I spent a cathartic weekend at the fascinating Knepp Estate exploring its re-wilding project.  Following the referendum, time spent looking for turtle doves, purple emperor chrysalis’ and amphibious bistort was a great way to clear the head.

As politicians across the UK decide their next steps, the news has been dominated by when and what sort of Brexit deal will be struck and what it might mean for all of us.  At…

The UK has voted to leave the European Union.

The RSPB has always believed that, because nature transcends national boundaries, it needs cross-border co-operation to protect it and a common set of international standards that enable it to thrive.

That is why, now the UK has decided to leave the EU, the RSPB believes the UK must continue to act internationally, and look to forge comprehensive international agreements…

As we enter the final week of the EU Referendum campaign, I thought I would offer a brief update on the future of the the Birds and Habitats Directives (the Nature Directives).

In May, I reported here that the overdue findings of the Fitness Check of the EU Nature Directives had still not been published.  Since then there have been further developments, but still not sign of a resolution. Regular readers will know that…

I had a strange conversation about Springwatch when I was at the Cereals Show yesterday in Duxford.  I was there alongside our advisors talking about wildlife friendly farming (and anything else that cropped up - mainly Brexit or football). In passing, someone said that their son was obsessed with Springwatch and was distraught at the prospect of the show finishing.  I empathised, my children get distraught when the latest…

There has been a lot of codswallop said during the course of the EU Referendum campaign and some of it has focused on the Common Fisheries Policy.  So on the eve of Nigel Farage leading a pro-Brexit flotilla up the Thames, (see here) I am delighted to welcome a guest blog from Dr Euan Dunn MBE, Principal Marine Advisor for the RSPB.  Euan has huge experience of understanding and influencing the interactions between fisheries…

In April, the report of a man with a gun located close to a hen harrier decoy attracted media interest, a lot of emails and widespread criticism. The incident took place on National Trust land.  As was reported at the time the Trust was taking the matter very seriously and had launched an investigation.

I referred to this incident in my recent update on England’s hen harriers in 2016.

Today’s announcement by the…

To mark World Oceans' Day, the RSPB and Birdlife International are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Albatross Task Force.  This is one of our most successful conservation programmes and serves as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through hard work, expertise, creativity and the generosity of our supporters.  It also provides hope that we can tackle some of the most intractable global conservation problems…

In March, I promised (here) to provide an update on the hen harrier breeding season in England. 

I genuinely hoped that this mid-season update would mark the beginning of a turnaround in the fortunes of England’s hen harriers, driven by the positive partnership approach set out in Defra’s hen harrier action plan. Unfortunately, the news on the ground suggests this is shaping up to be very poor year for England…

By Mike Clarke, RSPB Chief Executive

We have always believed that, because nature transcends national boundaries, it needs cross-border co-operation to protect it and a common set of international standards that enable it to thrive. This concept stretches back throughout the RSPB’s history, ever since the organisation joined international efforts to curb oil pollution in the 1920s. And this concept was our starting point…

There are just 22 days until we have a chance to vote in the referendum on the UK membership of the European Union. Today, you can have another chance to find out what it all means for nature and our environment.

Back in April, the RSPB challenged both the Leave and Remain campaigns to explain how their stance will help protect and enhance the environment.

Both these campaigns - Vote Leave and Britain Stronger in Europe…