Curlew Action
Curlew Action is a UK-registered conservation charity that supports curlew fieldworkers and schools through education programs, webinars, and field visits, and raises funds via donations, an e-commerce shop, and partner retail revenue share.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Curlew Action does
Curlew Action is a UK-registered conservation charity founded in 2019 by Mary Colwell and headquartered in Bristol, operating under charity registrations in England & Wales (1187172) and Scotland (SC051137). The organization pursues two principal goals: curlew conservation and nature education. On the conservation side, it supports fieldworkers through workshops, webinars (the 'Lessons from the Curlew' series), podcasts, and international field visits — most recently a May 2026 trip to Germany and Austria that engaged partners including LBV, BirdLife Austria, the Life Godwit Flyway Project, and Zwillbrock Biological Station. On the education side, it played a recognized role in establishing the new GCSE in Natural History qualification in the UK.
The organization runs a multi-channel merchandise operation anchored by the Curlew Action Shop (a direct e-commerce storefront processed via Stripe), where it sells ground-nesting bird signs (£4-5), cards and postcards (~£5.95/pack), accessories (£3.95-£24.95), original art and prints (£18-£3,900 with 40-100% of proceeds donated by contributing artists), and the book 'Curlew Moon' by Mary Colwell. Distribution extends through partner retail channels: ethical clothing via Teemill, books via NHBS, Curlew Socks via HebTroCo (donating 100% of profits), and percentage-donation arrangements with Bernie & Blue, Shining Edge, and A Blackbird Sang. Signage is sold at cost to maximize conservation impact.
Revenue is generated through individual donations, direct merchandise sales, partner revenue-share agreements, art proceeds, and royalties, with no institutional grants or venture funding disclosed. The charity operates with a small team of approximately seven employees supplemented by an ambassador network, contributing artists and photographers, and international conservation partners. The annual World Curlew Day initiative, an MBE awarded to Mary Colwell in the King's Birthday Honours List, and partnerships with RSPB Geltsdale and others constitute the primary markers of brand authority and ecosystem reach.
Curlew Action firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Curlew Action
- Legal name
- Curlew Action
- Website
- https://curlewaction.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Curlew Action is a UK-registered conservation charity that supports curlew fieldworkers and schools through education programs, webinars, and field visits, and raises funds via donations, an e-commerce shop, and partner retail revenue share.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Curlew Action industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wildlife Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Wildlife & Animal Care Volunteering (EDAIAGAE)
Keywords
Curlew Action business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Direct donations from supporters to fund conservation and education activities
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise including cards, accessories, signs, art, books, and clothing through own shop and partner platforms. Items sold directly include signs, cards, accessories. Clothing sold through Teemill partnership, books through NHBS.
- Partner Retail Revenue Share: Partner shops (Bernie & Blue, Shining Edge, A Blackbird Sang, HebTroCo) donate percentage of sales to Curlew Action
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | A4 Ground-nesting Bird Sign - corrugated plastic with cable ties |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | A3 Ground-nesting Bird Sign - larger corrugated plastic with cable ties |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Partner merchandise with donation percentage |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories - hats, bags, badges |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Original Art and Prints |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cards and Postcards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Curlew Action product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Curlew Action is a UK-registered wildlife conservation charity dedicated to protecting curlews, a ground-nesting wading bird species experiencing significant population decline, and to educating the public about nature and biodiversity. The charity raises funds through individual donations and the sale of curlew-themed merchandise (books, apparel, cards, art, signs) to support field conservation projects, pan-European research partnerships, and educational outreach programs in schools and local communities.
Product overview
Curlew Action is a small conservation charity with two primary goals: curlew conservation and nature education. The organization operates a portfolio of products and services centered on raising awareness and funds for curlew protection. The main product offering is the Ground-nesting Bird Signs (A3 and A4 corrugated plastic signs in multiple designs including Welsh language versions), sold through the Curlew Action Shop. Supporting merchandise includes Christmas cards, note cards, postcards, original art prints, branded accessories (caps, beanies, tote bags, pin badges), and curlew-themed books. Clothing is available via Teemill partnership and socks via HebTroCo partnership. Services include educational programs supporting the GCSE in Natural History, conservation webinars, international field visits, and the annual World Curlew Day event. The shop also features partner products from Bernie & Blue, Shining Edge, and A Blackbird Sang, which donate percentages of sales to the charity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- World Curlew Day: Annual international day dedicated to raising awareness about curlew conservation
- Get Birding Podcast
- Curlew Action Shop
Products and services
- Curlew Moon Book
Quantifiable outcome
- Mary Colwell's 500-mile walk for curlews raised awareness across Ireland, Wales, and England
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Curlew Action
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Curlew Action technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Curlew Action partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LBV (Landesbund für Vogelkunde Bayern)coreGerman bird conservation organization. Verena Rupprecht leads the LBV Telemetry for Meadow Birds project. Curlew Action conducted field visits to their conservation sites in Germany as part of European collaboration efforts.
- BirdLife AustriacoreAustrian bird conservation partner. Curlew Action met Florian Billinger from BirdLife Austria at Ibmer Moor during field visit to strengthen networks and information exchange across the continent.
- Life Godwit Flyway ProjectminorAndréas Barkow manages this project at Dümmer Lake in Lower Saxony, Germany. One of the most important wetland landscapes for breeding waders in Germany.
- Zwillbrock Biological StationminorLocated in Zwillbrok on the Dutch border in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Hosted Curlew Action team during field visits to former peatland landscape conservation areas.
- RSPB GeltsdaleminorUK conservation partner. Mark Gibbs exhibited 'Curlew Lament' artwork at RSPB Geltsdale, and Geltsdale mud is incorporated into some artworks sold for Curlew Action.
- Bernie & BlueminorIndependent store selling Curtis the Curlew silk scarf. Bernie & Blue donates 10% of the sale price to Curlew Action.
- Shining EdgeminorArtist selling Turning of the Tide Greetings Card. Shining Edge donates 25% of the sale price to Curlew Action.
- A Blackbird SangminorWest Oxfordshire art company making nature and poetry inspired artwork. Donates 10% of curlew artwork proceeds to Curlew Action. Products include Curlew Key Hook (£12.95) and Garden Sculpture (£29).
- HebTroCominorSmall UK company selling Curlew Socks. HebTroCo donates 100% of profits from these socks to Curlew Action. Available in purple moorland green and heather purple colors.
- TeemillminorEthical clothing partner providing range of high quality and ethically sourced t-shirts, hoodies, bags etc. for Curlew Action. Items provided directly by Teemill through their platform.
- NHBSminorNatural History Bookshop sells Curlew Moon book by Mary Colwell, the founder and CEO of Curlew Action.
- Artist and Photographer ContributorsminorMultiple artists and photographers donate their work free of charge so Curlew Action can produce cards and merchandise. Includes Jessica Holm, Mark Gibbs, Tom Streeter, Nigel Voaden, Tim Melling, and Petteri Lehikoinen.
- Ellen BradleyminorPreviously General Manager at Curlew Action. Donates 100% of proceeds from original framed drawings (£375) and prints (£48) of curlew artwork. Also created 'Reflections' print donating 40% to Curlew Action.
- David Bennett Wildlife ArtminorWildlife artist donating 40% of sale price from multiple curlew watercolors and oil paintings (£400-£650).
- Fiona SmithminorBronze sculpture artist donating 45% of sale price. 'Mexican Wave' (£3,900) and 'Running Curlew' (£1,500) available.
- Jim NorthoverminorDesigner, writer and artist near Rye, East Sussex. Donates 100% of sale price from all 20 limited edition woodcut prints (£50 each) of 'Curlews at Pett Level'.
- Carne GriffithsminorCalligraphy ink and graphite artist. 'The Curlew Call' ink and tea artwork on watercolour paper available for £3,500.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Curlew Action competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Amberley Wild Brooks Conservation Society: Smaller regional UK conservation society focused on a specific lowland wet grassland site used by breeding curlews. Comparable in scale and curlew-specific mission but geographically narrow rather than nationally coordinated.
Direct peers
- Bat Conservation Trust: UK charity dedicated to a single species group (bats) with small-team operations, education outreach, volunteer networks, and partnerships with ecological consultancies. Closely analogous in scale and operating model to Curlew Action.
- Buglife: Small UK charity dedicated to invertebrate conservation using species-focused advocacy, policy work, and volunteer engagement. Comparable in mission narrowness, team size, and reliance on donations plus educational outreach.
- Butterfly Conservation: UK charity focused on a single taxonomic group (butterflies and moths) with a comparable model of species-specific conservation, field-based programs, volunteer mobilization, and education. Provides a strong structural parallel to Curlew Action's curlew-only focus.
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): UK charity focused on wetland bird conservation, including waders such as curlews. Operates wetland reserves, runs education programs, and engages supporters through memberships — a near-mirror of Curlew Action's wetland-curlew mission at a larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): The UK's largest bird and wildlife conservation charity, operating reserves, advocacy, and education at national scale. RSPB Geltsdale is already a Curlew Action partner, and both share curlew conservation as an active program area, making RSPB the most directly comparable incumbent peer.
- BirdLife International: Global partnership of national bird conservation organizations. Curlew Action's European field visits with BirdLife Austria and Germany-based partners mirror BirdLife's multinational model at a much smaller national-charity scale.
- The Wildlife Trusts: Umbrella for 46 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK managing nature reserves and running education. A broad incumbent peer that overlaps with Curlew Action on wetland, grassland, and upland habitat advocacy.
- Woodland Trust: UK charity focused on woodland and habitat conservation, education, and tree planting. Comparable as a habitat-and-species education-driven charity with membership and donor model, though at significantly larger scale.
- WWF-UK: Major UK conservation charity addressing species and habitat threats through advocacy, fundraising, and education. Relevant incumbent peer for benchmarking donor engagement and education programming against a much larger organization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Curlew Action social profiles
Digital presenceCurlew Action financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Curlew Action leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Curlew Action funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Curlew Action M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Curlew Action
What does Curlew Action do?
Curlew Action is a UK-registered wildlife conservation charity dedicated to protecting curlews, a ground-nesting wading bird species experiencing significant population decline, and to educating the public about nature and biodiversity. The charity raises funds through individual donations and the sale of curlew-themed merchandise (books, apparel, cards, art, signs) to support field conservation projects, pan-European research partnerships, and educational outreach programs in schools and local communities.
Is Curlew Action a public or private company?
Curlew Action is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Curlew Action founded?
Curlew Action was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Curlew Action make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and partner Retail Revenue Share.
Who are Curlew Action's main competitors?
Amberley Wild Brooks Conservation Society is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, Butterfly Conservation and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). Broad incumbents are RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), BirdLife International, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust and WWF-UK.
Does Curlew Action have an API?
No public API is recorded for Curlew Action.
What industry is Curlew Action in?
Curlew Action's product category is Wildlife Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAB, Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection, with a secondary code of BPAGAIAC, Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release. Its NAICS code is 813312.