The value of volunteering to both the recipient organisation and the individual really can’t be underestimated and this is particularly true in conservation. I can say this with confidence having been volunteering for over three years now for the RSPB, BTO and now Curlew Action. The benefits can be enormous. For example the RSPB enjoys […]
Memories of the filming phase with the RSPB Life Curlew Project officers, during the making of the Curlew campaign film, Stunned by Silence – by Malka Holmes, Greengage Films & Curlew Action Ambassador The Uplands of North Wales 2023-24 Curlew breeding Season 1 I remember I was quite excited when I got the first pin-drop
Memories of the filming phase with the RSPB Life Curlew Project Officers Read More »
Over the weekend of 6–8 February, we held the second in-person European Curlew Fieldworker Workshop at Lancaster University in the north-west of England. This is Curlew Action’s flagship event, bringing together curlew conservationists, scientists, artists, educators, musicians and others from across Europe to share ideas and inspire one another. It is our contribution to a positive outcome for
What the Hills Ask of Us Lee Schofield is an author, musician and conservationist. I will be interviewing him on Saturday evening as part of the European Curlew Fieldworker Workshop at Lancaster University (6–8 February). We will discuss his book, his valiant efforts to rewild an area of the Lake District, the personal cost of
Echoes of a Vanishing Song by guest writer: Sarah Marles With the slender-billed curlew now officially declared extinct, the Eurasian curlew’s call across the Dee Estuary feels more precious – and more precarious – than ever. At low tide the Dee Estuary lies open; a vast, breathing sheet of slick mud and silt glazed in pewter
A Turning Point for Curlew Recovery: The UK Curlew Action Plan Launched in the House of Lords On Monday 19th January, the House of Lords became the setting for a pivotal moment in the unfolding story of one of Britain’s most iconic birds: the launch of the UK Curlew Action Plan. Hosted by Lord Randall of Uxbridge the event was
Interview with Matt Trevelyan — The Man Who Walked 53 Miles Dressed as a Curlew by Matt Lewis, RSPB When most people think of endurance challenges, they imagine marathons or mountain climbs, not hiking miles across the Yorkshire countryside in a towering, handmade curlew costume. But for Matt Trevelyan, Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer for
The Man Who Walked 53 Miles (Dressed as a Curlew) Read More »
Curlew chick (Photo by WWT) On November 13th, 2024, Curlew Action hosted a free webinar bringing together conservationists, researchers, and curlew advocates from over 15 European countries. Chaired by Mike Smart, former Curlew Action trustee and long-time champion of wader conservation, the event provided a sobering yet hopeful snapshot of the Eurasian Curlew’s breeding
A Continental Concern: 2024 European Curlew Breeding Season Update Read More »
In celebration of World Wetlands Day (2 February), David Gray and the Curlew Action team share their favourite UK wetlands: Holme Dunes National Nature Reserve, Norfolk Chosen by: David Gray, Patron of Curlew Action I’ve been a regular visitor to the North Norfolk Coast for the last 30 years, so if I had to pick
Curlew Action is five years old on December 31st. Our founding mantra was expressed by the Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum in 1968: “We will conserve what we love; we will only love what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” Figure 1 Mary giving a talk for the conclusion of the
This is the second of two blog posts about the IWSG conference, read the first post by Mike Smart. When do we reach the tipping point beyond which there is no option but to act with urgency, determination and vision? From the statistics we are already there, and have been for some time, but on
We are looking for Curlew Action’s official sign to encourage people not to disturb wintering waders. The UK’s coastline plays host to 150,000 Curlew from across Europe during the winter months. Protecting them from disturbance is vital to allow them to survive the harsh winter months. Read more in our recent blog post. How to
This year will be the eleventh Wader Conservation World Watch (WCWW) event. Every year on the first weekend in November, to celebrate the start of Rick and Elis Simpson’s quest for waders around the world in support of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper in 2012, Wader Quest (now a charity) holds an annual worldwide event. Red Knot
Every year, millions of wading birds around the world migrate away from their breeding grounds to warmer, food-rich areas such as coastlines and estuaries. This poses a challenge. For these birds to thrive throughout their lives we must protect them in both their breeding and wintering areas. There is no point protecting eggs and chicks if
This is the first of two blog posts about the IWSG conference, read the second post by Mary Colwell about her talk. The International Wader Study Group (IWSG) is the principal European organisation dedicated to waders; the American counterpart is the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). IWSG was established some 50 years ago, mainly
In mid-September, I travelled up to Scotland to speak at The Big Picture Conference 2024, held by the growing and influential rewilding charity Scotland: The Big Picture headed up by Peter Cairns as the Executive Director. Peter Cairns presenting at The Big Picture conference. (Photo by Mark Hamblin/scotlandbigpicture.com) I was invited to give the first
Founder and Director of Curlew Action Mary Colwell has been awarded the ZSL Silver Medal, for outstanding contributions to the understanding and appreciation of zoology. Professor Jim Smith FRS, President of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), says: Members of the Committee were unanimous in their decision that you are a richly deserving winner for
A penetrating drizzle was falling from grey clouds as we arrived at Knepp rewilding estate in West Sussex, the flagship rewilding project in England. Not exactly the ideal British summer day for the planned picnic, but stiff upper lip and all that. It did, however, mean that we would have the paths mostly to ourselves
Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve sits within Langstone Harbour, down on the busy south coast of Hampshire. Managed by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust since the 1960s, it forms one of the most important sites in the Solent for overwintering waders and wildfowl, as well as providing a very important role for local breeding
What does the future hold for Farlington Marshes? Read More »
We are increasingly coming round to the fact that the future of every one of us depends on a healthy natural world with functional and diverse ecosystems supporting our economy, health and well-being. This much is true, but are we succeeding in making that nature-secure future a reality? Is everyone aware of what this really
