Nature’s Advocates

Male Hen harrier in flight (C) Pete Morris (rspb-images.com) Today's blog is written by Mike Shurmer, Head of Species for RSPB England. He reflects on the learning from the brood management trial. In spring in the English uplands, male Hen Harriers a...

Global day of action COP26 Climate Summit Glasgow 2021 (C) Nick Hawkes (rspb-images.com) The RSPB’s Melanie Coath and Alex Mackaness are attending COP28 in Dubai where they will be pushing for ambitious outcomes for nature and climate in the UN...

Female Hen Harrier in flight (c) Pete Morris Todays Blog is written by Heather Mathieson, Investigations Liaison Officer, she outlines the findings of the latest Birdcrime report and the criminal persecution which our birds of prey con...

Image credit RSPB Arne Dorset,  Sam Turley(rspb-images.com) Today's blog is written by William Riley, the RSPB's Senior Economist. He reflects that England was one of the first countries in the world to set legally binding biod...

Whooper Swan Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com) This special blog is written by Imogen Taylor, Senior Policy Officer to highlight the opportunity to have your say on the latest consultation on banning lead ammunition.  We have been talking about ...

Last June we published our Time for Change report setting out why we believe driven grouse shooting needs to be licensed to create thriving uplands for all and to tackle the scourge of raptor persecution. Here, we revisit why we think licensing is the most pragmatic option, reflect on our ongoing concerns with the most intensive form of grouse shooting, namely driven shooting and associated management practices, and consider…

Seabirds in the UK are in crisis. The Seabird Census (2015-2021) is a comprehensive survey of 25 breeding seabirds species in the British Isles. The survey is led by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) with input and support from other partner organisations, including the RSPB.

Burning on Mid Hope Moors Peak District (C) Tim Melling Todays Blog is written by Pat Thompson, Senior Policy Officer for the uplands. He outlines the impacts of burning on our upland habitats and how you can help prevent it.  The beginning of ...

Bearded tit at RSPB Minsmere Nature Reserve, a SSSI which is in good condition. Ben Andrews (RSPB-images.com) In today’s blog, Senior Policy Officer Meriel Harrison, explains what is meant by '30 by30' , what progress has been made toward...

The RSPB has been calling for a ban on the sale and use of lead ammunition for many years now. A ban on lead ammunition has been decades coming and is long overdue – each year, thousands of tonnes of lead shotgun pellets are used and dispersed into the environment. This is taking an unacceptable toll on wildlife, so we won’t stop fighting for a complete ban.

UK land is currently under a lot of pressure. How do we ensure that we are doing the right things in the right places, in a way that is good for nature, climate, and for people? A new RSPB-led study, being published later today, explores some of the likely consequences of changing UK land use to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for nature recovery and agricultural output.

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) sets out the approach to sustainable forestry. The latest (5th), version has just been published, 25 years after the original. This blog considers how it has changed and whether it ensures UK forest management contributes to a nature positive, net zero future

The rear and release of non-native gamebirds is widespread across all parts of the UK, in varying degrees of intensity. According to latest estimates, 40.6 million gamebirds are annually released into the UK countryside. After careful consideration of the alternatives and an assessment of progress to date, the RSPB is calling for governments across the UK to license the release of non-native gamebirds, underpinned by…

Red grouse – asset ID 2104999, Louise Greenhorn (rspb-images.com) This blog is written by Jeff Knott Head of Policy and Advocacy at RSPB. As the 2023/24 gamebird shooting season is now underway, we felt it would be timely to publish a series o...

The newly published State of Nature Report highlights that our nature continues to decline in the United Kingdom . On the back of our response to a call for evidence by the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee, we outline the role of environmental markets in tackling these declines and securing UK nature’s future.

Todays blog is written by Sy Joshua, Senior Race Equity Specialist.   Black History Month, celebrated throughout October in the UK, is a time to honour and acknowledge the historical contributions and achievements of Black individuals and c...

It’s no secret that our rivers, lakes and estuaries are not in a good way. Government’s own data show that just 14% of them are up to scratch ecologically. Raw sewage spills get all the publicity, but even these account for just 1-in-20 of known reasons for failure.

In today's Why Policy Matters blog, Jeff Knott, RSPB Director of Policy and Advocacy, writes on the need for the political and media spotlight to be on the issues, rather than focusing on the those who are raising the flag.

Clear cutting in Rapla county, Estonia (C) Karl Adami Todays blog is written by Alex Mackaness, Senior Policy Officer. He reflects on the recent publication of the governments' Biomass Strategy and what it means for nature and the economy. Now the d...

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of supporting Hannah Bourne-Taylor in her campaign to make swift bricks mandatory in all new developments. These bricks provide cavities for swifts and other red listed species to nest in, countering the loss of these crevices in many modern buildings. But its not the important conservation message I wanted to talk about today, it’s what Hannah’s efforts might signal…

Last Wednesday, we held our breath as the big moment finally arrived: the plenary vote in the European Parliament on the EU Nature Restoration Law. Here we unpack the rollercoaster of results!

In this blog we explore the importance of acting now to safeguard nature and to keep costs down, and question where the finance will come from.

The ocean is vast. Covering more than 70% of the earth, the sheer scale of our marine environments can often boggle the mind for land based humans like us. With such huge areas, protecting areas for wildlife need to be just as large, to make sure they are effective at delivering for our threatened ocean going species.

As the RSPB's Head of Business Conservation Advice, I know that businesses have a critical role to play in protecting nature. After all, businesses operate in the natural world and their activities can have a significant impact on the environment. At the last World Economic Forum, six out of the top ten business risks were identified as environment and climate risks – so businesses can and must play a critical role in…

Yesterday, the 5th of July, a little revolution took place in our seas. Three sites, Allonby Bay, North East of Farnes Deep and Dolphin Head were officially designated as Highly Protected Marine Areas in England. This means that they now benefit from the highest level of protection in our seas, the first three sites in the UK to be under such strict governmental protection.