesses, partners, supporters and individuals have helped us achieve even more for nature in 2018.

Helping everyone get closer to nature at RSPB Pagham Harbour

RSPB Pagham Harbour is nestled just on the coastline below Chichester, West Sussex. Its coastal location, combined with wide open farmland, a maze of reedbed…

We can do more for nature when we work together! We've pulled together some great examples of how businesses, partners, supporters and individuals have helped us achieve even more for nature in 2018.

Bittern, had never been heard booming on the Isle of Wight before this spring, when its distinctive mating call was heard by staff at our RSPB Brading Marshes reserve.

We are now confident that the secretive birds successfully…

 From 3-9 December 2018, selected RSPB reserves are offering free entry to National Lottery players as part of national #ThanksToYou celebrations.

Trails at RSPB Pulborough Brooks, West Sussex, RSPB Dungeness, Kent, and RSPB Rainham Marshes, London, will be free to National Lottery players during the week of 3-9 December 2018. The RSPB nature reserves are joining hundreds of participating National Lottery-funded visitor…

The sound of leather on willow, the gentle clink of teacups against saucers and the soothing ‘harp’ of field crickets... This archetypal soundtrack of rural England was almost lost forever in the 1980s, when there were less than 100 field crickets to be found in the whole country. 

This beautiful black and gold invertebrate was once abundant in the South of England. Today, its high-pitched and rare chirrup…

Capture iconic UK landmarks on camera at the RSPB’s Lade Pits reserve, Kent.

Immerse yourself in military history at the RSPB’s Lade Pits reserve, Kent, as you learn about the iconic concrete structures known as the Sound Mirrors.

The 200ft concrete structures are fascinating pieces of history. Developed as an early form of RADAR, they dominate the landscape at the RSPB Lade Pits nature reserve, and are situated…

What is Wild Challenge?

Wild Challenge is a brilliant opportunity for families to connect with the natural world in exciting new ways – to reach out and touch it and meet it head-on, up-close and personal.

Our free online Wild Challenge activities are divided into two sections – helping and experiencing nature. There are a range of fun challenges to choose from and bronze, silver and gold awards to achieve…

What is Wild Challenge?

Wild Challenge is a brilliant opportunity for families to connect with the natural world in exciting new ways – to reach out and touch it and meet it head-on, up-close and personal.

Our free online Wild Challenge activities are divided into two sections – helping and experiencing nature. There are a range of fun challenges to choose from and bronze, silver and gold awards to achieve…

What is Wild Challenge?

Wild Challenge is a brilliant opportunity for families to connect with the natural world in exciting new ways – to reach out and touch it and meet it head-on, up-close and personal.

Our free online Wild Challenge activities are divided into two sections – helping and experiencing nature. There are a range of fun challenges to choose from and bronze, silver and gold awards to achieve…

What is Wild Challenge?

Wild Challenge is a brilliant opportunity for families to connect with the natural world in exciting new ways – to reach out and touch it and meet it head-on, up-close and personal.

Our free online Wild Challenge activities are divided into two sections – helping and experiencing nature. There are a range of fun challenges to choose from and bronze, silver and gold awards to achieve…

Many people are surprised to discover that there's probably not an inch of the UK's landscape which isn't managed in some form or another, most of it by farmers. Yet they rarely get the credit they deserve as custodians of our green and pleasant land. Keeping it that way is hard work and it's governed by laws created to curb the occasional rogue farmer who puts profit before land and wildlife. Right now there are proposals…