History
Our history stretches back to 1998 when a group of enthusiasts led by David Waters joined together to explore how to bring back the Great Bustard to the UK.
The Bustard was hunted to extinction in the Victorian era, but experts assessed that its reintroduction poses no threat to local species.
The Great Bustard Group was created to restore the Bustard and gained a significant following almost immediately. HRH Prince Charles was an early supporter of our aims. He has been a patron of the charity and a passionate supporter, working tirelessly to help us achieve our objective of restoring the Great Bustard to the UK.
In 2003, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) issued the 10-year trial licence we needed to start working.
Our first release was in 2004, and we’ve done so every year since. To date, we’ve introduced over 100 Bustards back to the UK, with the population now established and crucially beginning to breed self-sufficiently.
You can read about the incredible work on the site, including information on how we source birds for release.
The good news is that we achieved our goal of establishing a self-sustaining population of Great Bustards in the UK in 2019, but we’ve got more to do.
We’ve developed a 10-year plan around a shared vision to reintroduce the Great Bustard to the UK. Our ambitious plans are made possible by the kind donations from individuals, organisations, and partners.
We need your support to provide a safe future for the Great Bustard in 3 ways:
- Provide more safe nesting areas. This can be by working with farmers, renting or even buying land.
- To work with the UK’s statutory agencies, to ensure the Great Bustard receives the recognition and protection it deserves.
- Enlarge and improve our public engagement activities – The Great Bustard is a wonderful flagship species and conservation success story.
You can donate to us, shop online or visit us in Salisbury.
Every penny we receive goes to supporting the Great Bustard.
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