Photographer Nicolas Clerc joins Dutch volunteers on their rounds of barn owl nest boxes and comes away convinced that saving the species depends on ordinary people.
Owls, boxes and volunteers
Photographer and conservationist Nicolas Clerc looks at how volunteers are helping barn owls in the Netherlands. He explains that the country has two subspecies, that both face habitat loss, road collisions, poaching and persecution, and that the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture has classed them as a red-alert species.
Much of the work is done by the Dutch Barn Owl Foundation, known as SKWN, which installs nest boxes, educates the public and gathers data on the population, relying on experienced volunteers. Clerc joined Ralf Bovee and his son Koen, from the volunteer group vogelwerkgroep t' hökske, on a round of nest-box checks. Across three boxes they handled five chicks, measuring wingspans, collecting pellets and assessing health.
What struck him most was how many people had agreed to host boxes in their homes, barns and churches. He argues that letting the public take part builds a personal stake in conservation, and he suggests that anyone with a suitable barn might consider hosting a barn owl family.
_This story was written by Nicolas Clerc for Untold Wildlife, our partner in bringing overlooked conservation stories to more people._