Paul Noyes

Wader Project Officer

Paul is responsible for developing and supporting stakeholder engagement and collaboration for wader conservation in the UK.

Interests & Responsibilities

Breeding waders have declined drastically in the UK due to a combination of habitat loss, changes in land management and predation. If efforts to conserve waders are to be successful, they must be underpinned by the action and support of local stakeholders and communities.

Paul seeks to strengthen and support the involvement of locals in wader management and conservation, to foster collaboration between different groups of stakeholders. He also seeks to encourage the development and uptake of methods for monitoring breeding waders that are suited to these different groups, and will yield useful data. Paul is also keen to develop systems for capturing, storing and accessing these data. This helps volunteers collect and store their survey results, and makes it easier for stakeholders, scientists and decision-makers to find and use the data they need to better understand the needs of our breeding wader populations.

Paul has a background in the management of grassland for breeding waders, having studied the possible conflict between wader habitat management and Yellow Wagtail conservation in the South East for his MSc research project, in partnership with the RSPB. He completed three full breeding seasons of wader breeding bird surveys, black grouse surveys, breeding raptor surveys and vantage point surveys in upland and lowland habitat across Scotland. It is his first-hand experience of surveying these habitats of importance to breeding waders that has led him to this role at the BTO.

Paul is an Associate member of CIEEM and Trainee bird ringer.