Tag: RSPB

Outdoor volunteering opportunities

Outdoor volunteering opportunities

I’m not one for making new year resolutions; however, I often muse on things I can do to improve myself and my surroundings. Since getting a puppy in October, we’ve begun spending more time outdoors again. In so doing, we’ve been getting fitter, getting to know our environs better and meeting new people… and dogs.

I’ve been thinking that stepping it up a notch and getting into outdoor volunteering opportunities is something I can do in 2022.

  • The Wildlife Trusts
    There are 260 different opportunities available at present on their website; from tree planting in Devon, livestock checking in Hertfordshire to Peatland Restoration Conservation Days in Cumbria.

    The Wildlife Trusts is a grassroots movement of people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, on a mission to restore a third of the UK’s land and seas for nature by 2030. We believe everyone, everywhere, should have access to nature and the joy and health benefits it brings.

  • RSPB
    They offer residential opportunities such as 4 weeks in the Lake District dry stone walling, mending fences and helping in the tree nursery and with the badger hide or 6 months in Surrey surveying & managing heathland where species such as woodlarks and nightjars call home.
    If you only have a day or a few hours per week there are many things all around the country in which you can get involved. For instance, one of the opportunities not far from us is practical habitat management at the nature reserve, Ynys-hir. There are even opportunities suitable for under 18s.
    Check out some of their volunteering stories over on their Facebook volunteering page.
  • Trash Free Trails C.I.C.
    I was so excited to come across this project – I’ve already signed up!
    For years, seeing litter while out on dog walks and rambles put a dampener on the otherwise pleasurable experience of being in the great outdoors. I usually took it upon myself to collect it all up to take home to put into the recycling/rubbish bin. And now I have found a community getting together to share what they do! It something you can do on your own, with friends or as an organised group.

    …To reduce plastic pollution on our trails and wild places by 75% by 2025 and (re)connect people with nature through purposeful adventure.

Feathered Friends

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pile of vintage 1970s RSPB magazines

We did a recent post about owls, but forgot to include the illustration below – a charcoal & wash study of barn owls by John Busby.

illustration of a pair of barn owls from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

However, it’s given us the opportunity to blog about this collection of magazines from which the illustration was taken.

title detail from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

They’re vintage 1970s RSPB magazines that we picked them up in a local charity shop – 20 or 30 of them in total.

illustration of a kingfisher from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of a robin from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

We’re very fond of birds and see numerous species on our dog walks, but it was the magazine covers that were of initial interest…

illustration of goldfinches from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

…with their varied & striking artwork.

illustration of a water rail from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of various birds from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

Artists featured in this post include Keith Shackleton, John Paige, Eric Ennion, Kenneth Waterfield, Robert Greenhalf, John Busby, Jean Young, Michael Warren, Ian Willis, Ken Wood, Fulco Pratesi, Philip Rickman and Robert Gillmor.

illustration of a quail from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

illustration of snow buntings from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of a sparrowhawk from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

Some of the work has a real period style – and the magazines are very frame-able as the title & date are kept very restrained.

illustration of spotted red shanks from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

illustration of a wood pigeon from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of house sparrows from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

Inside there are lots of bird related features, stories and advertisements of course… and even more artworks!

posters of sea birds from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

illustration of a pair of hoopoes from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine illustration of a lapwing from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

It’s virtually impossible to pick an absolute favourite, but it might well be the paper collage below…

illustration of a greater spotted woodpecker made from coloured newsprint in a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

…a great spotted woodpecker by John Paige dating from 1973.

an illustration of brent geese from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

We holidayed in North Norfolk over the summer and these woodcuts & silkscreen take us back to that lovely corner of the world.

detail of an illustration of brent geese from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

We’ll be keeping an eye out for some more of these vintage issues.

illustration of choughs from a vintage 1970s RSPB magazine

The modern editions have high-tech photographic covers, with attention grabbing banners & adverts. That’s OK of course – but we think these earlier copies are actually more interesting – and far more charming.