Worcestershire nature enthusiasts have received the highest accolade from the UK's largest conservation charity.
The Worcester and Malvern Local Group has been labelled as ‘inspirational’ after they were given the RSPB President's Award for Best Urban Action for Nature.
As a part of the Volunteers’ Week this week, the group received the award at an online get-together by Dr Amir Khan, president of RSPB, on Sunday (June 2).
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The awards are an annual event celebrating the contributions of more than 13,500 volunteers across the UK, who in the last year gave over one million hours of their time to conservation projects.
Currently overseeing nine conservation projects, the group's main goal is to increase the region's biodiversity and connect people with nature.
Their success stories include feeding Worcestershire's largest flock of Corn Buntings, transforming a bare playing field at the University of Worcester into a winter food crop for threatened species, and generating a community nature reserve on 45 acres of floodplain on the River Severn.
The group has also worked with four primary schools, getting pupils and teaching staff to take part in a range of activities, from owl pellet dissecting to bird ringing demonstrations.
Their annual flagship event, 'Beginning Birding Open Day' saw more than 100 attendees.
Over £23,000 was recently raised by the group via crowdfunding through the Wild Isles Community Fund to maintain their conservation projects and expand its work in the community.
Group leader Nick Skilbeck said: "It is an honour and a privilege for our group to receive this award.
"Our aim is to turn the tide on the decline of nature in our local area and encourage others to love and save nature.
"Our voluntary work is important, urgent and very satisfying, it is so important to take positive action."
Local group development officer for the RSPB, Michelle Barrett said: "Worcester and Malvern RSPB Local Group embody what it means to take action for nature at a local level, they are a true inspiration.
"It just goes to show what we are all capable of achieving with a dose of passion, enthusiasm and ambition to save the natural world."
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