BEING BETTER FOR BIRDS - BTO Strategic Plan 2021-23

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

                                  Inspired by birds,
                                  informed by science

BEING BETTER FOR BIRDS
BTO Strategic Plan 2021–23

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

In 2023, BTO will celebrate its 90th anniversary. As part
of those celebrations we will launch a new strategy that,
whilst remaining true to the original core value of its
central founder Max Nicholson, “recognising the potential
of cooperative birdwatching to inform conservation”, will
focus to a much greater extent on the impact of BTO work.
We intend to reach this anniversary as a fit and healthy
organisation, confident in its ability to deliver for birds. This
will mean building on what BTO has always done best: the
robust, long-term national monitoring schemes, capitalising
on novel scientific approaches like tracking technology
and acoustic monitoring, and engaging new supporters,
particularly through our youth work.

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

The organisation will extend its current strategy through 2021
and 2022, and continue to deliver the commitments made;
these coalesce around the following four core aims:

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

DELIVERING EXISTING COMMITMENTS
The organisation will extend its current strategy through 2021 and 2022, and continue to
deliver the commitments made; these coalesce around the following four core aims:
Enable and deliver high quality, impartial and impactful science
Our science will continue to address changes in the status of key species groups and inform
sustainable management. This will include sustaining and strengthening our core UK monitoring
schemes and enhancing our contribution to seabird monitoring and country level information. We
will continue to work around key management issues in the terrestrial and marine environments
including the inter connected issues of agriculture, forestry, urban development and renewable
energy. Our species research priorities will remain waders and migrants.

Share data information and knowledge through excellent communications, inspiring and
empowering people with an understanding of birds and the importance of knowledge
We will continue to work towards providing an enhanced route to accessing information about
individual species and habitats for a wide range of audiences from the local to the national scale.
We will strive for enhanced data sharing through increased linkages and partnerships with other
organisations and for enhanced impact of our research to inform decision-making by engaging
more effectively with policy audiences. We will continue to develop BTO publications that engage
both our specialist and non-technical audiences.

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

Enthuse and encourage existing and new members, enabling more people to learn and
grow through participation and environmental discovery
We will continue to reach out to new and more diverse audiences and to offer more opportunities
for a wider cross section of society to learn about and participate in our work. This includes
identifying and overcoming barriers to participation in our surveys and schemes, improving the
user-experience and user-support, growing our training and Youth Engagement Programme and
developing and sustaining our Regional Network.

Grow our financial independence
We will continue to work towards generating more unrestricted income, requiring a focus on
membership, individual giving and legacies, and a move to a simplified membership structure with
a stronger member value proposition and better integration between membership and fundraising.
We will enhance recognition of the roles of our operations in the different countries of the UK and,
in particular, develop funding and business opportunities to increase the long-term sustainability of
our operations in Wales and Northern Ireland.

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

READY TO DELIVER FOR BIRDS
In addition to our current commitments, we will carry out other work to ensure that we
are ready to deliver for birds; this work will focus on three areas: Staff and Supporters,
Sustainability and Impacts.
Strengthening staff and our supporters
The transition to living with COVID-19 provides a moment to re-evaluate and reset our ways of
working. The increase in people connecting with nature at this time suggests a unique opportunity
and a responsibility to broaden, deepen and diversify our engagement.

   •    We will work towards being an inclusive organisation, attracting, supporting, developing
        and retaining excellent staff and volunteers.

   •    We will develop and deepen links with existing supporters, and widen our reach to engage
        with new and more diverse communities.

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

Increasing our sustainability
We will take stock of our sustainability, exploring the stewardship of our data, supporters and
finances, and our own environmental and social footprint.

   •     Information Systems New ways of working will require us to invest in business-critical
         digital infrastructure and systems, ensuring that we can sustain existing commitments and
         rise to the challenge of future demands and priorities.

   •     Finances We need to grow unrestricted income, diversifying income generation and
         addressing the pension deficit, and review the way we deliver our most impactful research
         through contracts and appeals.

   •     Environmental and social footprint We will develop and implement a stronger
         environmental sustainability strategy and integrate the drive towards greater equality,
         diversity and inclusiveness across all of our operations.

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

Increasing our impact
In order for BTO science to be more strongly focussed on addressing the issues of biodiversity loss,
climate change, and human health and well-being, we will consider:

  •     the questions we want to answer, by strengthening our links to policy and environmental
        decision makers to ensure we understand the key environmental questions, and raise
        awareness of the vital role that BTO science and data play in answering them.

  •      the science we do, through reviewing our long-term core surveys and contract research, to
        maximise their value in addressing emerging needs, supporting nature’s recovery, meeting
        local and country level requirements, and engaging a diversity of supporters. We will build
        active links with social science, in particular, to better understand, quantify and improve the
        benefits of connecting to nature for people.

  •     the way we communicate, by raising the profile of science communications with key
        audiences, including volunteers, collaborators, funders and decisions makers, to ensure our
        science is prominent and accessible.

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023

BTO Strategic Plan 2021–2023
HOW YOU CAN HELP

Over coming years we will continue to face complex challenges,
resulting from climate change, and pressures on our land and marine
environment to meet growing demands on the planet’s resources.
Ensuring that society can respond effectively depends on organisations
like BTO playing a strong role and making our voice heard. BTO works
with others to inspire and inform with our knowledge but, given the
magnitude of the challenges the world faces, we need your help to
increase the impact of our work.

                                                                                                 Inspired by birds,
                                                                                                 informed by science

                                                                     British Trust for Ornithology
                                                         The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU
                                                    Tel: +44 (0)1842 750050 Web: www.bto.org
                                                            Email: info@bto.org Twitter: @_BTO
                       Registered Charity Number 216652 (England & Wales), SC039193 (Scotland).
                                    PHOTO CREDITS: Kingfisher and Quail, Sarah Kelman; Youth training course, Faye Vogely;
                                                               Nest recorders, Keith Mindham; Curlew ringing, Mike Toms