Andy Munns
Local charity, the Salisbury & District Natural History Society, is offering a unique opportunity to hear about the latest efforts to save some of our most rapidly declining wader birds.
The birds, including curlew, lapwing, and redshank. This fascinating evening talk will take place on Thursday, 18th April 2024, at Salisbury Baptist Church in Brown Street.
The guest speaker is Dr Ryan Burrell, a research ecologist on the LIFE Waders for Real Project. This EU-funded and farmer-led wader conservation project successfully reversed the declining trends of breeding lapwing and redshank in the Avon Valley.
Passionate about wader species, Ryan was also involved in a ground-breaking research project in the New Forest that aimed to kick-start curlew recovery. The curlew, with its evocative and bubbling call, is now one of Britain’s most endangered birds. We have lost half of these breeding birds in the past 20 years, and the trend continues to go downwards. In 2015, they were added to the Red List of highest conservation concern.
For all bird enthusiasts Ryan’s thought-provoking talk is not to be missed. He is one of our leading experts on waders and sits on the executive of the International Wader Study Group and coordinates colour marking of waders across European Flyways.
He is also involved in communicating wader conservation to the wider public and delivering the DEFRA Species Recovery Programme project. Ryan will enthusiastically answer all the pressing questions on wader conservation from those attending the talk.
Peter Thompson, Chair of the SDNHS, said, “This is a talk not to be missed. I have known Ryan for many years, and he is a remarkably compelling speaker with vast knowledge of his subject.”
Doors open at 7.00 pm when tea, coffee and biscuits will be available and the talk will commence at 7.30 pm.
Find out more on the SDNHS website – https://www.salisburynaturalhistory.com/
