A male volunteer extinguishing wildfire at the Forsinard Flows Nature Reserve

Celebrating our volunteers

We couldn’t do all we do for nature without volunteers. We’d like to say a big thank you, from all of us. Thank you for donating your time, skills and energy, and helping us save nature.

What do volunteers do?

The answer is anything and everything.

 

Volunteers are out on our nature reserves undertaking practical conservation work, they protect rare nest sites from egg thieves, they run social media accounts, help with administration, attend events, speak to the public, show people birds, take photos, organise filing and generally do whatever’s needed.

 

The RSPB has an incredible 12,000 volunteers – they account for 85% of our workforce – and we couldn’t do our work without them. Between them, they do around a million hours of incredible work for us.

 

Over the past year, the pandemic has meant they’ve had to adapt, shift, pause their work and perhaps stand down. But we’re still in a climate and ecological emergency, and volunteer work is needed more than ever.

RSPB volunteer in their garden with bird feeder

“The RSPB has allowed me to contribute to conservation while still completing my studies. I am treated as a colleague by my peers and not as a child which I am so grateful for.”

Ben

Volunteer assistant in the Education, Families and Youth team

RSPB female volunteer working in the lab

A big thank you for your time and skills

Thank you so much for donating your time and skills to save nature. We couldn’t do the work we do without you, and nature thanks you too.

 

This Volunteers’ Week, we thank you for your incredible work and celebrate everything you’ve done to help us further our cause to save nature.

 

Whether you donated a few hours or many weeks of your time, it’s all incredibly valuable and all helps the future of birds and other wildlife.

 

During lockdown, many people felt a new or renewed connection to nature. You’re giving it a future – thank you.

RSPB volunteer Sorrel working on a boat

"Volunteering has given me an opportunity to watch Equality, Diversity and Inclusion projects evolve and unfold through each stage and see the fruits of my work first-hand."

Sorrel

 

Volunteer equality, diversity and inclusion project assistant

A young girl insect hunting alongside an RSPB volunteer

It doesn’t just benefit wildlife

Volunteering doesn’t just help the RSPB – it directly benefits you, too!

 

You’ll meet new people, have new experiences, and learn new skills. Volunteering could be a way of getting the skills and experience to launch a new career, or as a way of getting active (more fun than a gym). It could help you gain valuable experience to take into other areas of your life, or a way of dipping your toe in, to see if conservation is the sector for you.

 

Through volunteering with us, you’re not just joining an organisation, you’re joining a movement for nature, and working collaboratively towards a common cause.

 

It’s also a fun and valuable way to spend your time, whatever you end up doing.

Two women from the RSPB at Pride celebrations

Come and join us!

Are you a helper? An administrator? A social media manager? An organiser? A tidier? An outdoors person? A birder? A people person? A gardener? There are hundreds of ways to volunteer with us. Take a look at our current vacancies – and don’t forget, if you can’t find anything that suits you right now, talk to us and we’ll see if we can help.

Start volunteering