Chris Sperring has dedicated over 30 years to wildlife conservation as a key member of the Hawk and Owl Trust team, with much of his work focusing on conserving owls and their habitats. We spoke to Chris about his inspiring journey, the projects he's most proud of, and his insights on the future of nature conservation.
Q. How did your journey with the Hawk and Owl Trust begin?
A: I’ve worked with the Hawk and Owl Trust since 1991. It all came about because of what I was doing as a hobby - conserving owls, particularly Barn Owls, here in the South West of England.
In the first three years, the objective was to get Barn Owls breeding in the area by building on the great relationships I’d already built with the local farming community. Being able to do this work full-time made a huge difference in the amount of progress we were able to make, as a lot of the groundwork was already there.
Since then, it’s been about building on those foundations and working alongside local communities to support many different wildlife conservation initiatives.
Q: What does conservation mean to you?
A: Conservation is about seeing how everything in nature is connected. Nothing lives in isolation - every plant, animal, and insect depends on something else, including us as humans. Once you start to understand these incredible connections, you gain a whole new perspective on your own place in the world.
Too often, nature education focuses on dry facts and figures, when what we really need to be doing is fostering that sense of wonder and respect. If we can get people out into nature, observing and experiencing it firsthand, that's when the real magic happens; that’s the beauty of the nature reserves run by the Hawk and Owl Trust that are open to the public. You start to see yourself as an integral part of these complex, beautiful systems, rather than just an external observer.
Q: What are some of the projects you're most proud of over the years with the Hawk and Owl Trust?
A: One of the things I'm most proud of is the way our projects have been able to continue and evolve over decades. Many conservation projects run for a few years and then stop, but we’ve worked hard to make sure ours keep going. We've made a real effort to gift our information and projects to the local communities where we work, so that the work can have true longevity.
A great example is our ongoing Adopt a Box programme. Over the years, we’ve installed nest boxes for birds of prey and owls across various regions of the country, supported by public sponsorship. Community members – local residents and landowners – are still helping to maintain and replace the nest boxes we first put up thirty years ago. Even if I were to step away tomorrow, I know these projects would carry on because they're so deeply rooted in the local areas. That's the kind of longevity and sustainability I'm most proud of - it's not just about short-term wins but creating something that will outlast any one individual.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges facing owls today, and how is the Hawk and Owl Trust working to address them?
A: A major challenge is the rapid decline of certain owl species. For example, we’ve seen fewer Long-Eared Owls spending the winter here in the UK. Climate change is likely a big factor –milder winters in Scandinavia may mean they don’t need to migrate as far south. But other things could also be at play, like habitat loss, fewer voles (their main prey), or even competition from Tawny Owls. To understand this better, we’re once again running our annual Long-Eared Owl survey.
We need the public’s help to build a clearer picture of the UK Long-Eared Owl population. Anyone can take part - you don’t need to be an avid birdwatcher to help, you just need to be observant and willing to share what you see. Our website has a short video explaining how to get involved, and there’s an online form to share what you’ve seen. Even if you don’t spot any owls, your report is just as valuable because it helps us understand where they aren’t, too.
This data will be crucial for informing our conservation strategies going forward. It's all about getting that community involvement and citizen science to help fill in the gaps in our knowledge. Surveys like these lead to ideas, and ideas to action.
Q: What is your philosophy on conservation?
A: Conservation should be about action. I find that conservation efforts can sometimes get overly complicated, with too much talk and not enough on-the-ground work. Once you know what needs to be done, you just need to get out there and do it. For example, with something like habitat creation, we don't need to spend a year debating the best way to let the grass grow. We just need to let it grow and see what happens.
I also believe that conservation has to come from the ground up. Communities need to be involved because they’re the ones who will carry out the work and influence decision-makers.
Q. Can you share an example of a recent experience in nature that really inspired you?
A: The natural world never ceases to amaze me. Just recently, I was at a place called Sand Bay in Somerset, overlooking the estuary, and in the span of just five minutes, I watched autumn, winter, and summer all fly by as I watched the incredible movements of migrating birds. Redwings from Scandinavia arrived to spend the winter, while a thousand Swallows heading south for warmer climates flew overhead.
It was a powerful reminder of how connected and dynamic nature is. You don’t have to go to a remote, untouched wilderness to find that sense of wonder and connection – it’s all around us if we take the time to notice it.
Q. What's something you wish people knew about birds of prey?
A common myth is that birds of prey hunt their prey to extinction. That’s just not how nature works. The predator species would die out long before completely wiping out their prey. The only species that's capable of hunting the animals it depends on to extinction is humans.
Another misconception is that owls spend all their time hunting. In reality, they actually spend a lot of their time just roosting and resting.
Understanding these species – their behaviours, what they need to survive, and how they fit into the bigger picture – is crucial for conservation. Education is so important because the more people know, the more they’ll care and want to help.
Chris’s work shows that conservation is about small actions adding up to big change. Whether it’s keeping an eye out for Long-Eared Owls, sponsoring a nest box, or coming to explore our Somerset or Norfolk reserves to experience the beauty of British wildlife for yourself, there’s a way for everyone to get involved.
To find out more about how to take part in the Long-Eared Owl survey or to learn more about the species, visit longearedowl.org