Birds Australia plays a major role in helping to protect Australia’s native birds in many different ways, but we can’t do it all on our own. Like most non-government organisations, we rely greatly on the efforts of volunteers to give us a hand. Anyone can be a volunteer; you don’t have to be a bird expert!

As well as helping the birds, you will probably learn new skills, or assist someone else to learn; young people or graduates will gain valuable work experience in conservation (it looks great on your CV), while older people will keep stimulated, fit and healthy, both mentally and physically. And it’s a great way to meet new friends. You get a great feeling when you are volunteering, even if it’s only for an hour each month.

There are heaps of different activities that you can get involved in.

In the Field

Many of our volunteers want to get out and see some birds. The easiest way is to contribute to the Atlas of Australian Birds. Simply register as an Atlasser (free of charge), go birdwatching wherever you like, and keep a list of the birds you see at each place. By collecting many thousands of these lists, the Atlas has amassed a huge database which can be used in all sorts of ways to assist bird conservation.

There are also more focused ways to see birds and help our projects to save them at the same time. If you fancy a trip to a sewage farm, saltworks or river estuary to see some waders, the Shorebirds 2020 project might be the one for you.

Almost every threatened species has its own monitoring project co-ordinated by the Threatened Bird Network which needs volunteers. We conduct bird surveys in all states, and this may offer you the chance to see some rare species while visiting some of the most interesting, picturesque (and sometimes out-of-the-way) places on offer.

Other activities include habitat restoration days, where you get to plant trees that may one day be inhabited by a threatened species, or help to remove noxious weeds. One of the best ways to find out which field activities you can take part in is to check out the latest issue of Volunteer.

At Observatories and Reserves

A great way to have a holiday or break from everyday life is to volunteer as a warden at the award-winning Gluepot Reserve or as an assistant at one of our observatories at Broome or Eyre in Western Australia. Tasks here vary from conducting bird monitoring surveys to recording daily rainfall totals and weather details, and you might even be asked to do some cooking or help repair the roof! All of this takes place in some of the most rewarding birding environments in Australia.

In the Office

While less glamorous, there are lots of ways that you can help by being in the office. Most projects are happy to have an extra pair of hands to assist with a wide variety of administrative activities. For example, data entry is an essential part of bird monitoring, and it is only after the information has been collected, collated and entered that it can be used to assist in bird conservation. There are a hundred and one other administrative tasks that can be done by volunteers in the office. Birds Australia has an office or a regional group in most states and territories, so contact them to see how you can help out.