Photograph by Andy Gregory
Natural Apptitude was formed in 2013. One of our key aims is to make a positive difference to the planet. Nearly 10 years later, we are still working hard on this mission and, slowly but surely, are helping to make a difference to the natural world and society.
Our work spans a diverse and exciting variety of projects, all of which support positive impacts on societal issues, the environment and conservation.
Many of our projects focus on large-scale citizen science initiatives. These projects collect data to support critical research and include projects such as the Big Butterfly Count with Butterfly Conservation, Swift Mapper with the RSPB and Mammal Mapper with Mammal Society. Our data collection platform, Coreo, is also widely used by individuals and organisations of all sizes to support conservation and environmental initiatives. From professional ecologists to farmer cluster groups, we support thousands of people collecting vital data on biodiversity on an international scale.
However, we are always striving to do more. Outside of work, each team member actively engages with environmental initiatives in their own time, whether that’s cycling instead of driving, switching to a plant-based diet, putting up nest boxes and planting wildflower meadows or opting to go single-use-plastic free, we’re all individually doing our bit. But we decided that we wanted to do something as a collective and to support a charity partner.
By working closely with a small charity, that operates on the frontline of conservation work, we will be able to make a direct impact on the work that they’re doing. It also provides us the opportunity to get hands-on and get involved in the conservation work that’s being done across the country.
Without further ado, we’re pleased to announce that our charity partner is… drumroll please….
Founded by Mary Colwell in 2019, Curlew Action is a small charity dedicated to working with conservationists to improve and sustain Curlew numbers in the UK. At the ‘heart and centre’ of Curlew conservation, Curlew Action focus their efforts on;
- protecting nesting sites
- promoting careful monitoring and research
- raising awareness about the plight of the curlews
Photograph by Emma Nunn
The team at Curlew Action work with ‘on the ground’ conservationists, providing resources and connecting them with expertise.
We are extremely excited to be working with Curlew Action. As well as providing financial support, we will also be helping with their data collection needs by enabling them to use the Coreo app. This will be used to collect vital data on nesting sites and Curlew numbers, along with supporting various citizen science initiatives.
Natural Apptitude CEO, Dave Kilbey, says: Curlews are a bird that’s close to my heart. I worked on Curlew projects in my 20’s when numbers were more robust than they are today. I also lived by the coast for a number of years where I was fortunate to see and hear them regularly. Their call evokes a tangible feeling of wilderness and you can’t help but stop and listen when you hear it. That their numbers are declining, and so rapidly, is incredibly concerning. Luckily we still have time to help and we have Curlew Action leading the way. We’re extremely excited to be able to lend them a hand in helping Curlew numbers recover.
Ellen Bradley, Communications and Outreach at Curlew Action comments; We are delighted to be partnering with the team at Natural Apptitude, their support means so much to a small charity like ours. This partnership will help us support Curlew monitoring by merging the field skills of researchers with practical and effective technology to store and share their data. We’re excited to see how this project develops over the coming months!
Over the coming months, we will be sharing regular updates on the work that Curlew Action is undertaking.
If you’d like to find out more about the charity, then head over to the Curlew Action website.
Photograph by Liam O’Hara