Volunteering with the RSPB

Behind the scenes with the volunteers

In 2023, I decided to start doing something I’d hoped to do for many years: volunteering.

Nature has always played an important part in my life. I have many fond memories of going on childhood family holidays up and down the country, popping in on a variety of RSPB reserves to go bird-spotting. In one particularly happy memory, I visited Loch Garten and saw my first Osprey, so volunteering with the RSPB was the obvious choice for me.

But what role would be suitable and fit in with my lifestyle? I needed something that was flexible and, ideally, where I could offer my support and expertise remotely.

A quick browse on the RSPB volunteering web page made me realise there were so many different ways I could support the organisation, ranging from helping out at the local reserve café or being a fundraiser to being part of the supporter communications team.

I already work in the communications field and the position I spotted could be done remotely. This role was a perfect fit, and I felt I could offer my expertise and make a difference.

Twelve months after applying and having an informal chat with the team manager, Jamie, I’m happy to report I am still part of a wonderful group of people who respond to the many emails the RSPB receives from our members and supporters.

I love engaging with our supporters, whether it’s by responding (often in awe) to the amazing wildlife photos and experiences that are shared with us or helping with species identification. Their passion immediately shines through, and I can’t help but smile and type a similarly passionate response.

However, if this type of role is not your cup of tea, then there are so many other fantastic opportunities available to you in a variety of locations across the UK.

But don’t just take my word for it.

I spoke to Nick, Kate, Evan and Neal, who form part of our 12,000 strong volunteer-force, and asked about what inspires them to dedicate their time to helping nature.

Nick, Leader of the Worcester and Malvern RSPB local group
Kate, volunteer, RSPB Abernethy nature reserve
Evan, volunteer, Giving Nature a Home team, Glasgow
Neal, volunteer, Cymru Engagement team, West Wales

Where do you volunteer and what tasks do you carry out?

Nick: We carry out all our conservation work in the Worcester and Malvern area.

As a team, we carry out a wide variety of tasks, whether it be building owl boxes, ringing birds or carrying out bird surveys. Every task puts to good use the range of fantastic skills our volunteers offer.

We have a team who work with local schools, taking primary school children on nature walks and testing their knowledge with quizzes. Seeing the look on their faces as they excitedly examine owl pellets and learn what prey they have eaten is a joy to behold! Since we launched Schools Project Plus, we have spoken to 500 children, and we look forward to working with more schools in the future.

Kate: I’m involved in a variety of tasks at Abernethy (in the Cairngorms), including making bird boxes, maintaining pathways for visitors, and removing invasive plants to encourage growth of our native flowers. I also take part in butterfly and black grouse surveys.

My main work is at the Abernethy Tree Nursery. This involves the collection of seed from native trees from within the forest, moorland and mountain. Seeds are then prepared ready for sowing, depending on the species, which include a variety of willows, birches, alder, aspen and hazel.

Evan: Our role is to help schools and communities understand how they can help our wildlife thrive in our towns and cities.

The team and I carry out a range of tasks. They include delivering nature sessions to schools as well as practical conservation work such as plug and hedge planting. Once the weather gets warmer, I will start a project that helps measure biodiversity across a number of different green spaces in Glasgow that have been managed by our team.

Neal: I’m home-based, but I also travel to various RSPB reserves for residential volunteering placements such as South Stack in Anglesey and Rathlin island in Northern Ireland.

My main role is as an administrator, assisting the Cymru Engagement Team on a weekly basis with the administrative aspects of recruiting, leading and co-ordinating volunteers.

I have also helped as a surveyor. I worked closely with a farm in Ceredigion, surveying farmland birds to help farmers understand which birds visit. This will determine how best to help them in future conservation planning that will ensure these bird populations are increased or maintained.

Why do you volunteer for the RSPB?

Nick: Personally, I get a real thrill out of volunteering, and I would recommend anyone thinking about it to give it a go!

I love to meet members of the community who want to help nature thrive, and it’s a privilege to witness the success of the many projects we’ve launched over the years.

Since 2020, we’ve been working with Worcester University to convert over three hectares of unused fields into a nature reserve. Part of the area has been dedicated to birdseed crops with the rest left to rewild. This has massively boosted the biodiversity.

Since the project launched, our bird surveys show that the birdseed crops are attracting an ever-increasing number of Linnets. Snipes are also spending their winters in the area and Kestrels and Barn Owls have been seen, and we’re hoping the reserve will soon be a haven for Skylarks.

Kate: I started volunteering for the RSPB nearly 10 years ago, not long after I came to live within the Cairngorm National Park. I had taken part in outdoor voluntary work before and it played important part of my life, so for me, it just seemed a normal continuation. I love learning about the natural world and about my local environment as well as working alongside people who have the same passion for this incredible area.

Evan: My volunteering goes hand in hand with my university master’s programme so it will go a long way towards helping me complete it.

I really enjoy the variety of tasks I can work on. I particularly enjoy working with schools and members of the community, helping them understand the vital part they can play in improving the local environment to boost the wildlife population.

I chose to volunteer with the RSPB as they are an organisation I hold close to my heart and share the same values and beliefs that I have.

Neal: I’m happiest being in nature and outdoors and wish to give something back to nature while volunteering with like-minded people. I enjoy the friendly and welcoming vibe that I have experienced within the RSPB towards volunteers. The 400 hours of volunteering I have done throughout 2024 has shown me the difference and value that volunteering can make to such an important charity as the RSPB.

Is there anything you find difficult about volunteering?

Nick: I’ve found the hardest part can be saying ‘no’ to people and not continuing with projects if they haven’t been as successful as we had hoped. Thankfully, people understand the reasons why we need to explore other opportunities and most of our initiatives have worked well.

The many successes we’ve had certainly outweigh any difficult experiences.

Kate: The toughest part can be working in wind and rain, freezing winter conditions, the summer heat and the endless midges and ticks! But however uncomfortable or gruelling the conditions can be, I don’t think there’s ever been an occasion when I haven’t had satisfaction of the work I’m doing or had a good laugh with my team.

Evan: It can be difficult to juggle what is essentially a full-time job for me along with my zoology university masters. But I know the work I am carrying out will really help me with a future career in conservation.

Neal: There is a need to be continually adaptable and flexible in your approach because there is always something new to learn when volunteering across various roles. However, there is always encouragement and support from the team to help you learn.

What is the best wildlife experience you’ve had while volunteering?

Nick: There are so many I could mention!

It’s been wonderful to see around 300 Linnets appear at Worcester University’s converted land, as they would not have come if we hadn’t have made it a wildlife haven.

We work with the Canal and Rivers Trust to install Sand Martin ‘hotels’ on the River Severn. Over the past year, it’s been fantastic to see 180 chicks born and fledge the ‘nest’.

We’ve also installed Swift nest boxes on houses and at the local church to help these magnificent birds breed. Barn and Tawny owl boxes have been built and fixed to trees across Worcestershire. These were a success straight away and helped see pairs produce 17 chicks. I can’t wait to see what happens this year!

Kate: I’ve had so many wonderful wildlife experiences while volunteering. Even in the most wild and inhospitable conditions, there’s usually something, however small, that brings satisfaction and joy. It’s a privilege to be a part of it.

Something that really gives me great pleasure is planting the trees that have been nurtured at the nursery. We plant them within the forest, at the forest edge, within wild glens and over the Cairngorm plateau. For me this is an incredibly special experience as I am now in my late 70s, and I have still been able to take part in these activities and see the benefits of our work.

I’ve also encountered White-tailed eagles, Golden Eagles, Black Grouse and Capercaillie – big dramatic creatures that not many people are lucky enough to see. But I’m as much in awe of a tiny twin flower, a strange fungus, a lichen covered branch, a tiny rare beetle and the first Scotch Argus of the season, as well as an adder, weird slime mould and the resident robin at the tree nursery watching me weed.

Evan: The most memorable experience I have had is when I took a group of school children on a birdwatching trip.

We were lucky enough to see three Peregrine Falcons. It caused so much excitement and it was fantastic to hear the children still talking about our sighting as we left!

Neal: Undoubtedly my three weeks spent on Rathlin Island in County Antrim. This was such an immersive nature experience, like something out of a David Attenborough documentary!

Rathlin is a very special place for wildlife with the Golden Hares and a thriving seabird colony that can reach 250,000 birds during the breeding season.

It was a privilege to visit there and volunteer, which gave me enough time to enjoy island life and make a positive contribution to the RSPB team.

So if you like what you’ve read from Nick, Kate, Evan and Neal, please take a look at our RSPB volunteering web page.

No matter how many minutes, hours or days you think you can dedicate to the RSPB, your contribution will go a long way in supporting our wonderful wildlife during their time of need. Like our current crop of volunteers, you can make a difference today.