• Time to Celebrate

    Alan Murray

    It’s here – yes it’s Volunteers’ Week 2011.  The week celebrates all things volunteering and recognises the contribution of the millions of people who volunteer across the UK every day.

    If you are a volunteer with us then I’d just like to say a HUGE thank you for all the fantastic work you do for the RSPB.  We simply couldn’t do all we do without you.  By stepping up for nature and volunteering…

  • Diary of a Love Nature Intern: Part T-wit T-wo by Mark Barrett

    Kate

     www.youtube.com/watch

    Life in the Midlands Regional Office has been rather hectic of late as we prepare for the beginning of Love Nature Week. Love Nature Week kicks off on Saturday 28 May but the team in the office have been preparing for months! And now it has finally arrived and collections are taking place all over the UK in garden centres, supermarkets and streets – who knows, you may well spot one in your area!…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 14. Vandalism and tiny hooves.....

    Annie Sadler

    The reserve is fortunate, largely due to its location, in not suffering from a great deal of vandalism or anti-social behaviour, unlike other reserves situated close to urban areas. Apart from the occasional insensitive dog walker we haven’t had that much of a problem at Old Hall. However, the ongoing problem of marine revellers at the eastern quarters spit reared its unwelcome head once again.

    What is the logic…

  • Diary of a Love Nature Intern by Mark Barrett

    Kate

     

    I started my Love Nature Fundraising Internship at the Midlands Regional Office in Banbury at the end of March.  I joined the Community Fundraising team in preparation for the big Love Nature fundraising week, taking place all across the UK, from 28 May to 5 June. The internship interested me for a variety of reasons – primarily the chance to make a difference and raise awareness for such an important cause. The…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 13. Fencing and more fencing!

    Annie Sadler
    The remainder of August was largely spent on the reserve replacing old fencing and installing new gates around the reserve. We haven’t had any sheep grazing the improved fields this year, so cattle have been put in some of these fields instead. Before the cattle were moved in we had to make sure the old fencing was strong enough for a herd of cattle and the odd raging bull! A few extra gates were erected to separate the…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 12. Ecology and hydrology....

    Annie Sadler
    In August I was lucky enough to spend the day with Paul, Suzanne and Neil Fuller, an Ecologist from English Nature, who was given a tour of the reserve. Neil was at Old Hall looking at the ecology of the reserve in order to assess our current SSSI status. It was fascinating to see the framework used to assess a Site of Special Scientific Interest and to see so many plants I hadn’t even heard of before or noticed for that…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 11. First aid and aquatic plants!

    Annie Sadler
    July is upon us already and I have been booked in to attend an Emergency First Aid at Work course in Colchester run by St John Ambulance. It’s far too hot to be inside putting people in the recovery position, covering them in bandages and giving the kiss of life to a manikin. Joking aside, it was great to have a refresher course especially after an absence of nearly 20 years. As you can imagine a lot of the methods have…

  • Step up for nature conservation without leaving the comfort of your own home...

    Emily Sanders

    Volunteer Mrs J Gasson shares how she’s stepping up for nature conservation whilst sitting at her desk!       

    “After I retired, I wanted to do some charity work, but nothing that would need
    regular commitment. I am not a political animal but am interested in conservation
    and the natural world.

    When I received a letter from the RSPB, of which I have been a member for some years, asking if I would take part in…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 10. Horses and little terns!

    Annie Sadler
    Rob and I had an early start one Sunday morning to set up the RSPB gazebo at the East Essex Heavy Horse Show held at the Museum of Power in Langford. It was a great event with lots of interesting stalls and things to see and do.

    “If I keep munching this hay maybe he’ll go away”

    After several cancellations, the planned bird survey by boat was finally going ahead. Unfortunately Suzanne was on…

  • You don’t have to dress up to have fun...

    Emily Sanders

     

     ... But you can if you like!
    Love Nature week is a real opportunity to Step Up for nature – and it’s happening 28 May to the 5 June and you can take part – here’s where you find out how.
    If you feel it’s too big a step – here’s one family’s story from last year, Lucy Webber tells us how much her family enjoyed collecting for the RSPB during Love Nature Week.
    ‘I just…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 9. Little terns and pesticides training.

    Annie Sadler
    June was a busy month as well with lots of surveying to do and events to organise. I participated in the RSPB national campaign “Love Nature Week” and attended a collection event in Southend. I worked with the South Essex fund raising gurus Alan Shearman and Graham Mee.
     Here I am surveying little terns on the Eastern Quarters Spit, which is one of my favourite spots on the reserve.

    You can’t get much…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 8. Brushcutters, wet grassland and RSPB members!

    Annie Sadler
    In May I travelled up to Norfolk to spend the night at the volunteers house at Strumpshaw Fen to attend a brush cutter training course at the reserve the following day. The course was a full day of learning and practical work. Brush cutting constitutes a significant proportion of the reserve work we carry out in the summer. It is important to know how to operate and service these machines safely. Unfortunately I don’t…

  • Looking for an Office Angel in Brighton!

    Jenny Sweet

    Are you a great people person, have a flair for admin and great organisation skills?
    Are you a fast learner, enthusiastic and enjoy being part of a fun team?
    Have you got three days a week to spare, until July 2011, and possibly beyond?
    If yes, we’d love to hear from you! Volunteer at our South East Regional office in Brighton and you’ll be making a real difference to our work, plus it’s a great opportunity to meet new…

  • Did you know 2011 is the European Year of Volunteering?

    Sallie Crawley
     
    Volunteers make an amazing contribution to the RSPB and it’s fantastic that all volunteers across Europe are being recognised and celebrated as part of the year.
     
    During March and April the year is focusing on youth volunteering and with our new campaign ‘Stepping Up For Nature’ being launched in March it seems appropriate to share with you that it was two of our youngest members, Dominik Reynolds…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 7. Survey Season!

    Annie Sadler
    May was a very busy month with lots of breeding bird and non avian surveys to do, which meant a lot of very early starts. The list below shows the range and type of survey I carried out in May.
     
    Corvid transects (crows, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies) – conducted every seven to ten days to assess corvid numbers in terms of the potential predation of eggs and young birds.
    Water vole transect – monitor feeding…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 6. The Quad Bikes!

    Annie Sadler
    Shortly after the highly motivational 'RSPB Experience' I headed off to “Three Holes” an off road training centre in Cambridgeshire to join my fellow conservation interns on a two day quad bike course. The quad bike is an essential piece of equipment used on many of the RSPB reserves. The course is designed to ensure we know how to operate the bikes properly and safely. After a morning of best practice and health and…

  • My Friday Volunteering #2

    Rebecca85

     

    I thought it was high time to write another update about what I've been doing at the Brighton office.

    Since I last wrote, I have made another poster (see above), which was for a science fair stall about owl diets - hence the owl chef! (That's right, it really does say 'house sparrow roast' on his menu!)

    Over the past few weeks I have been working on a series of illustrations for the RSPB's Pulborough…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 5. The RSPB Experience.

    Annie Sadler
    April has arrived and it is officially the start of my Conservation Internship. Most new RSPB employees and some full time volunteers are invited to attend a two day induction course at RSPB Head Quarters at the Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire. The aptly named “RSPB Experience” is an excellent opportunity to meet fellow RSPB employees and volunteers and understand what exactly they do within the organisation. The…

  • World Record smashed!

    Alan Murray
    You may remember that over the week Monday 7 to Sunday 13 February 2011, I asked you to recycle your old mobile phones in an attempt to help us beat a world record, and raise money for our conservation work.
    Well, as always, you rose to the challenge and I’m delighted to tell you that we smashed the world record, beating our own target in the process. The week saw a whopping 6,130 mobiles donated, many more than the…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 4. The Conservation Internship begins!

    Annie Sadler
    March was an incredibly busy month. I went up to the RSPB’s reserve at Strumpshaw Fen to attend an interview for the Eastern Region Conservation Internship scheme. The interview was split into three sections, firstly I had to answer some gruelling interview questions posed by a panel of RSPB wardens and assistant wardens. I then had to make a presentation to the wardens on a recent conservation project I had been…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 3.

    Annie Sadler
     This week we get to see two of Mark's beautiful photos of the area on a cold February day.
     
     
    Salcott Channel is a fantastic spot to view waders and wildfowl.
    It is also an excellent place to observe life on the river and to see the local fishermen still utilising the waterways.
     
     Bleak but beautiful, Tollesbury during a wader survey

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern. Part 2.

    Annie Sadler
    This week we hear about Mark's tractor driving antics!
    I was delighted when Suzanne asked me if I would like to go on the tractor driving course in January. I felt thoroughly rewarded for all that hard work I had put in the previous two months out in all weathers repairing fencing and doing general maintenance around the reserve. I think the guys rather liked having me on board if only for my tea making skills or…

  • Diary of Mark Groves, Conservation Intern in the Eastern Region

    Annie Sadler

    Every week we will release Mark's diary, which is a fascinating glimpse into the world of an RSPB Conservation Internship.  You are promised an entertaining and informative read.  Thanks Mark!  This week is the introduction into Mark's volunteering life at the RSPB:

    My leap into the world of conservation volunteering began in September 2009 whilst working for BTCV in Colchester. After a couple of months I wanted…

  • Recruiter signs up over 100 members since April 2010!

    Annie Sadler
    John Wightman – what a star!  John volunteers at Lakenheath reserve in Eastern England.  A very special reserve, Lakenheath was once carrot fields but is now teeming with wildlife due to the creation of reedbeds, grazing marshes and other habitats.  It’s a fantastic place to see cranes, golden orioles, barn owls and kingfishers, to name just a few, and a fantastic place to volunteer!  It is also has its own train…

  • My Friday Volunteering

    Rebecca85

    In two weeks time, there will be a Wildlife Explorers meeting where the children will be learning the all about Country Code. My job for this morning was to read up on what it's about, and to make a little activity sheet to start the day off. As I couldn't remember anything about the Country Code other than "Don't littler!" and "Shut the gate behind you," I needed to do a bit of internet research…