Blogger: Matt Howard, Community Collection Scheme Officer
I only started working at the RSPB last July. It is a privilege to work for the Society that I have been a member of for years. What struck me most in the first months is just how vital the 'team ethic' is. Admittedly the job I do in Community Fundraising (mostly behind a desk in the Norwich office) isn't as glamorous as tracking the movements of tigers in the Sumatran rainforest or the work of an ecological boffin pondering how to conserve the breeding grounds of sandwich terns; but working with an army of dedicated volunteers is an inspiration. The work we do together, enthusing people about nature and wildlife, raising funds for conservation here and abroad, is just as important.
It was only the other day however that I got to turn my hand to a more hands-on job at Strumpshaw Fen. The task was reed raking (visit the reserve and you will see the 'rides' that were cut providing a great chance to see stunning wildlife such as bitterns, water voles and bearded tits). As my natural habitat is the office, I just about knew how to hold a rake but working with reserve volunteers and staff was a pleasure. Their passion is infectious and certainly helped develop my birding skills. Working on the fen was like stepping through the looking glass. There were marsh harriers going over and bearded tits making their 'pinging' calls deep within the reeds around us. Nevertheless, it was harder on the hands than wielding a pen and I certainly slept well that night!
It has been a hard winter and on the coldest mornings I have still had that pang and hesitance when leaving the house. Of course it has been hard for our wildlife too. I have been thinking of the tenacity of bitterns, feeding on the fen through these icy days. They will be feeding voraciously now, getting into condition for the breeding season. Any day the males will start 'booming'. I love this sound. It's such a muscular effort, and hearing the bittern's persistence through a cold, misty dawn is a reconnection to the primordial. It is our good fortune to have these birds presence so close by; though like many species, their existence is fragile.
Without the efforts of volunteers in activities as varied as minding collection boxes, helping in the office or getting dirty on reserves, the work just doesn't get done. It has to be a team effort. And even though the mornings are still cold, hearing robins, dunnocks, finches and blackbirds on the way to work is worth turning out for. Behind that, in or out of the office, are the endeavours of people from all walks of life. As I say, it's a privilege.
If you are interested in volunteering please visit our website: www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering
Photo Credit: Stanley Porter (rspb-images.com)