Everyone can play a role in conservation, from protecting wildlife to contributing to real scientific research. Volunteering—and its powerful branch, citizen science—is making a real difference for the environment.

In this episode, we explore the incredible impact of these efforts across the UK. From bird counts and river monitoring to tree planting and habitat restoration, passionate people are tackling climate change, preserving biodiversity, and shaping environmental policy.

We also discuss how volunteering benefits individuals and communities—and share our own experiences with these initiatives.

By the end, you’ll probably guess that we’re big fans of volunteering!

We hope you enjoy the episode and would love to hear about your own experiences or projects you’re passionate about.

Contact:

As always, please do feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions, feedback, comments, or just want to say hi! The easiest way to get in touch is to ping us a message on Instagram:

Follow us @thebirdybugpod

Links:

The Big River Watch | The Rivers Trust

Home - Earthwatch Europe

Take part in a project | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology

https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do

Join the Great British Spring Clean | Keep Britain Tidy

Big Butterfly Count

From farm to forest: the volunteers planting 100,000 trees in Somerset | Trees and forests | The Guardian

Nature's Calendar - Woodland Trust

The Conservation Volunteers