We are delighted to report that the very popular BTO camps are back for 2022. Four camps will take place in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Dates for 2023: Will soon be publishing dates for this year. In the meantime you can read the report from the Scotland BTO Camp 

These camps are a great way to get young people started on their journey with birdwatching, or to develop their skills if they are already a budding ornithologist. 

The BTO run three Bird Camps in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland they are working in partnership with the Scottish Ornithologists' Club for a fourth in East Lothian.

Dates

England: 20-22 May
Scotland: 3-5 June 
Northern Ireland: 17-19 June
Wales: 1-3 July 

Each of the camps will follow a similar itinerary, although this will vary based on location and the weather. A more detailed itinerary will be shared with successful camp applicants closer to the time.

Typical Itinerary

Friday: Arrival at camp - late afternoon, getting to know each other, health & safety, evening activity andintroduction to our arts activity.

Saturday: Day-trip to local nature reserve(s), learning about BTO surveys and bird identification, mindfulness,creative workshop, evening activity (e.g. campfire,looking for bats or stargazing).

Sunday: Ringing demo, learning to identify birds by song, final presentations & pledges.

Who can camp?

The BTO camps are open to young people, resident in the UK, who are, at the time of camp, in secondary school or college and under 18 years old (10–16 in Scotland)

Cost and equipment

All Bird Camps are completely free of charge to make the camps accessible to any young person. However, if you are financially able to support the camps, donations are always welcome.

You will receive a full packing list before going on camp, but a key piece of equipment for Bird Camp is binoculars. If you don't have a pair, let us know in your application so we can lend you some.

Accommodation

Accommodation at all camps will be shared, either in dormitories (Northern Ireland, Scotland &Wales), or in large bell tents (England). Staff fully DBS-checked (through Disclosure Scotland an AccessNI in Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively) and trained in safeguarding will always be on site overnight and available to the campers.

Getting to the camp

The camps take place near nature reserves and greens paces, and may not be accessible by public transport. To help you get there, we'll be organising pick-ups from different cities near the camp, but you can also be dropped off directly at camp if you prefer, just let us know in your application form. 

To apply please download the application pack and complete the form at the back, save it and sent it directly to the BTO

Email: youth@bto.org

Download booking form