Beccy Speight, CEO of the RSPB, explains why more people than ever are discovering the joy of birdwatching.
‘Watching birds offers us a glimpse into another world’
In March 2020, I remember seeing a group of people in my local woodland, standing, transfixed, because they could hear a woodpecker. I was amazed – I’d never seen people behaving that way in a public park. And yet, it summed up what I love most about birds. They offer us a glimpse into another world of rituals. We watch them migrating, mating, getting on with life. In times of uncertainty, it’s a comforting and fascinating thought. I’m sure that’s why, in 2020, we saw a rise in birdwatching, with visits to our website increasing by more than 50%.
I grew up in a Dorset village, where we spent many school lessons outdoors, doing science experiments on the playing field. My mum taught me wildflower and bird names, while my dad loved camping, fishing and walking. Their passions rubbed off on me.
After university, I taught English abroad for a few years. I then did an MBA part time and worked in management consultancy. Aged 33, I was able to take three months off on full pay as a reward for being there for five years and, during that time, I began to consider my next move. I wanted to do something worthwhile, something that reflected a cause
I believed in, so I called a local National Trust estate and asked if I could see how a heritage property was run. This led to a job at Stourhead estate in Wiltshire. I loved it immediately and knew I’d found my place. In 2010, I became the National Trust’s director for the Midlands.
I came to my current role at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 2019, having been CEO of The Woodland Trust for five years. With around 2,000 staff, more than 12,000 volunteers and upwards of 1m members, the RSPB is a big organisation, so a lot of my role is about being a figurehead, fronting funding requests and meeting politicians and industry figures who can help further our cause.
The RSPB has been around for more than 100 years. It was founded by women who were concerned about feathers being used in millinery, which meant birds were under threat because so many feathers were being taken from them for fashion. This led to the ban on importation. I am keen that we remain an organisation that achieves change to protect our planet and its wildlife.
Using initiatives such as our annual Big Garden Birdwatch, the RSPB’S aim is to take people on the journey from loving the little robin in their back garden to making changes that will help the planet. For example, in the past, we hardly saw goldfinches, but our milder winters combined with people feeding them means they are now in the top 10 most spotted garden birds.
• Find out more at rspb.org.uk
In uncertain times, nature can comfort and fascinate