There will be no post-Christmas blues in the RSPB Northern Ireland office because we have lots to celebrate in 2016 – our golden anniversary year!
The Ulster Society for the Protection of Birds was formed in 1921 and focused its efforts on bird protection rather than habitat restoration, installing perches for tired migrating birds at Maidens Lighthouse in Larne and appointing watchers on Rathlin Island and Strangford Lough to protect seabirds from poachers.
Some years later, in 1966, the Ulster Society was amalgamated with the RSPB in an attempt to garner more support for bird protection and RSPB NI was born.
Frank Hamilton was appointed as the first Regional Officer, operating from an office in Queen’s University with just one other member of staff.
RSPB NI staff in 1989
With the help of our members and supporters, we’ve come a long way since then! Our workforce now stands at around 330 people (including 280 amazing volunteers) and we own, manage or advise on thousands of hectares of land across Northern Ireland for the benefit of nature.
There are far too many highlights from the past 50 years to cover them all. However, particularly proud moments have included the successful reintroduction of red kites back into Northern Ireland’s skies, the reversal of breeding wader declines in key areas - up 78 per cent between 2011 and 2014 thanks to the Halting Environmental Loss Project - and the return of chough to Rathlin Island.
The success of our educational outreach also deserves a mention – we are now connecting 20,000 young people each year with nature – and major improvements to facilities at nature reserves including Belfast’s Window on Wildlife, Portmore Lough and the West Light Seabird Centre on Rathlin have opened up these special places to even more people.
We have a busy 12 months ahead of us, from Big Garden Birdwatch later this month to the official re-launch of the West Light Seabird Centre, devolved elections at Stormont to the development of a landscape-scale project to protect and promote the unique heritage of the Fermanagh Lakelands.
Throughout 2016 we’ll be incorporating our 50th anniversary celebrations into all aspects of our work – from specially produced pinbadges at SunflowerFest to a programme of free events for RSPB NI members and the planting of special wildflower meadows.
We’d also love to hear from you about your experiences of nature and RSPB NI over the past five decades – whether it’s an old photograph of one of our nature reserves or a wildlife moment that inspired you to take up a career in conservation.
Get in touch by emailing rspb.nireland@rspb.org.uk or find us on Facebook (RSPB Northern Ireland) and Twitter (@RSPBNI).