He wrote:
My name is Matthew Brown and I am a Project Officer for the RSPB Roseate Tern Project. Brian Matthews suggested I contact you regarding recruitment of volunteers to survey tern colonies in and around Lymington saltmarshes. To give you some context to my request, the RSPB has five years of LIFE funding to help the roseate tern reclaim former breeding areas in the UK, through habitat creation and targeted conservation mgmt activities (inc. predator control, minimising human disturbance etc.). It is important that we gather data on existing tern colonies in the Western Solent as this will help inform future project actions. Improving the breeding status of more widespread tern species is a prerequisite to roseate tern recolonisation.
Last year, myself and a seasonal tern warden undertook coordinated nest censuses and shoreline boat surveys of tern colonies on Lymington-Keyhaven saltmarshes. Some of these colonies can be observed from Lymington seawall and we would like a group of volunteers to help with this surveying effort. Could I ask you to dissemninate this information amongst the members of Lymington & District Naturalists' Society. Once I have a better idea of numbers I will begin organising some dates for an introductory meeting and survey training days. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me via email or phone, using the details below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,