Bird ringing with the Action for Conservation group

Callum Forster

Leysdown Trainee Ranger

Last month I had the pleasure of joining the Seaford Head Nature Reserve bird ringing team for the morning. It was a great opportunity to see up-close both the birds and the hard work of the expert volunteers who lend their time to the science of bird ringing.

Hope Bottom at Seaford Head is an ideal location for ringing. The scrub and woodland serve as an important stop off point for migratory birds; a habitat managed by our colleagues and practical conservation volunteers and a reminder that our efforts lead to positive outcomes for nature.

Across the morning, they caught and ringed 10 different species, including many migrating warblers such as Whitethroats and Garden Warblers alongside some of our resident birds like Robins and Wrens.

The bird ringing team, led by Terry Hallahan, were also hosting a youth group attending a summer camp ran by Action for Conservation. The session was an example of how important it is to play an active role in inspiring the next generation of environmentalists and naturalists. The opportunity to see these incredible birds up close and personal was an unforgettable experience for these young people.

Action for Conservation is a charity that ‘believes all young people should feel moved and empowered to protect the natural world.’ They achieve this by running workshops for young people in secondary schools and youth groups across England and Wales. They provide career mentoring and opportunities for young people to gain valuable experience in conservation. They run fully funded summer camps for 12-16 year olds, which offer the young people a chance to fully immerse themselves in a week of nature-oriented workshops and activities.

On this summer camp, the young people had already enjoyed a range of activities from rock pooling to bat detecting. They came down to meet the Seaford Head bird ringing team at Hope Bottom at 7am and were all amazed to see the birds up close. They fielded questions to the bird ringing team, who spoke to them about the process of ringing, the ecology of the various species and some of the young people were even able to handle and release the birds under the supervision of the licensed ringers.

In the afternoon, I joined AFC and their young people for their ‘Green Careers’ workshop. I had a chance to talk to the young people about my own journey into nature conservation and give them an insight into different paths they can take.

If you are interested in the fantastic work of Action for Conservation, more information can be found on social media and on their website.