This weekend, the RSPB, which is headquartered in Sandy, in the North East Bedfordshire constituency, is inviting everyone in the country to spend an hour of their time connecting with nature on their doorstep and counting birds from their garden, balcony, or a local green space, as part of the Big Garden Birdwatch.
Last year was the biggest Birdwatch ever, with over a million people across the UK taking part and helping to give the RSPB an excellent insight into how our birdlife is faring.
Now in its 43rd year, with over 150 million birds counted by the public since its inception, the Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest wildlife survey. The Birdwatch not only seeks to collect valuable data to take stock of our birdlife, but also to connect people up and down the country with nature and their local wildlife. With the latest Birds of Conservation Concern report placing 29% of UK birds on the Red List, meaning they are of ‘highest conservation concern’, it is more important than ever to champion nature.
This year’s Big Garden Birdwatch 2022 event takes place on 28, 29 and 30 January 2022.
To take part, watch the birds in your garden or local park for one hour at some point over the three days. Only count the birds that land, not those flying over, and report the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total you see in the hour. For more information, please visit the RSPB website here.
Richard Fuller MP for North East Bedfordshire said:
The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is a fantastic initiative and I encourage constituents to spend some time in their garden or local park to take part in the world's largest wildlife survey.