Save Our One In Six

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Imagine if our sea cliffs fell silent and were no longer filled with rowdy seabirds like Kittiwakes and Puffins. Summer skies could be empty of screaming Swifts, and the call of the Curlew just an echo around our uplands.   

The 2023 State of Nature Report found the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth.  Scotland is at risk of losing one in nine species, with Wales facing a potential loss of 18% of species.  
 
It’s clear that we need to do much more to save our wildlife before it’s too late. We’re taking action to help save around 100 species, or groups of species, that are most in need.  
 
Our work is only possible with you.   

Here are seven species which, with your support, we are helping to bounce back from the brink:

The Curlew was facing the risk of extinction in Northern Ireland. By creating nesting habitat and monitoring fledglings, The Curlew LIFE project has restored hope for the species. 

On islands such as Ramsey, Lundy, St Agnes and Gugh, your support has helped Manx Shearwater numbers recover after removing rats that prey on their eggs and chicks.

Natterjack Toads are among our rarest amphibians; the shallow sandy pools they breed in are scarce. Creating new breeding pools on RSPB reserves has helped numbers to rise in recent years. 

Kittiwake and Puffin numbers have dropped dramatically as sandeels disappeared from our seas. But after 25 years of campaigning, backed by supporters like you, the UK and Scottish governments have agreed to finally end industrial sandeel fishing in all Scottish waters and the English North Sea.  

Swifts are now on the Red List of birds of conservation concern. We have worked in partnership with Barratt Developments PLC, who have installed over 5,000 Swift bricks in their new builds to encourage nesting in our towns and cities. 

The Operation Turtle Dove team are working with over 370 farmers to provide more scrubby thickets for nesting and seed-rich field edges for feeding. Due to an extended suspension in parts of south-west Europe on hunting, we hope to now welcome more pairs to our shores. 

Water Voles have vanished from 94% of the places they once thrived, due to predation and habitat loss. In partnership with Cumbria Connect, Eden Rivers Trust, and the Environment Agency, 204 captively bred Water Voles were released at Wild Haweswater last year.

Your donation or regular gift could support action to conserve around 100 priority species and benefit many more, both in the UK and around the world.