Most people have welcomed the forthcoming GCSE in Natural History, but there are critics, most notably Mya-Rose Craig. The issue is not nature education in principle, but inequalities in access to nature and the need to address existing social and racial disparities within the environmental sector. Mya-Rose argues that, unless these barriers are addressed, the GCSE could benefit those who […]
by Graham Appleton Everyone associated with Curlew Action, or the wider world of curlew conservation for that matter, will be delighted to learn that Mary Colwell has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List. Although officially a recognition that she is now a ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’, wouldn’t it be great
Hi! My name is Bud, I’m 13 years old and I’ve been into wildlife for as long as I can remember! I have early memories of hearing booming Bitterns at RSPB Westhay and watching Redpolls on my feeders in my old home in West Wales. However, 3 years ago, sparked by a book from my
Southwest Scotland is one of those places where the challenges facing ground-nesting waders become vividly clear. Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe and Oystercatcher still breed across these rolling hills and farmed valleys, but their future depends on navigating a web of farming practices, land management, predation, forestry, wind farms and economic pressures. Here, many competing demands are placed on
Protecting Wading Birds in Farmed Landscapes in Southwest Scotland Read More »
It was a pleasure to catch up with David Jarrett from the British Trust for Ornithology in Scotland and explore how his thinking has evolved since we last met more than two years ago. David combines scientific rigour with a genuine passion for Scotland’s uplands and wader populations. Thoughtful, analytical and always open to debate, he is helping to
The Future of Curlews – A Conversation with David Jarrett from the BTO Read More »
Curlews and Rewilding Few subjects in modern conservation generate as much passionate discussion as rewilding. It is a conversation that matters because it asks fundamental questions about how we restore nature, how much we intervene, and what kind of landscapes we want to leave for future generations. Recently, I received thoughtful and challenging comments about Curlew conservation and
The Fundraising Phone Box By Curlew Action Ambassador Steve Woodard In the little Yorkshire village of Wooldale the locals are marking World Curlew Day and Curlew Action in a rather unusual way. The village still has a red telephone box which over the years has been turned into a little community hub for all sorts
Parliamentary Briefing on the UK Curlew Action Plan On 25 March 2026, we took part in a parliamentary briefing on the UK Curlew Action Plan, hosted and chaired by Chris Hinchliff, MP (North East Hertfordshire). Chris is emerging as a strong and thoughtful voice for nature restoration and has consistently supported calls for stronger protective legislation and shown a clear commitment to addressing the biodiversity crisis. He
Parliamentary Briefing on the UK Curlew Action Plan Read More »
The joke that isn’t a joke: gender bias in fieldwork and the moments that give it away by Mary Colwell, Prof Jenny Gill Goethe famously said (I’m paraphrasing), “Show me what you laugh at, and I’ll tell you who you are”. A ‘joke’ is usually where the truth slips out, because many a true word is spoken in jest. Recently, a moment in elite sport did exactly
The joke that isn’t a joke: gender bias in fieldwork and the moments that give it away Read More »
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
