A nature preservation charity is appealing for volunteers to help protect one of the UK’s most threatened species of seabird.  

The Little Tern seabird population has been declining since the 1980s, with numbers having dropped by almost a fifth (18%) since the year 2000.

Coastal flooding exacerbated by climate change and rising sea levels, declining food availability, disturbance from people, dogs, and predators have been identified as causes of this decline.   

Chesil Beach has been recognised as a vital stronghold for the last Little Tern colony in the south west.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers at the Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project, over 45 surviving Little Tern fledglings were recorded last year compared to only three in 2021.

The project is led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in partnership with the Chesil & Fleet Nature Reserve, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Crown Estate, Portland Court Leet, Natural England and Dorset Council.

Dorset Echo:

Now the RSPB is calling for more volunteers to monitor and protect the Chesil Little Tern colony throughout this year’s breeding season, from April to August. A full training induction will be provided with no previous experience in conversation required.

Tara Watson, RSPB Chesil Beach Little Tern Project Officer, said: “Our volunteer warden team are what makes the Chesil Little Tern Project flourish with their commitment to protecting the birds, their insightful ideas, their vast array of skills and their kindness.

"Everyone is passionate about learning and when I meet with volunteers, I always learn something from them.”

Tasks would include protecting the birds from human disturbance, deploying predator deterrence and distraction techniques, carrying out surveys to record breeding activity and supporting with practical tasks like setting up seasonal fencing and bird hides.

Liam Putt Emery, one of last year's volunteers, said: “Volunteering with the project at Chesil has been exceptionally rewarding. I have gained a lot of knowledge from spending time watching and recording the Little Terns' daily activities.

"Practical tasks including fence maintenance and reviewing nest trail camera footage has also been very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to seeing them return next year. "

You can apply to volunteer by visiting the RSPB volunteer website: bit.ly/LittleTernVolunteers