Yesterday I went along to the first osprey protection training day for the new Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife Community Interest Company.  This team of volunteers took over the running of the Glaslyn Osprey Project protection and viewing sites from the RSPB in September last year.  Over the past couple of years I have done quite a few night and day shifts for the RSPB at the project, based near Porthmadog in north Wales.  After some thought, I decided to continue supporting the Glaslyn ospreys with my time and this Spring I’ll be putting in more hours.  This means I’ll be helping to ensure that no selfish egg-collector  successfully adds to his (or her!) collection with a very rare clutch of Welsh osprey eggs.

After my afternoon with the team, being shown around the protection site and new camera systems, I am truly impressed by what a small group of passionate people can achieve in such a short period of time. They have got a long way in a matter of months, and while they have a lot more hard work ahead, they are already delivering on their hopes and aspirations for the project.

What makes me want to volunteer here even more is the fact that one mindless (egg-collecting) idiot can ruin the hard work of many and can set back a project that has been in development for so many years.  I’m very concerned about the future of nature under the harsh reality of the man-dominated world, but occasionally there are bright lights that shine and we must work hard to ensure that they are not extinguished by a few selfish interests.

I hate the media-dominated empire of politics and David Cameron has used this term for his own ends, but ‘Big Society’ is a brilliant phrase that could positively influence our communities.  Everyone can spare an hour, and many can put in a day; if we all contribute, even in a tiny way, a world of difference can be made.

Here’s hoping that the ospreys return later this month!