Nature's Voice

The State of Nature Report 2019 shows the decline in the UK’s biodiversity is continuing unabated. In this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to Dr Mark Eaton, RSPB Principal Conservation Scientist, about the report which has been collated from data produced in partnerships with more than 70 conservation NGOs, research institutes and UK and national governments. She also meets the RSPB’s new Chief Executive Becky Speight who talks about her first five weeks and post and her vision for the future of Europe's largest conservation organisation. 

The youth movement behind this year’s school strikes is joining other grass roots organisations around the world to call for a Global Climate Strike on September 20th. The RSPB is standing alongside the UK Student Climate Network and is encouraging members and staff to take part. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to the RSPB’s youth development manager Emily Lomax and campaigns officer Natasha Yorke Edgell about taking part and how it might influence governments to act to stop climate catastrophe.

More and more science projects by conservation and environmental charities show that, globally, wildlife and nature are in trouble. The BTOs recent bird communities’ research illustrates both the positive and negative effects of  feeding garden birds while the RSPB’s Reserve Report 2018 reports winners and losers around the country – all vital information in the fight to help nature in the face of habitat loss and climate change.  On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham speaks to BTO research ecologist Dr Kate Plummer and the RSPB’s senior reserve ecologist Kelly Thomas about their findings.

2019 has seen global warming rise up the political agenda - much of it driven by a young people demanding change. At the end of June around 12,000 people from around the country joined The Time is Now mass lobby in Westminster. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to Dan Rouse, a young ornithologist and campaigner who took over the RSPB Twitter feed for the day to report on the event. And she meets the RSPB’s Ruth Davis, deputy director of policy and advocacy in the global conservation team to assess what has changed and hopes for the future.

Calling all Puffarazzi! Two years ago the RSPB’s Project Puffin put out a call for photographs of puffins with fish in their beaks. Hundreds were received and they tell a fascinating story about the lives of these iconic birds who are on the red list of conservation concern. On this episode of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to Dr Ellie Owen about why she’s asking for more photos this year. And she meets Rob Hughes one of the volunteers who identified and counted all the fish in the images you sent.

As May arrives swifts are returning to their UK nesting sites - heralding the start of summer. But their populations plummeted by 53 per cent between 1995 and 2015. It’s a subject that Nature’s Voice has visited before and on this episode Jane Markham meets one of the country’s leading swift experts Edward Mayer, the founder of Swift Conservation, and to Jos Ashpole from the RSPB’s migrant programme about why people love these birds and what is being done to help reverse the decline. 

With political uncertainty over Brexit continuing there are still many questions to be answered about new UK legislation that will be needed to protect the environment once we've left the EU. At the same time schoolchildren around the globe have raised their voices to demand action on climate change. On this edition of Nature's Voice Jane Markham talks to the RSPB's Global Conservation Director, Martin Harper who looks at where we stand now and what needs to be done when it comes to getting strong laws in place. She also meets A level student Annie Magowan whose e-petition calling for more protection for bees has already attracted more than 5,000 signatures. 

The Albatross is a long lived bird – one male on Bird Island in South Georgia was ringed as a chick in 1959 and still going strong. But out of the 22 Albatross species, 15 are in danger of extinction and that’s despite the remarkable success of the Albatross Task Force – set up by the RSPB and Birdlife International more than a decade ago. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to marine biologists Titus Shaanika from the ATF team in Namibia and Cristian Suazo in Chile about their work with the fishing industry to try to reduce the number of Albatrosses killed as a ‘bycatch’. She also meets the RSPB’s Nina da Rocha the Albatross Task Force Project officer to find out more about the task force’s role since it was set up and looks forward to further success in the future. 

Our countryside could fall silent if current declines in wildlife continue. That is why the RSPB has launched Let Nature Sing - a campaign urging politicians to take advantage of the historic opportunity Brexit offers to pass laws to make the UK a world leader in conservation. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham finds out about the campaign’s objectives from the RSPB's deputy director of policy Ruth Davis and talks to folk singer and song collector Sam Lee about how bird song has inspired music for generations.

This year the Big Garden Birdwatch is 40 years old and to celebrate Jane Markham will be meeting Ian Barthorpe who took part in the very first count when he was seven years old.  He is now visitor experience officer at RSPB Minsmere.  She’ll also talk to Green Fingered George – a young blogger - who is one of the new generation of Big Garden Birdwatchers. He took part in the RSPB’s latest TV ad which gave him the chance to meet his wildlife hero Chris Packham. 

House sparrows have made their homes close to human habitation for centuries but since the 1970s their numbers have plummeted by 60 per cent and the decline is particularly noticeable in our towns and cities. Why is this happening? On this episode of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham meets Dr Will Peach, head of research delivery at the RSPB to look at the latest theories and talks to RSPB wildlife gardener Adrian Thomas to find out how to look after sparrows in our gardens.

Every autumn starling numbers in the UK are bolstered by hundreds of thousands of birds migrating here from Northern Europe, Russia and the Ukraine to escape harsh winter weather. As they come in to roost at dusk they gather in huge flocks creating spectacular ‘sky art’ -  a natural wonder of the season.  On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham meets the RSPB’s Annabel Rushton who looks forward to their arrival at the Leighton Moss reserve in Lancashire and to the RSPB’s Martin Fowlie, a keen naturalist, to find out more about why and how they create these breathtaking murmurations.

Climate change is already affecting the migration patterns of birds that visit the UK. Some arrive early and leave later while some don’t visit us at all anymore. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to the RSPB’s Andrew Dodd about how it’s becoming harder for species to adapt to this change. She also meets ecologist Dr Simon Pickering from the green energy provider Ecotricity to discuss the role of renewable energy in averting the worst effects of climate change.

One of the season’s great spectacles is about to begin as birds from as far north as the arctic circle head for the UK to overwinter. Pink-footed geese and whooper swans are just two of the species which will be arriving shortly at Loch Leven in central Scotland – both are on the amber list of conservation concern. On this episode of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham meets Vicky Turnbull from the RSPB’s Tayside reserves and Graham Jones site manager for the Dee Estuary to look forward to their arrival and get an understanding of the perilous journeys they have to make to get here.

Long before Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest its oak trees were providing homes for nature. August 2018 sees the RSPB preparing to open a brand new visitor centre and take on the management of this historic national nature reserve.  On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to the man running the project and RSPB ecologist Andy Skinner who has been surveying the roots of the Major Oak  - as well as Robin Hood himself!

Are you up for a Wild Challenge this summer? The RSPB’s new online activity awards, funded by their partnership with supermarket chain Aldi, aims to connect children with nature. Wild Challenge is full of ideas to inspire children to get outdoors and during Wild Challenge week, from the 30th of July to August 5th, those who gain their bronze, silver or gold awards will also receive RSPB goodies. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham meets up with the RSPB’s Rebecca Kerfoot and Aldi’s John O’Maoileoin to find out more.

The annual Swift Survey has been running since 2009, gathering information on where swifts are nesting across the UK.  Swift numbers are 53 per cent down over the last 30 years and data from the survey, coupled with some ground breaking research in Northern Ireland, is providing clues to why this might be happening. On this episode of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to RSPB Northern Ireland’s senior conservation scientist Kendrew Colhoun about using GPS tracking – a world first on a bird so small -  and to Guy Anderson about how your sightings can contribute to this year’s survey.

The government is seeking views on the future of farming.  Michael Gove, secretary of state at the department of farming, food and rural affairs wants the UK to become a global leader when it comes to protecting the planet and on this episode of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to Vicki Swales, head of land use policy for RSPB Scotland, about how farming policy post Brexit could change the countryside for the better. And in Curlew Crisis Month she meets farmer David Bonnar whose work on his upland farm in Northern Ireland is helping the plight of this critically endangered wader. 

When humans move species from one part of the world to another it can cause all sorts of problems - from non-native rodents wiping out entire seabird colonies to non-native water weeds choking our rivers. On this month’s Nature’s Voice Jane Markham meets three people who are coping with the impact of these invaders on a daily basis. Laura Bambini is an RSPB Scotland seabird recovery officer, Kelly Thomas, a reserves ecologist who has advice on how to recognise a new threat from the asian hornet and Danny Heptinstall, who as an RSPB policy officer, specialises in invasive non native species and biosecurity.

Field crickets are in danger and the Back from the Brink Field Cricket Project team are working to help increase the population of these chunky little crickets which are just 2 cm long. In the 1980s, there was only one group of fewer than 100 individuals left. This is where  cricket ticklers come in – their job is to find and collect crickets from one site and move them to new homes on restored heathland. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham finds out more from Jane Sears, the RSPB’s senior reserves ecologist and Martin Fowlie – a volunteer cricket tickler!