Finding solutions to 21st century conservation problems: guest blog from Dr David Gibbons

Those of you who came to the AGM on Saturday would have heard Dr David Gibbons talk about the breadth of our science.  It was inspiring stuff.  

Here, David announces our intention to establish the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science.

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At the RSPB we are very proud of our science and for good reason - for over four decades we've invested in science to help us identify and tackle some of the biggest problems facing birds and the environment.

Our first research officer started in the 1960s with none of the cutting edge technology our scientists enjoy today. By the 1970s we had a small team whose pioneering work led to some early success stories including the recovery of the stone curlew which was on the brink of disappearing in the early 1980s.

From there, our research activity has grown steadily. Research pinpointing the lack of over winter stubbles led to the successful recovery of cirl buntings in the 1990s. Meanwhile we were investigating the cause of the bittern’s disappearance from the UK and developing methods to help bring it back, while at Hope Farm our scientists developed farming measures to restore numbers of skylarks and other farmland birds. Our monitoring work has helped us track the recovery of corncrakes in Scotland and the decline of hen harriers in the English uplands, and has contributed to groundbreaking studies such as the Birds of Conservation Concern and this year’s State of Nature report.

Our work on the UK Wild Bird Indicators has informed government farming policy here and in Europe. Today we are tagging seabirds to build a picture of their lifecycle, monitoring breeding success of turtle doves and modelling the effects of climate change. Earlier this year, a panel of eminent external scientists judged our science to be ‘outstanding’ – the news was covered on this blog here.

Our team of more than 50 scientists is busier than ever finding solutions to 21st century conservation problems.

So I think it’s about time we did something to highlight and celebrate this vital part of the conservation story. That’s why we are embarking on a new phase in our scientific journey - in February we will be launching the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science.

Our aim is to open up our research to a wider audience, to promote the cutting edge work we are involved in and to encourage new partnerships and collaborations. There will be a new online hub where people can learn more about our latest research and we are also hoping to give a boost to the next generation of conservation scientists.

The launch event in February will see us presenting the very first annual RSPB Conservation Science Awards. One of these will recognise an outstanding PhD student attending a UK university. We are now accepting nominations from heads of academic departments for students whose work is likely to make a significant contribution to the conservation of any species of animal or plant, communities or habitats anywhere in the world.

For full entry details visit out science page here –www.rspb.org.uk/science

There will also be an award recognising the ongoing work of a leading conservation scientist and another for an outstanding RSPB scientist. The event will see the unveiling of a decadal report looking at the highlights of RSPB science over the past ten years.

I’m very proud to be part of an organisation that invests in robust research which is essential for our understanding of wildlife declines and the measures needed to reverse them. And I am very excited at this opportunity to celebrate the work of my talented colleagues and share it with the rest of the conservation community.