The State of Nature Report 2019 shows the decline in the UK’s biodiversity is continuing unabated. In this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to Dr Mark Eaton, RSPB Principal Conservation Scientist, about the report which has been col

Global Climate Strike

Aug 30th, 2019 14m 26s

The youth movement behind this year’s school strikes is joining other grass roots organisations around the world to call for a Global Climate Strike on September 20th. The RSPB is standing alongside the UK Student Climate Network and is encoura

Research at work for nature

Jul 30th, 2019 16m 25s

More and more science projects by conservation and environmental charities show that, globally, wildlife and nature are in trouble. The BTOs recent bird communities’ research illustrates both the positive and negative effects of feeding garden

Climate change - the year so far

Jun 28th, 2019 14m 57s

2019 has seen global warming rise up the political agenda - much of it driven by a young people demanding change. At the end of June around 12,000 people from around the country joined The Time is Now mass lobby in Westminster. On this edition

Puffarazzi 2019

May 30th, 2019 15m 37s

Calling all Puffarazzi! Two years ago the RSPB’s Project Puffin put out a call for photographs of puffins with fish in their beaks. Hundreds were received and they tell a fascinating story about the lives of these iconic birds who are on the re

A swift update

1 Apr 30th, 2019 19m 16s

As May arrives swifts are returning to their UK nesting sites - heralding the start of summer. But their populations plummeted by 53 per cent between 1995 and 2015. It’s a subject that Nature’s Voice has visited before and on this episode Jane

Nature's Future

Mar 28th, 2019 17m 57s

With political uncertainty over Brexit continuing there are still many questions to be answered about new UK legislation that will be needed to protect the environment once we've left the EU. At the same time schoolchildren around the globe hav

The Albatross Task Force – a progress report

Feb 27th, 2019 16m 33s

The Albatross is a long lived bird – one male on Bird Island in South Georgia was ringed as a chick in 1959 and still going strong. But out of the 22 Albatross species, 15 are in danger of extinction and that’s despite the remarkable success of

Let Nature Sing

Jan 30th, 2019 14m 57s

Our countryside could fall silent if current declines in wildlife continue. That is why the RSPB has launched Let Nature Sing - a campaign urging politicians to take advantage of the historic opportunity Brexit offers to pass laws to make the U

Big Garden Birdwatch at 40

Dec 31st, 2018 16m 26s

This year the Big Garden Birdwatch is 40 years old and to celebrate Jane Markham will be meeting Ian Barthorpe who took part in the very first count when he was seven years old. He is now visitor experience officer at RSPB Minsmere. She’ll al

Where have all the sparrows gone?

Nov 30th, 2018 17m 35s

House sparrows have made their homes close to human habitation for centuries but since the 1970s their numbers have plummeted by 60 per cent and the decline is particularly noticeable in our towns and cities. Why is this happening? On this epis

Starling Spectaculars 2018

Oct 29th, 2018 14m 50s

Every autumn starling numbers in the UK are bolstered by hundreds of thousands of birds migrating here from Northern Europe, Russia and the Ukraine to escape harsh winter weather. As they come in to roost at dusk they gather in huge flocks crea

Green energy and climate change

Sep 28th, 2018 19m 57s

Climate change is already affecting the migration patterns of birds that visit the UK. Some arrive early and leave later while some don’t visit us at all anymore. On this edition of Nature’s Voice Jane Markham talks to the RSPB’s Andrew Dodd ab

Winter migrants are on their way

Aug 31st, 2018 17m 41s

One of the season’s great spectacles is about to begin as birds from as far north as the arctic circle head for the UK to overwinter. Pink-footed geese and whooper swans are just two of the species which will be arriving shortly at Loch Leven i

Sherwood Forest - the RSPB’s newest reserve

Jul 31st, 2018 17m 19s

Long before Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest its oak trees were providing homes for nature. August 2018 sees the RSPB preparing to open a brand new visitor centre and take on the management of this historic national nature reserve. On this

Wild Challenge

Jun 29th, 2018 14m 47s

Are you up for a Wild Challenge this summer? The RSPB’s new online activity awards, funded by their partnership with supermarket chain Aldi, aims to connect children with nature. Wild Challenge is full of ideas to inspire children to get outdoo

Swift Survey 2018

May 31st, 2018 19m 5s

The annual Swift Survey has been running since 2009, gathering information on where swifts are nesting across the UK. Swift numbers are 53 per cent down over the last 30 years and data from the survey, coupled with some ground breaking researc

A post Brexit farming policy for the future of birds like the curlew?

Apr 30th, 2018 16m 3s

The government is seeking views on the future of farming. Michael Gove, secretary of state at the department of farming, food and rural affairs wants the UK to become a global leader when it comes to protecting the planet and on this episode o

Invasive Non Native Species Special

Mar 28th, 2018 19m 10s

When humans move species from one part of the world to another it can cause all sorts of problems - from non-native rodents wiping out entire seabird colonies to non-native water weeds choking our rivers. On this month’s Nature’s Voice Jane Mar

A Day in the Life of a Cricket Tickler

Feb 28th, 2018 17m 40s

Field crickets are in danger and the Back from the Brink Field Cricket Project team are working to help increase the population of these chunky little crickets which are just 2 cm long. In the 1980s, there was only one group of fewer than 100 i

Is the government's 25 year plan a vision for a green future?

Jan 30th, 2018 17m 12s

The government has set its vision for a green future in a detailed 25 year plan to improve the environment. On this month’s Nature’s Voice, the RSPB’s Senior Policy Officer Robin Wynde talks to Jane Markham about the plan and what needs to be d

From beginner to seasoned Big Garden Birdwatchers

Dec 31st, 2017 13m 43s

TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff takes part in the Big Garden Birdwatch every year with her children. Actor David Neilsen, who plays Roy Cropper in Coronation Street, will be joining the count for the first time. On this month’s Nature’s Voic

Climate change and the State of the UK's Birds 2017

Nov 30th, 2017 18m 8s

This year's State of the UK's Birds report highlights how climate change is affecting our wintering and breeding birds. This annual 'stock take' of bird numbers is a collaboration between the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Wild

Back from the Brink

Oct 30th, 2017 13m 42s

Back from the Brink is a ground breaking collaboration between eight conservation organisations, funded by the National Lottery. Its aim is to rescue some of our most threatened species before it’s too late and to inspire us all to discover, va

Wild Parks and a Wild Challenge

Sep 29th, 2017 14m 16s

In a world where we spend more and more time indoors - how can today’s children connect with nature? Throughout the summer the RSPB, in partnership with the supermarket chain Aldi, have been addressing this in parks up and down the UK with the