Meet three volunteers who give their time and skills to support our work in ways you may not expect.
5 min read
Across the UK, volunteers are supporting important work to protect some of our most vulnerable species, but it's not all about getting outdoors or travelling to remote places. Volunteers support our work in so many other ways – by coordinating volunteer teams from home, doing admin tasks, analysing data, creating artwork, and much more.
In this article, we hear from three volunteers from our Species Volunteer Network (SVN) who donate their time and unique skillsets to support our species recovery work in ways you may not expect.
Lisa Morrison is a Volunteer Artist. Here she explains how her work is helping the Kentish Glory moth.
"I reached out to SVN Project Officer David Tompkins who was working on the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) project I was interested in. I outlined what I do, my skills and aspirations to see if there was any way I could contribute.
"I enjoy communicating science through art. I find it extremely fulfilling to know art can help people connect and further their understanding of nature, whether that’s the public or folk working in the field to conserve the little guys – the birds and the bees and everything in between!
"To quote the most influential voice in conservation in my lifetime, Sir David Attenbourgh: 'No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.'
"I see communicating nature through art (whatever the medium, film, illustration, animation...) as part of the puzzle to inspire and connect others to our natural world.
"My favourite part of the process has been seeing my work on the Kentish Glory moth lifecycle being used in the field by Genevieve Tompkins (Project Officer for RIC) and the amazing team of volunteers working on conserving the Kentish Glory moth through survey work.
"Similarly, seeing my work being used in community events has also filled me with fulfilment as I can hope my goal of influencing others to care about these little guys could be happening. Hope drives me to keep pursuing this goal and continue to make nature art.
"Reflecting on the various stages and the evolution of this project has also felt like success too, as I’d have never thought I’d be able to achieve this until it was done. I enjoy pushing myself to grow as an artist, which is part of my definition of success.
"Keeping an eye on the project’s progressions and seeing Kentish Glory numbers increase also feels like success, as I am part of the team which is contributing to this!"
Joanna Gilliatt has been conducting a literature review to support Pine Hoverfly conservation. Read on for how her work is making a difference.
"For the first few months of 2026, I have been volunteering for the RSPB in a desk-based role, undertaking research related to the very rare Pine Hoverfly. This is one of the species currently the focus of the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms project. Our remit was to undertake a literature review, to find out about the nutritional needs and preferences of adult Pine Hoverflies, and how well these are currently met within our native pinewoods.
"I was working alongside another volunteer researcher, which was ideal, since we each had our own individual focus, and our findings complement each other. We have produced initial output reports, and these are hopefully going to be refined into a formal literature review, as well as advice for landowners about ensuring there are the best food plants for Pine Hoverflies within their pinewoods.
"Before this year, I had been doing a lot of outdoor volunteering for the RSPB, and other conservation charities, but was unable to continue with this. The new, desk-based role has helped fill the gap, providing a different way to contribute to nature conservation, as well as being fascinating in its own right. I have learned a huge amount through doing this research and have hopefully made a small contribution to the future survival of the charismatic Pine Hoverfly."
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Dave Johnson is Volunteer Coordinator for the Tern Around project. He describes how his IT skills are proving invaluable in his work to help Little Terns.
"After I retired, I became more interested in nature, particularly birds, but it wasn’t until I moved to Suffolk that I thought about volunteering for the RSPB. At the time of looking, there was an advert out for beach wardens for the Tern Around project, so I joined.
"Unfortunately, at the same time I had a knee injury which would have made it difficult to drive to and walk on the beach, so I was asked if I would do some administration work, mainly creating spreadsheets and graphs for reports. As my background is in IT this was second nature to me, so I gladly took it on.
"The role developed over the years and now I play a larger role in recruiting new beach wardens, providing support and compiling end of season statistics. The job peaks as the start of the season approaches and can become very hectic and a little stressful but the rewards are the job satisfaction and the knowledge that I’m helping to recruit and support our brilliant beach wardens and fantastic management team, all of whom are very dedicated to the project.
"I measure my success by the success of the team. So if at the end of the season a high number of Little Tern chicks were raised and fledged successfully (especially last year when a record 455 chicks fledged), I acknowledge that I have played a small part in that and that makes me feel that the effort was all worthwhile."
If you are feeling inspired and would like to get involved or are interested in any other volunteering roles with the RSPB, please go to our RSPB Volunteering Opportunities page.
At the RSPB, there are so many ways you can volunteer and take action to help save nature, and everyone is welcome. Whether you just want to dip your toe in and give volunteering a try, have only an hour a month, or want to commit to something more regular and long term, we can find the right role for you. We want to try and find roles to suit everyone’s skills and interests, so if you can’t find the sort of volunteering role you’re looking for from our listed opportunities, please do get in touch so we can do our best to find the right role for you.
Whilst we cannot always guarantee a role on a specific project, you can contact us directly at: SpeciesVolunteerNetwork@rspb.org.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
