It seems to have been “party conference season” recently, as we’ve attended several excellent conferences to celebrate success in both the tourism and conservation sectors over the last week or so.
On Friday 20 March I joined delegates from across Norfolk and Suffolk at Visit Suffolk’s annual conference, #SuffolkUnlocked.
Organised in conjunction with the students at University College Suffolk, this was a chance to celebrate the best of Suffolk’s tourism businesses and to look ahead to future eplans.
We heard presentations from, among others, James Berresford, the Chief Executive of Visit England, Amanda Bond of Visit Suffolk, and Nikki White from ABTA. It was great to hear that Suffolk is seen as a high quality tourism destination, and to hear about its importance for cultural and historical tourism as well as a place to switch off the electronic devices for a “digital detox”.
Then on Tuesday our Senior Site Manager, Adam Rowlands, spoke about the success of Springwatch at Minsmere at the annual conference of The Suffolk Coast Ltd, our local Destination Management Organisation.
RSPB Minsmere is pleased to be a member of both The Suffolk Coast Ltd and Visit Suffolk, and to contribute to the growth of tourism locally. In fact, we are a key part of the local tourism offer, as Minsmere is currently the number one visitor attraction in Suffolk on Trip Advisor.
By attending these conferences we are able to improve our contacts with local accommodation businesses and other local attractions.
The conferences continued on Wednesday when staff from the RSPB in Eastern England attended our annual regional gathering in Norwich.
RSPB staff from across Eastern England at our regional staff conference
It’s always great to meet colleagues from across the region who, like us, are working hard to give nature a home, and there were some great success stories. We heard about our work with farmers to improve the breeding success of stone-curlews in the Brecks; how careful habitat design and management is reaping success for wading birds at RSPB Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire and RSPB Boyton and Hollesley Marshes here in Suffolk; and how we are working successfully in partnership across the region to make our nature reserves amazing homes for an incredible variety of wildlife.
We were challenged to explore new, more dynamic ways to manage habitats in the light of changing climate, and to try innovative new hide designs in the future. We were also reminded that we face the very real risk of a major wave of species extinctions within a generation if we don’t act now.
Of course, we are acting now, and it wouldn’t be possible without your support. So thank you to everyone who has supported the RSPB over the past year, whether as a member, volunteer, visitor or simply by buying something from our catalogue. Without you, we couldn’t continue to give nature a home. But we still need your help in this election season. Find out how you can us campaign for a Nature and Wellbeing Act at http://www.rspb.org.uk/joinandhelp/campaignwithus/act-for-nature/index.aspx.