Our 1.2 million members are helping to protect over 18,700 species across RSPB nature reserves.
From rare reedbed to ancient woodland, rolling heathland to vast expanses of saltmarsh, the RSPB protects and restores over 159,000 hectares of land across the UK through a network of nature reserves. That’s a mosaic of habitats, larger than the area of Greater London, with thriving wildlife – and it wouldn’t be possible without our members.
The RSPB’s first nature reserve, Cheyne Court, was purchased in 1930. Now, nearly 100 years later and with over one million members on board, there are over 170 RSPB managed nature reserves across the UK. Every day, the ongoing support from people like you helps to protect the 18,700 species of wildlife found on our reserves: that’s Water Voles, Ospreys, Otters and rainforest fungi to name just a few!
RSPB Minsmere is a flagship nature reserve in Suffolk and is home to over 6,000 species. Take a stroll along the trails and you can hear the metallic calls of Bearded Tits pinging back and forth. Dartford Warblers perch on the top of the gorse bushes on the heathland and Stone-curlews raise their chicks in the grassland. As the sun shines on Suffolk in the spring and summer, Common Lizards bask on Minsmere’s boardwalks, while Beewolves bring honeybees to the burrows along Digger Alley.
In the 1970s, this reedbed refuge was home to the UK’s only breeding pair of Marsh Harriers. There are now over 590 pairs of this bird of prey breeding in the UK, thanks to a growing community of members who supported habitat restoration, scientific research and campaigning work.
Previously extinct as a breeding species in the UK, Avocets re-established in the UK in the wake of World War Two. Havergate Island, also in Suffolk, had been flooded due to neglect, while the marsh at Minsmere had been purposefully wetted to improve defence against German invasion. An unintended, but very welcome, consequence was the return of these elegant wading birds.
The RSPB had just signed the lease with the landowners at Minsmere, and despite only having 5,000 members, they took a leap of faith and bought Havergate Island to secure this new species stronghold. Within a few years, a colony of over 100 pairs of Avocets were breeding on the island.
Bert Axell MBE arrived at Minsmere as a Warden in 1959, ten years after Avocets had stopped breeding on this site. Thanks to his pioneering method of habitat management known as ‘the Scrape’, they returned in 1963 and have been present every year since. His expertise has benefited wading birds, gulls and terns at many nature reserves, not only across the UK, but at iconic wetland sites globally, including in Hong Kong.
Now, there are an estimated 1,950 breeding pairs of Avocet in the UK, with over 50% found on RSPB reserves. The Avocet takes pride of place on the RSPB’s logo as a celebration of the conservation success.
As well as helping many of our rarest species to recover, Bert Axell connected people to nature, hoping to inspire them to want to save it. With the rising popularity of birdwatching as a hobby, he installed four hides and a circular path around ‘the Scrape’, an area which he described as the ‘Wembley arena of birdwatching’. He increased the reserve’s annual number of visitors from 300 in 1958 to 10,000 per year in 1977. Their entry fees, donation and membership support helped Minsmere to become the reserve many people know and love today.
Now, Minsmere welcomes roughly 100,000 people annually. As well as watching wildlife from hides, guests can take a safari around the reserve in a 4x4, accompanied by an expert guide who can point out prime photography opportunities. Many visitors enjoy a cup of shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee in the onsite café while others test drive a wide range of different binoculars in the shop. From wellbeing walks to pond-dipping, there’s something to do for everyone at Minsmere. Fancy seeing it for yourself?
But if you’re not local to Suffolk then don’t worry! There are over 170 RSPB reserves accessible to the public all around the UK. And RSPB members can enjoy unlimited access to them all. Find your nearest nature reserve now.
