• Swamp Sparrow Urban Adventure

    Blogger: Jane Delaney, Local Groups and Volunteering Support Officer

    I wanted a holiday but was on a budget.  How could I get away and discover an exciting new location, meet new people, have fun and do something useful?  I know,  I’ll go residential volunteering!

     I spoke to the lovely ladies in the Residential Volunteering department and we looked at the options available for just a week  – RSPB Saltholme it is!…

  • The art of poetry by Matt Howard

    Blogger: Matt Howard, Community Collections Scheme Officer

    I was delighted to be asked by Waveney and Blyth Arts to join them on their Breydon Water ‘Poetry and Birds Walk’. The brief was simple, talk about birds in poetry and how such work brings us closer to nature, and then set a writing exercise for the group to try. This gave me a chance to think more about the connections between two of my interests, but where do…

  • Return of the Harrier

    Blogger: Steve Rowland, Public Affairs Manager

    I bumped into a Marsh Harrier the other day, a wonderfully pale almost sandy coloured male bird, quartering a field of wheat that gently sloped down towards the Wash. The presence of this bird here, feels right as a part of the landscape that went missing for many years that has now returned.

    Watching Marsh Harriers in your lunch break is a pleasure that I don’t take…

  • Less honking and more tweeting

    Blogger: Rachael Murray, Media Officer

    It’s traditionally used to follow friends, famous faces and current affairs, but this Autumn we are using Twitter to track the arrival of thousands of wintering geese. As part of a UK-wide initiative, the conservation charity is asking people in Norfolk to ‘tweet’ sightings or pictures of the birds using the hashtag #goosewatch.

    Every year, as part of their migratory…

  • BUPA care home residents go wild in Hertfordshire

    Blogger: Rachael Murray, Media Officer

    Staff and residents of Bupa care homes across Hertfordshire will be keeping an eye out for creatures that croak, flap, cheep and snuffle for Bupa’s Wildlife Week (26 September – 2 October), a new initiative which aims to encourage more wildlife into care home grounds and gardens.

    As part of a UK wide initiative, 14 care homes in Hertfordshire are taking the lead by…

  • The World of Jacob

    Blogger: Erica Howe, Communications Manager 

    When I graduated from university, some 6 years ago, I didn’t have a clue what to do with my life really. I went to university in London, but staying there for the long haul was never really an option for me. I love Norfolk too much and simply couldn’t afford to live in the big smoke fulfilling student ambitions!

    Like most post-grads, I very quickly took a job,…

  • A Fantabulous Day out at Strumpshaw

    Blogger: Gena Correale-Wardle, Community Fundraising Officer

    8 miles from Norwich

    4 wellington boots

    2 train tracks to cross

    3 toilet trips before we start

    5 visitor stickers placed on lapels

    1 pair of binoculars borrowed at reception

    1 set of car keys left as collateral

    6 goldfinches on the seed feeders

    1 engaging and knowledgeable guide

    8 highland cattle with fringes in their eyes

    100s of leaves being rustled…

  • Be a cow for a day

    Blogger: Aggie Rothon, Communications Officer

    Once upon a time a friend once handed me a slip of paper she said reminded her of a story I once told of how, as a small girl, I’d sit in the field at the bottom of the lane and wait for the neat little Dexter cows that grazed there to come and see me. The slip of paper still rides in my wallet to this day and reads, ‘Cows bring a deep tranquillity to the spirit; their…

  • Time in the bank

    Blogger: Janet Moorse, Communications Team Volunteer

    I am not in a position to work full time, needing to be around for my kids and finding myself 100 miles from grandparents and family baby-sitters. But I still want to keep my brain from stagnating and have volunteered my time over the past few years to help out in my local play group and school. A year ago I saw an advert for a volunteer to join the RSPB’s Eastern…

  • Perfect combination: Lamb and Sutton

    Blogger: Steve Rowland, Public Affairs Manager

    The decisions taken by our elected representatives at Parliament have a huge impact on both the quality of our natural environment and on how easy it is for individuals to take their own steps for nature.

    A great example of this is around the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy [CAP] €55 Billion Euro’s a year are spent on this budget, that’s at least 50 % of the overall…

  • One Summer, Four Reserves, One photo bonanza blog post

    Blogger: Carol Miller, Community Fundraising Volunteer based at the Fens Area Office in Swavesey

    Well what a Summer I’ve had this year.  I’ve loved visiting some more of the RSPB’s wonderful nature reserves and being able to get very close to some of Britain’s beautiful birds, mammals and reptiles.

    I have been to Rye Meads in Hertfordshire again with their purpose built sandbanks for kingfishers…

  • Youthful Urban Birding

    Blogger: Steve Rowland, Public Affairs Manager

    I passed a pleasant 50 minutes the other day on a long train journey listening to one of the Conference Calls put together by Charlie Moores on his Talking Naturally blog. In these Charlie gets a bunch of birders together on a conference call and they chat about topical issues to do with birds, birding and conservation.

    In the podcast I listened to on the train, David…

  • Do you prefer sweet or savoury?

    Blogger: Aggie Rothon, Communications Officer

    The running joke in my household at the moment is that whatever film any one suggests watching my response will always be, ‘hmmmm, I don’t do war/romcom/sci-fi films.’ My comeback quip is always ’but I like characters and contemplation not fights and action!’ Whatever my argument however I have to admit that I can quickly lose interest in any film that doesn’t grab me in…

  • From Volunteer to Volunteering Development Officer

    Blogger: Annie Sadler, Volunteering Development Officer

    I started life as a volunteer aged 17 helping out my local conservation group – Stour Valley Volunteers in the Dedham Vale AONB.  I was going to start a conservation course at Otley College and was advised to try practical conservation first, just to make sure it was my cup of tea, and it totally was!  I looked forward to helping on the work parties eagerly…

  • It's great to be back home

    Blogger: Erica Howe, Communications Manager

    Earlier this week, on Bank Holiday Monday, I landed at Stanstead Airport. My ten day holiday had rapidly come to an end and as I walked through the arrivals gate and stood outside watching hoards of people excitedly wheeling their suitcase towards the check-in desk, I felt deflated to say the least.

    The end of a holiday can always leave you feeling blue. I love Norfolk, but…

  • Charlotte's Summer Antics: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu

    Blogger: Charlotte Pledger, Youth, Education & Families Officer

    So onto the last of my family activity blogs for this summer – Minsmere. I have been fortunate enough to have visited the reserve several times over the holidays, mainly to help with some of the survey work in preparation for the new Family Discovery Zone. This gave me the opportunity to have a really close look at activities on offer and observe families…

  • Life is like a game of Jenga

    Blogger: Kim Matthews, Campaigns Intern

    Sometimes when I think about the problems we, the human race, are facing I have the urge to run away and live like Tom and Barbara Good.  War, famine, poverty, climate change, habitat destruction, mass species extinctions... it’s enough to make you want to bury your head in the sand.  Perhaps if I had my dream eco-self-sufficient-rare-breed-organic-fairtrade-ethical small…