An urgent crowdfunding appeal has been launched to secure the future of the award-winning Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project, one of the UK’s most successful coastal bird conservation programmes.

Despite long-term funding prospects looking positive from 2027 onwards, a shortfall for the 2026 season now threatens the project’s ability to run at all.

 

Little Terns were virtually lost from the site in the 1970s. Their recovery began in the 1990s with the appointment of a dedicated warden and the introduction of protective measures. The real turnaround came more recently, when funding allowed three wardens to provide round-the-clock protection throughout the breeding season. Since then, both population size and breeding success have risen steadily. Last season was the most successful on record, with 105 breeding pairs fledging 107 chicks. Despite being a small reserve, Beacon Ponds is now one of the most productive Little Tern sites in the country and an important contributor to national research and conservation. Beacon Ponds is also a critically important site for other beach-nesting birds. In particular, it is one of the most important breeding sites for Common Ringed Plover in Yorkshire, supporting a significant proportion of the county’s breeding population in some years. 

The protection measures and wardening put in place for Little Terns also benefit other vulnerable species, including Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher, helping to safeguard a rare and fragile coastal habitat.

That success is now at risk.

Rising pressure on public funding and increased competition for charitable grants mean that, despite considerable effort, only small amounts of funding have been secured for 2026. At present, this is not enough to employ even one full-time professional warden.

Volunteers play a vital role in the project, but experience has shown that Little Tern conservation cannot succeed without at least one experienced warden to coordinate volunteers, manage protection measures and respond quickly to threats such as disturbance and predation.

The crowdfunding appeal sets out clear, staged targets:

£10,000 would allow the employment of one warden

£16,000 would fund two wardens

£25,000 would allow three wardens

£30,000 would enable the project to run at full capacity, as in recent successful years

This is a one-off appeal. Funding for 2027 and 2028 is expected to be more secure, but without support now the Little Terns may not get the chance to reach those seasons.

Supporters are being asked to give what they can and to help spread the word across the wider birding and conservation community. Every contribution, however small, will make a tangible difference.

You can support the Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project here: https://gofund.me/31d302f20

The crowdfunding appeal has already made a positive start, with just under £3,000 raised in its first few days. While this early support has been hugely encouraging, it remains a long way short of what is needed to secure wardening for the 2026 season.

The future of one of the country’s most important Little Tern colonies now depends on collective action.

For further information, or to support the appeal, please contact Rob or the Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project team.

Rob Hunton, Manager of Spurn Bird Observatory, who leads the project, said:

“The Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project is one of the real conservation success stories of the east coast. We went from being close to losing these birds altogether to becoming one of the most productive Little Tern sites in the country. That did not happen by chance. It happened because of sustained, hands-on protection.

“Last season was our most successful ever, with 105 pairs fledging 107 chicks. For a small site, that is a remarkable result and shows what can be achieved when the right protection is in place.

“The situation we are facing for 2026 is very stark. Despite a huge amount of work, we simply do not yet have the funding in place to employ even one full-time warden. Without a professional warden on site, the project cannot run and the birds are left vulnerable.”

Richard Boon, local volunteer, said:

“This is not an ongoing ask. Funding for 2027 and beyond is looking much more secure, but without support now there may be no project to carry forward. We are asking people to help us get through this one season.

“Volunteers are absolutely vital to this project and always have been. But experience has shown very clearly that volunteers alone cannot deliver the level of protection these birds need. A full-time, experienced warden is essential to coordinate that effort and respond quickly when problems arise.

“We know that many people are under real financial pressure, and we would not be asking if it were not absolutely necessary. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a genuine difference and directly support the protection of Little Terns in 2026.

“Without wardens, there is no protection, and without protection there is no Little Tern project.”

To support the Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project crowdfunding appeal, visit: https://gofund.me/31d302f20