We are living in an ever-changing world and there’s no doubt that the coming years will present both opportunities and challenges for the planet, the economy and society as a whole.
Preparing our 2024-2030 Strategy has given us the opportunity to look ahead and set goals that align with our mission to be a strong and influential leader for nature conservation in Ireland, while being cognisant of the many factors that will no doubt influence a conservation charity like ours.
We are proud to now present this Strategy to the wider public, offering a clear sense of the direction in which we wish to take BirdWatch Ireland over the coming years. For long-time members and supporters, we hope it reaffirms your commitment to continuing on this journey with us. For those who are unfamiliar with BirdWatch Ireland, we hope this document will excite and inspire you, and that perhaps you too will join us on our mission. After all, we cannot do this alone. Our success to date would simply not be possible without the hard work and dedication of a wide network of people across the country.
This document sets out our objectives for the coming years under four distinct but interconnected “Pillars” along with a sample of the actions we plan to take to meet them. Our four Pillars are: Bird Conservation; Policy and Advocacy; People Engagement and Organisational Resilience.
Pillar 1 sets out the key species which will be the focus of our conservation work over the lifetime of the Strategy. From the Red and Amber lists of Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland, five groups, comprising 63 species, have been identified, which we will aim to protect and conserve through direct conservation action, monitoring, research and advocacy. Pillar 1 also sets out how we plan to ensure our network of nature reserves provides areas where birds and wildlife can flourish, while also serving as places for the public to visit and gain knowledge and inspiration from. Underpinning our work to protect key species in Pillar 1 are other areas of work such as volunteering and citizen science surveys (Bird Atlas 2027-31, Irish Garden Bird Survey), ringing and tagging and Cape Clear Bird Observatory and in this document, we outline our plans in relation to these significant projects also.
Under Pillar 2, we will leverage the latest science to advocate for policies and practices that secure healthy habitats for wild birds, halt losses and restore populations. Pillar 3, meanwhile, is all about people, from our dedicated BirdWatch Ireland branch volunteers and members, to our expert team of staff who work tirelessly to create a better future for Ireland’s birds and biodiversity. Finally, under Pillar 4, we outline our plans to achieve financial stability and keep BirdWatch Ireland going strong for many years to come.
This Strategy document offers a flavour of our ambitious plans for the coming years but is not the overall picture. Underpinning this public-facing document is a detailed operational plan which outlines in detail how we will meet each objective, and the time and resources allocated to each activity. Our progress against this will be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the CEO, Board and Senior Leadership Team.
We wish to take the opportunity to thank all who were involved in the development of this Strategy, including RSPB for very generously providing funding and in-person support for a residential strategy workshop for some staff and Board Directors, BirdLife International for providing a facilitator for said workshop, branch committee members who responded to our questionnaire and provided feedback on our draft, and of course, our committed staff.
To read the BirdWatch Ireland 2024-2030 Strategy, click here: https://birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2024/08/publication-BirdWatch-Ireland-Strategy-2024-2030.pdf
