We’re proud to celebrate this milestone with them and recognise the incredible progress they’ve made for nature and people.

Since joining the BirdLife Partnership in 1995, USPB has grown into one of Ukraine’s leading conservation organisations. Together, we’ve mapped vital bird habitats, helped shape national environmental policy, restored ecosystems, and inspired communities across the country to take action for biodiversity.

A movement takes flight

USPB was founded in the mid-1990s by a small group of ornithologists and bird lovers with a shared vision: to protect Ukraine’s wild birds during a time of rapid social and environmental change. Despite limited resources, they began the enormous task of surveying bird habitats across the country. Within five years, more than 100 volunteers had helped identify 167 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), covering over five million hectares.

Those early days laid the foundation for a national movement. In 2006, USPB became a BirdLife Partner, deepening our collaboration and strengthening the organisation’s ability to drive conservation on a larger scale.

Protecting species and landscapes

Over the past 30 years, USPB’s work has helped protect some of Ukraine’s most threatened birds, including the Red-breasted Goose, Great Bustard, White-tailed Eagle, Aquatic Warbler, and Saker Falcon. Their efforts span diverse landscapes, from the Carpathian Mountains and ancient forests to wetland peatlands, steppe grasslands and coastal habitats.

With support from the wider BirdLife Partnership, USPB has played a key role in expanding Ukraine’s network of protected areas. One of their most important victories came in 2017, when the Ukrainian government passed legislation protecting the country’s remaining primeval Carpathian forests – an initiative USPB helped design and champion.

Restoring what’s been lost

In recent years, USPB has focused heavily on ecosystem restoration. Backed by EU and international funding, the team has worked with local communities to bring degraded peatlands back to life, protect old-growth forest, and restore steppe biodiversity. These projects show that conservation benefits both nature and people, improving water security, carbon storage, and resilience to climate change.

Their work in the transboundary Polesia region, which Ukraine shares with Belarus, has also helped protect one of Europe’s most ecologically valuable wilderness areas.

Conservation in the face of crisis

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, USPB has faced extraordinary challenges. Projects have been disrupted, habitats damaged, and communities displaced. Yet throughout it all, their commitment to protecting Ukraine’s biodiversity has never faltered. One of their greatest achievements came in the midst of this turmoil in 2022, with the publication of the Ukraine Breeding Bird Atlas – a landmark scientific work documenting the nesting patterns of 275 bird species. Created through years of fieldwork by dozens of experts and volunteers, the Atlas is a lasting contribution to European ornithology and a symbol of perseverance. We also remember with deep respect the contribution of Oleg Dudkin, USPB’s long-serving Executive Director, who sadly passed away in 2024. Under his leadership, USPB grew into the national and international conservation leader it is today. His legacy lives on in the organisation’s work and in the thriving conservation community he helped build.

Our Partnership in action

Since the invasion began, we at BirdLife have done everything in our power to support USPB at every step. In 2022, we were working with USPB to finalise a major landscape-scale restoration project to restore 29,000 ha of steppe on the Black Sea coast — now a war zone — intended to benefit species like Demoiselle Cranes and Great Bustards and boost local economies.

In addition, we mobilised emergency humanitarian support – arranging safe transit, shelter, and even employment opportunities for USPB staff through partner organisations like OTOP in Poland and NABU in Germany, and enabled by the generosity of donors such as the Sigrid Rausing Trust and emergency appeals. These efforts have helped USPB continue their mission despite unimaginable personal hardship.

Through these measures, we have ensured not only that USPB’s conservation work can continue, but also that its people are supported in the moment and ready to lead restoration once the war ends.

A legacy of people and impact

USPB’s success is not just about species or habitats. It’s also a story of people: scientists, volunteers, educators and local communities united by a love for nature. Over 30 years, the organisation has become a beacon for environmental action in Ukraine, showing what’s possible when dedicated individuals come together with a shared purpose.

By working with us and other partners, USPB has built a movement that reaches far beyond its original members. From Sumy to the Carpathians, from Luhansk to Crimea, their work has inspired thousands to protect Ukraine’s natural heritage.

Today, USPB has broadened its vision from “Together for birds and people” to “Together for nature and people”, reflecting the urgent environmental challenges we now face. But their core mission remains unchanged: to protect and restore the rich biodiversity of Ukraine for future generations.

As the war continues, vast areas of Ukraine’s nature have been damaged. Yet this community stands ready to lead the effort to restore what has been lost – just as they have done for three decades. With courage, dedication and the support of the BirdLife Partnership, USPB will help ensure that Ukraine’s wildlife and wild places can recover and thrive long into the future.

We’re proud to stand with USPB as they enter their fourth decade. Their story is one of resilience and real conservation impact, offering hope and a powerful example of what can be achieved through partnership, even in the most difficult times.

White Stork by Yves Adams