The RSPB is the leading UK biodiversity action plan partner for seven invertebrates and four plants. In other words, if birds don’t get your pulse racing or your true wildlife passion simply lies elsewhere, don’t be afraid to get involved.
It comes down to a chain reaction: as the sea has warmed, plankton communities have shifted north, radically changing the species composition of the North Sea.
Amongst birders, sea watching has a reputation as being quite tricky –one for the specialists only. Perhaps for that reason I’ve tended to steer clear
Most people go to see puffins. The bird for people who don’t even like birds: with their clown-like technicolour beaks and comedy routines, nobody could fail to be won over.
Look out to our coasts and coastal waters, and it’s there you’ll find our greatest avian riches.
They took me over and I am still enraptured. If I haven’t gone looking for them for a few days, I feel a little bit empty. I freely admit it. I’m a little bit obsessed.
In short, if you are looking for a career in conservation, volunteering is not optional but an absolute necessity — though with the range of potentially life-changing opportunities out there, that need not be a depressing thought.