Our work

You might be surprised to read that our work is far broader than nature reserves and Big Garden Birdwatch. Read more about what else we do.

Have you heard the one about the prince and the frog?

In the news

A week of the RSPB and wildlife in the news, delivered every Friday

Have you heard the one about the prince and the frog?

  • Comments 0

Better still, have you seen it?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at this fun video of Prince Charles and some famous friends speaking out for rainforests.

With the help of Obama's web guru, Thomas Gensemer, plus a host of celebrity backers from the Dalai Lama to Harrison Ford, HRH's campaign is proving a surefire success across both traditional and online media.

Rainforest devastation is no laughing matter and the Prince's Rainforests Project is much more than a bit of media hype. It's a serious and credible move to inject more momentum into the fight to save one of nature's last great wonders. The counter on the campaign's homepage reminds us how frighteningly fast our remaining rainforests are disappearing - just in case you'd forgotten.

As the Prince rightly observes, 'If we lose the battle against tropical deforestation, we lose the battle against climate change.' It's hard to think of a bleaker scenario than a world shorn of its glorious rainforests, descending into climate chaos.

We're doing our bit to save rainforests in Sumatra and Gola. But protecting individual pockets of rainforest - however large - isn't enough. We need long term funding and policies that not only stop the rot, but also offer alternative resources to help rainforest communities. As part of the current climate negotiations, the RSPB and BirdLife International are pressing for a mechanism to reward developing countries that keep their forests.

However, this won't kick in until 2012 and we need money for more action now.

The prince has lain down the gauntlet by proposing an emergency funding package. The RSPB, together with its global partners in BirdLife International, is delighted to support his new initiative.

If you want to save nature's most amazing places, we urge you to do so too.