RSPB's biggest conservation achievements?

I'd suggest an achievement is something you've completed and can reflect upon (and learn from), so an ongoing programme to introduce something today may not be the best for you.
Look to the history of Minsmere for inspiration - Avocets re-appeared as a breeding bird in the country in 1947 at Minsmere & Havergate Island. Work to help them was a key part of modern RSPB history (check the RSPB logo) and expands into the building of scrapes to facilitate all sorts of species. Marsh Harriers were down to their last breeding pair in the country in the 1970s - at Minsmere - the recovery of those is a possible subject, as is that of the Bittern whose numbers were dropping until work was done in the 90s to understand the problem and change management practices to benefit them. Plenty going on to help Stone Curlews - a current project but one that's been successful for some years now so should be good data available. There are doubtless more but that's a starter for 10 :-)

As well as their brilliant conservation work at Minsmere there's also the comeback of the ospreys at Loch Garten. The efforts to protect them are well worth exploring.

I'm a fairly new member to the RSPB, compared to a lot of others on the forum, so it would be hard for me to suggest an achievement.

However, I personally feel that any nature conservation project that helps nature survive is an achievement.

Most of my working life has been based around collating and analysing data. Taking that one stage further, life in all aspects has positives and negatives, and what might help to find that one achievement, or more, is look at the challenges that they've overcome. That might also help you in finding what appears to you for your assignment, as an achievement.

I wonder if you've come across the SWOT analysis?

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Build on your strengths and opportunities.

Find your weaknesses and aim to turn them in to strengths.

Find your threats, and aim to turn them into opportunities.

One area close to my heart which I know has, and still is an ongoing challenge, is HS2, the way it is ripping through our countryside, making a lot of "hands tied" challenges for all nature and conservation organisations.

I say hands tied, after viewing many Parliamentary discussions before it gained royal assent, where I personally feel the RSPB, along with other nature and conservation organisations, have been gagged by the government!

I think the reintroduction of the Red Kite must go down as one of the most successful conservation projects. From a handful of birds in Mid-Wales to an estimated breeding population of 4600 pairs in just 30 years is truly remarkable.

However, it was Natural England that led this project in collaboration with other organisations including the RSPB so I don't know whether this would fulfil your criteria. I don't know what was the involvement of the RSPB. 

Last year was the 30th anniversary when the first Red Kites were released in the Chilterns which you can read about in the press release HERE

Hope you find something to focus on.

Unknown said:

I'd suggest an achievement is something you've completed and can reflect upon (and learn from), so an ongoing programme to introduce something today may not be the best for you.
Look to the history of Minsmere for inspiration - Avocets re-appeared as a breeding bird in the country in 1947 at Minsmere & Havergate Island. Work to help them was a key part of modern RSPB history (check the RSPB logo) and expands into the building of scrapes to facilitate all sorts of species. Marsh Harriers were down to their last breeding pair in the country in the 1970s - at Minsmere - the recovery of those is a possible subject, as is that of the Bittern whose numbers were dropping until work was done in the 90s to understand the problem and change management practices to benefit them. Plenty going on to help Stone Curlews - a current project but one that's been successful for some years now so should be good data available. There are doubtless more but that's a starter for 10 :-)

I've heard a lot of things about Minsmere. I've actually been several years ago (I had my first sighting of an avocet there and saw a nice starling murmuration) but I didn't know it was such a success story so I'll definitely look into that, thank you.

Clare Bailey said:

As well as their brilliant conservation work at Minsmere there's also the comeback of the ospreys at Loch Garten. The efforts to protect them are well worth exploring.

Are the Loch Garten ospreys well established or is there still a lot of work to be done? I could probably still do it either way though. I wish I'd seen an osprey when I went to Loch Garten last year. Got some really good crested tit sightings though!

If you search your favourite auction site for "Portrait of a Bird Reserve" you'll find a book written by Bert Axell, who was the warden during many of Minsmere's formative years, good for some of the history.
Something I would suggest, try and pick a project based somewhere close enough to visit. That way you'll be able to talk directly with people who were involved (assuming it isn't ancient!), take pics to illustrate the report etc

Goldcrest said:

Are the Loch Garten ospreys well established or is there still a lot of work to be done?

They certainly were until a few years ago.  There has been no attempt to breed on the nest since 2018, which was the last year of their veteran female White EJ.  I've heard that there are white-tailed eagles breeding not too far from Loch Garten, which has possibly affected the ospreys.

Goldcrest said:

I'm doing an assignment at university and have chosen the RSPB as my organisation to explore. For one section, I need to pick a key conservation achievement (in the UK) to discuss. I know there's lots of conservation successes on the RSPB website that are ongoing, but what are some of the RSPB's key achievements that I could look into and are well documented? I'd particularly like to do something bird related. Would red kites be a good one? Or the reintroduction of white-tailed eagles? Or cranes? Or would they not yet be classed as an 'achievement' because the work is still ongoing?

Thanks

This is the book I bought in 1977; Minsmere Portrait of a Bird Reserve and as mentioned can often be bought on well known online websites.

There are quite a number of copies of that book to buy in the link above available to buy. Which is unusual. Just over 9 hard back books available at a reasonable price.

www.amazon.co.uk/.../0091288401