Let’s achieve a world-first together

A visit to Orkney, an archipelago off the Scottish Coast, is full of memorable wildlife encounters. But a newly emerged threat is putting the wildlife, including Orkney Voles found nowhere else on Earth, at risk.

The absence of predators such as Foxes, Badgers and Weasels has made Orkney a haven for special and endangered ground-nesting birds such as Curlews and Hen Harriers. However, in 2010, the first Stoat was discovered on Orkney. As the wildlife on Orkney hasn't adapted to living with these predators, their presence has had a devastating effect. Stoats have no natural predators on Orkney, they breed quickly, and they eat mammals, birds and their eggs, putting much of Orkney's wildlife at risk. 

In 2019, we started a world-first programme to remove the Stoats. The first years of the project demonstrated incredible results, but have faced delays because of the Covid pandemic. Together with your support, we need to continue our efforts and get the job done to ensure the evocative song of the Curlew and the spectacular sky dancing of Hen Harriers will always be there.

Help keep the Curlew calling

Making up only 0.4% of the UK’s land area, the Orkney Islands are home to a huge proportion of some of our most vulnerable species. In 2019, this included 11% of the UK’s breeding seabirds, 20% of Hen Harriers and more than a third of the UK’s Arctic Skuas and Great Skuas. Across the UK these species are suffering severe declines as a result of habitat loss, lack of food sources and persecution. The remote islands of Orkney have long offered a refuge for them, and the invasive Stoats now put them at risk. 

Along with threatening ground-nesting birds such as much-loved Curlews and Puffins, Stoats are a risk to the Orkney Vole. The Orkney Vole is a subspecies not found anyhere else in the world, and the predatory Stoats on Orkney are already threatening it with extinction.

You can Make a difference.

The results of this project are remarkable. Since launching in 2019, key native species began to recover. The Orkney Vole population almost doubled, Curlew nest successes increased by 289% and breeding Hen Harrier doubled!  

However, in 2020, the project faced new challenges presented by the Covid pandemic. Stoat numbers began to rise again resulting in the need to extend our project. If you donate to this project, you are helping us complete a project which will see Orkney wildlife return. 

Donate to get the job done

When you think of those involved in conservation, you might not immediately think of dogs. But our incredible conservation dog team use their highly sensitive noses to sniff out and detect these invasive predators.

After receiving reports of sightings from local people, we send in our furry team members. These expert trackers use 300 million scent receptors in their nose to sniff out Stoat droppings. This tells us exactly where to locate and remove the Stoats, even across the vast areas we’re trying to cover. 

Thanks to your support today, Spud, Scout, Thorn, Red, Skye, Bodie, Fizz, Pongo and Charlie will continue helping to keep the islands safe. Your gift can support and care for these much loved team members, as they perform their vital task of detecting and preventing Stoats from ever returning to Orkney.

Donate to support our conservation dog team

We are very grateful to everyone involved in this project, including many of the people who live on Orkney. From spotting Stoats to allowing access to land, the successes so far would not have been possible without the community pulling together and donating hours of volunteer time to support the project.

Orkney’s community is dependent on the nature and beauty of the islands, with its economy boosted by ecotourism. The impacts of Stoats could have a devastating effect on both its wildlife and its people.

Wherever you live, you can make a difference and be a part of this conservation success story. Please donate today to ensure these magical islands stay that way forever.

Donate now

This ambitious project is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, NatureScot and Orkney Islands Council. Thanks to supporters like you, along with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, EU Life, and the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund, Managed by NatureScot, the project is helping to conserve the islands’ natural heritage by aiming to eradicate an invasive, non-native species: the Stoat.

You can find out more about the Orkney Native Wildlife Project here.