• What on earth is the EU Winter Package and why should we care?

    In a post-brexit world, you might wonder why we would be interested in the EU Winter Package. In her guest blog, Alice Collier, RSPB Policy Officer (Climate Change), gives us an overview of what it is and why it is hugely important for wildlife. Nature...
  • Voice your support for wildlife-friendly farming in Scotland

    Farming plays a vital role in our countryside, producing food alongside a wide range of other goods and services. 75% of our land is farmed, and so of course farming methods have a significant impact on the natural environment and our wildlife. That wildlife...
  • Shot, trapped, hunted down. Please help protect our special birds of prey

    Working with hen harriers definitely has many perks. You can spend much of your working day in a beautiful environment trying to save a stunning bird of prey, which even after so many years of observing still takes your breath away. But it does come with...
  • Conversations about farming, food and nature at Countryfile Live

    Policy Officer and farming campaigner Harry Greenfield spent his first weekend of the month at Countryfile Live, taking in the show and talking to visitors about farmland wildlife, why farming is such an important part of the RSPB's work and making...
  • Help build a new charter for trees, woods and people

    We would love you to join us in supporting the new Tree Charter, developed by our friends at The Woodland Trust. Find out why it's important, what it is and how you can help in this guest blog by Nick Phillips, Senior Policy Officer at the RSPB, helping...
  • So what is happening with fracking?

    It's been a while since we posted anything about fracking so I thought you might appreciate an update on where things are at across the UK. It's a mixed bag, to be honest, with some countries doing better than others - as you will see. Scotland...
  • A year of #DefendNature: what next for the laws that protect our wildlife?

    It’s spring, and our nightingales have returned, swifts and swallows are back and breeding, and turtle doves and cuckoos can be heard calling on the breeze. Our migratory birds are coming back and they’ve crossed Europe from Africa to get...
  • What's happening at Lodge Hill?

    What’s happening at Lodge Hill? Last year, nightingales were added to the UK red list of endangered birds for the first time; after the last census revealed there are now fewer than 6,000 singing males in our country, a shocking 90% decline over...
  • Our MEPs voted to Defend Nature!

    Today the European Parliament joined EU Environment Ministers and over half a million of Europeans in speaking up to defend the Nature Directives, the vital laws that protect our nature. (A reminder of why the vote was important for the Nature Directives...
  • Our MEPs’ turn to defend our vital nature laws

    Since May last year, we’ve been campaigning to save the EU Nature Directives – vital laws that protect our most vulnerable wildlife and places – from being weakened as they undergo a review. Our campaigning is working: we’ve...
  • The people of Paris can’t march - but we will march for them

    As we approach the weekend of global climate marches, and the crucial climate conference that will take place afterwards, our thoughts are with all those affected by the horrific attacks in Paris.

    Whilst the huge march planned for Paris on Sunday 29 November will no longer go ahead, the French Government have committed to the conference itself proceeding. The marches planned for cities around the world, including London…

  • We asked Planning Ministers to step in on Lodge Hill - and they have!

    On Friday afternoon we received the wonderful news that the Government department in charge of housing have announced they will step in on Lodge Hill and that the development will go through a full public inquiry . Martin Harper, our Conservation Director...
  • Don't pull the plug on nature's home - help save Catfield Fen

    This week we are fortunate to have a guest blog from Richard Mason - Site Manager for the RSPB's Sutton Fen reserve. I say fortunate but, as you will read, the neighbouring Catfield Fen - which we manage on behalf of Butterfly Conservation - is under...

  • Do you love nature? Are you worried about the decline in our wildlife?

    I'm guessing that you probably do, given that you are reading this blog! We do too and we are worried - that is why we are holding a Rally for Nature in London on Tuesday 9 December and we would love you to join us. Sadly, despite the well-documented...
  • Now the dust from the marching feet has settled...

    I can't believe it's been nearly two weeks since over 650,000 people took to the streets across the globe, calling on world leaders to make strong commitments to tackling climate change. What a great show of strength from the climate movement. 

    ...
  • Over 11,000 people have emailed Eric Pickles and there’s still 5 1/2 hours left

    An enormous and heart-felt thank you to all those individuals, organisations, community groups and local politicians who’ve stood up for Lodge Hill and its precious wildlife, and our protected areas all over England by asking Eric Pickles to call-in the...

  • Protecting wildlife at home and abroad

    Over the past two weeks we've been focussed on convincing Eric Pickles of the importance of England’s special sites for wildlife, and marching in our tens of thousands to show those leaders attending today’s UN Climate Summit that we want to see action...

  • Loves, Leaders and Action for Change

    I have a confession to make - when I first heard that I would be campaigning on climate issues I was apprehensive, not because I don’t believe it is important, but because it is so important - yet so difficult to communicate in any way that doesn...

  • A call to arms over the battle for Lodge Hill

    It’s featured here before and this time it’s an England-wide call to arms.

    Regular readers of our Conservation Director Martin Harper’s blog will know that over the past two years we’ve been fighting to prevent the development of up to 5...

  • No TEA today, thank you!

    Hopefully you will have already heard the great news that the Thames Estuary Airport proposal (a.k.a TEA!) has been thrown out by the Davies Commission review on airport capacity. Huge thanks go to all of you who have helped campaign on this issue over...

  • Can you join us on Hen Harrier Day?

    Those of you who follow the bird of prey online community and news will no doubt have picked up growing chatter about Hen Harrier Day , this Sunday 10 August , and we thought that those of you who haven't yet heard about it might be keen to find out...
  • Protecting nature from fracking

    It may have caught your attention on Monday that the UK Government has announced it's response to the consultation we asked our supporters to take part in earlier this year. Waking up on a Monday morning to hear that National Parks and other sensitive areas would not be fracked, I wanted to punch the air. Experience, however, has taught me not to get carried away at announcements like that until I know for sure the reality…
  • Strathy South: a victory - but it isn't over yet!

    We've had great news from Scotland for the Strathy South campaign to stop the inappropriate siting of a wind farm in the heart of the stunningly beautiful flow country, up in the far north of Scotland. The Highland council has voted (12 to 3) to object...

  • Birds need protection at home and abroad - tell your MEP candidates what you want them to do in Europe

    If you have been following Chris Packham’s endeavours in Malta to highlight the illegal spring hunting taking place you will have seen that migrant birds, in particular, illustrate the interconnectedness of our planet and that nature knows no borders. Chris has raised considerable awareness of the plight of many of our iconic species such as turtle doves, cuckoos, swallows and many birds of prey as they return to the…
  • Blisters and beer for a bird on the brink - the adventures of the Dove Steppers

    (One aspect of nature and conservation that never fails to blow me away is how far above and beyond people will go for a cause they feel passionately about. For me, the tale from this week's guest blogger, Jonny Rankin, is no exception. Jonny and...