Posts

Dr. Campbell Murn delivers captivating annual lecture

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:01:00 GMT

We were delighted to welcome leading scientist Dr. Campbell Murn from Hawk Conservancy Trust for the evening talk.

Over 400 people attended this fabulous talk where Dr. Campbell talked about various research projects they are involved in which helps support the conservation of birds of prey in Africa, Asia as well as here in the UK. His talk was supported by some magnificent photos of various species of owl, kestrels, kites, buzzards and vultures.

A huge thank you to the Hawk Conservancy for being such a wonderful guest speaker this year. And of course to Winchester College for hosting the talk.

Clare Talks, Jenny Abery, Jamie McKaughan, Louise Cox, Corinne Cruickshank, Campbell Murn and Penny Smout

School children delight in tales of talons and tusks

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:41:00 GMT

On 26th November, Winchester College hosted the Cameron Bespolka Wildlife Talk to an excited audience of 470 primary school children in the afternoon as well as to an audience of 400 adults from the community in the evening.

Our wildlife talk is delivered each year by a nature expert and this year, we were so honoured to welcome the Hawk Conservancy Trust, a local charity dedicated to the conservation of Birds of Prey.

The afternoon talk was an interactive talk full of fun facts, videos and the importance of looking after birds of prey. The children were captivated by this educational fun talk and the vital importance of their work to protect these magnificent birds. The children were delighted to participate in an excercise that demonstrated how birds of prey are rehabilitated at the Hawk Conservancy and how they are trained by continual positive reinforcement.

Stephanie from All Saints Church of England Primary school won first prize. Her sketches of an eagle and an Andean Condor, along with her written account of their importance, the threats and protection of hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and owls set her apart.

The afternoon talk was followed by a competition “Why are Birds of Prey vital to our world and how can we help their survival?”. With many amazing entries to admire and marvel at, it was a very tough job selecting a winner. After much deliberation, Stephanie from All Saints Church of England Primary school won first prize which is a day trip for her class to Cameron’s Cottage in the RSPB Franchises Lodge nature reserve in the New Forest. Her sketches of an eagle and an Andean Condor, along with her written account of their importance, the threats and protection of hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and owls set her apart.

Eco education building completed at Livingstone Homestead in Cumbria

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 08:39:00 GMT

Delighted we could help part-fund the construction of this eco education building in Cumbria by ensuring the new path makes it accessible for everyone.

Groups from schools, local youth organizations and the wider community can enjoy an abundance of wildlife spotting, together with beautiful views all around. An all-ability swing bench completes the wonderful experience.

It was a pleasure to work with ornithologist Andy Lester.

Conservation: The Next Generation

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:24:00 GMT

We were delighted to support this initiative to help fund this powerful documentary Conservation: The Next Generation. It was created by Amy King and presented by Mya Bambrick, two passionate, dedicated and knowledgeable young naturalists.

This short documentary follows the unique journeys of four young conservationists, each deeply passionate about the natural world. Through conversations about their experiences, challenges, and aspirations, the film highlights how people from diverse backgrounds are connecting with nature and advocating for conservation. By addressing the barriers young people face in the field, the documentary aims to challenge stereotypes, inspire youth engagement, and encourage meaningful change within conservation organisations.

They will be hosting a premiere screening on 22nd February at the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, in collaboration with BTO Youth. They’d love you to join them. You can book tickets here: https://www.bto.org/community/events/202502-bto-youth-conservation-next-generation-film-premiere

Well done Mya and Amy, what a great documentary.

Unearthing the Impact of Rooting: Insights from Wilder Blean

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:47:00 GMT

By Will Kelsey

At first glance, the connection between pigs and birds in a woodland might not be obvious. However, a recent study, funded by the Cameron Bespolka Trust and conducted at the Kent Wildlife Trust’s Wilder Blean woodland reserve, reveals how pig rooting can impact the food web that woodland birds depend on.

Three Iron-Age pigs, known as ‘ecosystem engineers’, at Wilder Blean. Photo credit: Will Kelsey.

How Rooting Engineers Woodland Ecosystems
‘Rooting’ occurs when pigs plough through the top layer of soil in search for food. This soil disturbance can lead to greater habitat diversity, which should in theory benefit a range of species, including birds. As a rule of thumb, nature loves diverse, messy habitats! For example, we know that number of nightjars at RSPB Arne tripled after pigs, ponies and cattle were introduced in 1990. And yet, the role of pigs in woodland bird success remains uncertain.

In early 2023, three Iron-Age pigs (pictured above) were released onto Wilder Blean reserve in Kent to scruff up the woodland and in doing so increase biodiversity. This study sought to understand the impact of their rooting on woodland arthropods and birds, including Blean’s nationally significant populations of woodlark (Lullula arborea) and nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus).

Iron-Age pig rooting at Wilder Blean. The yellow circle shows deep rooting that could become a pond for amphibians, while the red circle marks an uprooted clod of earth that could be the foundation of a future anthill. Photo credit: Will Kelsey.

Key Findings from Wilder Blean
The study revealed that recently rooted areas had a significantly lower arthropod abundance compared to non-rooted areas. This reduction in spiders, woodlice and other ground-dwelling creatures likely stems from the removal of vegetation and exposure of bare soil, which makes these small animals more vulnerable to predation. It may take between 2 to 3 years for these rooted areas to regain their arthropod numbers.

After deploying camera traps at Wilder Blean for 3 weeks, there was no clear evidence of birds actively preferring rooted areas for foraging over non-rooted areas. No woodlark or nightjar were captured on camera, likely due to the short study period.

Wood pigeon foraging in a non-rooted area at Wilder Blean. Photo credit: Will Kelsey.

What Does This Mean for Woodland Birds?
Although there was no clear evidence that birds were using rooted areas preferentially, the decrease in overall arthropod numbers might limit overall food availability for insectivorous birds. Areas are rooted repeatedly and arthropod numbers remain low, this could lead to a long-term decrease in bird numbers at Wilder Blean.

Implications for Wider Conservation
This research underscores the complexity of rewilding projects. Pigs, while useful for creating habitat diversity, need to be managed carefully. If rooting is allowed to occur too frequently in the same areas, it could lead to long-term declines in biodiversity, impacting not only arthropods but the birds and other wildlife that depend on them.

As rewilding efforts like Wilder Blean continue to grow, it is vital to balance disturbance with recovery periods to allow ecosystems to fully benefit from the introduction of ecosystem engineers like Iron-Age pigs.

Note: Will has received funding from our Young Naturalist Fund

Pig Rooting Project

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:20:00 GMT

By Will Kelsey

Happy to share that the 20 camera traps the Trust kindly helped me to hire have been running smoothly since late-May. I plan to analyse the usable images generated to see if birds show a preference for rooted areas.

I am expanding the scope of the study to include an analysis of how pig rooting impacts the abundance of ground-running arthropods, which serve as a food source for the many insectivorous birds at Wilder Blean. The Natural History Museum generously provided me with the equipment needed to collect these arthropods. In exchange, the specimens I collect will be added to their collections.

Below are a few photos of the cameras, my pitfall traps and an ecosystem-engineering Iron-Age pig in action!

Note: Will has received funding from our Young Naturalist Fund

Nature Writing Camp

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:31:00 GMT

Alicia Hayden writing in nature

They will be joined by special guests, including Alicia Hayden, a young nature writer and wildlife artist. This camp is supported by the Cameron Bespolka Trust and is free of charge.

Activities will include a wide range of nature writing styles, moth trapping and nature walks. There will be many guest speakers; the full list will be announced very soon.

Emily Hunt

Andrew Millham

Alicia Hayden

If you fancy a weekend in the New Forest writing and connecting with nature with other young people, please apply.

Just follow the link below. The deadline to apply is the 31st of July 2024.

Applications are open to those aged 16-21 (as of August 2024). Applicants do not need to have a particular level of skill at writing, but simply a desire to learn more and an interest in nature.

Apply Now

Nature Writing Camp

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:16:00 GMT

Emily Hunt, a multi award-winning young poet, and Andrew Millham, author of Singing Like Larks, are hosting a nature writing camp for 16-21 year olds at Cameron's Cottage, RSPB Franchises Lodge, from the 23rd to the 25th of August.

They will be joined by special guests, including Alicia Hayden, a young nature writer and wildlife artist.

If you fancy a weekend in the New Forest writing and connecting with nature with other young people, please apply below

The deadline to apply is the 31st of July.

Applicants do not need to have a particular level of skill at writing, but simply a desire to learn more.

Apply Now

BTO Youth Summit

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:08:00 GMT

Our Trustee Alasdair Robertson was delighted to be invited to the BTO Youth Summit held in Cambridge on 17th - 18th February. The summit was organised as a collaboration between BTO’s Youth Advisory Panel, RSPB’s Youth Council, and WWF-UK’s Youth Ambassadors. Read his report below.

It was good to see over 150 young people attend the various talks, lectures and panel discussions that were organised. One panel discussion with RSPB, BTO and WWF was about the right way to do youth engagement within organisations; themes that emerged were around proper resourcing of and commitment to youth programmes, ensuring transparency and meaningful engagement and avoiding tokenism.

The talks were well attended

The leaders and young people then reconvened to put those lessons into action with a workshop where we split into small groups and were prompted to discuss why engagement is important and how to do it effectively. The young people I was grouped with independently brought up many of the issues that had been discussed in the leaders' panel, as well as bringing insight into the barriers that young people face and how they can be overcome.

There was a choice of talks for the afternoon session and I went along to a workshop run by the ZSL Youth Advisory Board members on how organisations can take their youth engagement to the next level. We were taught about Hart's ladder of youth participation and Shier's pathways to participation and how these can inform an organisation's engagement.

I chatted with Juliet Vickery about the work of the Trust, which she was very positive about. The young volunteers wrapped things up at the end of the afternoon and we had some more informal networking time. I ended up joining a small group including some who have been involved with the Trust before for dinner at a nearby pub before returning for the screening of Our Beautiful Wild, a youth-led film created by over 100 young people working together.

The film takes the form of an extended spoken word piece intercut with scenes from nature, covering the beauty of the natural world, it's role in young people's lives and the grief of seeing damage done to it. It was really moving to see the passion with which they spoke, and I was impressed by the confidence with which the panel answered questions in the Q&A afterwards. What was lovely was that they had worked together on the project remotely for months and were meeting each other for the first time this weekend. I spoke to a few members of this group who were keen to start a podcast to tell stories of young people connecting with nature and encouraged them to submit a young naturalist fund application if they saw a way in which we might help.

On Sunday I set up a Trust stall and I met Ieuan Evans from the BTO, who said that the whole summit had really come about because of the BTO camps that CBT had made possible, which was lovely to hear.

Alasdair with Alicia Hayden

After lunch, each organisation had an opportunity to stand up for two minutes and describe their work, so I gave a quick background to the Trust, Cameron's Cottage and the Young Naturalist Fund and encouraged people to come and chat at the stall. We then had the Youth Empowerment Fair, which was very exciting. I spoke to lots of people in quick succession about the work of the Trust as they came to the stall. Emily Hunt joined me for a while and was able to tell people about her experiences and about the wildlife writing camp this summer. The stack of Alicia's books was very popular, and lots of CBT memorabilia was handed out. The final part of the afternoon was a Careers Session; I sat in the main lobby and was approached by a few people asking about working at Natural England. We finished things off with several rounds of applause for the organisers. It really was a brilliant weekend full of inspiring people and I'm sure youth engagement across different organisations will continue to build off the back of it.

Multi-coloured Ghost Towns Published

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 10:58:00 GMT

Alicia Hayden

Alicia is a young, award-winning wildlife photographer, artist, writer, and filmmaker from North Yorkshire

Follow her on Twitter @aliciahaydenart

By Alicia Hayden

“As I slipped out of earth-sodden clothes and into a silky shock
So fresh, so sharp - she stole my breath,
Raindrops blending with tears as I dipped under and up”

Coming from North Yorkshire, I’ve always been inspired by the natural world. I grew up surrounded by woods and moors, and a twittering cacophony of birds in our back garden, and cloudfuls of insects in the meadows near my house.

Yet, even during my lifetime I have seen a change in these natural spaces; places once brimming with colour and noise becoming increasingly empty, shells of their former selves. Becoming multi-coloured ghost towns.

I wanted to create a poetry book which was both personal to me, and hopefully inspiring and relatable to others.

Alicia with a freshly printed copy of Multi-coloured Ghost Towns

Several studies and polls over recent years have shown that only 25% of UK children can identify a Robin - voted the UK’s favourite bird in 2015. As children grow up in an increasingly urbanised world, many young people are increasingly isolated from nature - growing up without the immersement and knowledge about the natural world. Equally, around 75% of young people suffer from eco-anxiety - fear for the future of our world - according to an international survey in 2022. Young people are increasingly switched on about the threats our planet faces, yet are also disconnected, and feel disempowered to take action.

I wanted to create a poetry book which was both personal to me, and hopefully inspiring and relatable to others. I wanted to try and show the joy and possibility that comes from the natural world - as well as using my poems, and nature, to discuss some of the other important threads that dominate our lives, such as love, grief, loss, and trauma. Nature has such a wonderful ability to provide solace, peace, and comfort; and I really wanted to bring this to life - as well as explore my changing connection with it over the past 5 years - in this collection.

The book is available from Alicia's online store

The Cameron Bespolka Trust and I decided to do a limited print run of 100 copies of Multi-coloured Ghost Towns, all available for free, and aimed at young people and families. They are available to order directly from my online shop, or feel free to get in touch with myself or The Cameron Bespolka Trust, especially if you need assistance covering postage costs.

Alicia.

Order Online

Note: Alicia has received funding from our Young Naturalist Fund

What a day with Megan McCubbin

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:52:00 GMT

Winchester College welcomed over 900 local pupils and members of the public on Wednesday 15^th November for our annual Cameron Bespolka Memorial Wildlife Talk and Lecture.

Guest speaker, Megan McCubbin, ecologist, conservationist and wildlife presenter enthralled a packed audience in New Hall in the afternoon and evening with her knowledge, passion and expertise. Whilst highlighting species’ vulnerability across the globe to habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade, Megan gave us hope through scientists ‘working miracles’ across six continents, from captive breeding programmes to conserve the Northern White Rhino, to the use of satellite imagery to protect remaining colonies of Emperor Penguin.

‘Look deep into nature and you’ll understand everything better’

Einstein.

Megan gave hope with talk of captive breeding programmes to conserve the Northern White Rhino. Photo: Jim Pascoe Photography

Bob Guan, President of the NHS, summed up the sentiments of all who attended, ‘What I found most elucidating yet harrowing about Megan McCubbin’s talk was the fact that ‘rock salmon’ and ‘huss’ were just euphemisms for fried shark, spiny dogfish to be exact, which has caused their populations to plummet by 98%.’

Megan had no problem engaging with her audience. Photo: Jim Pascoe Photography

Megan also attended an afternoon tea in College Hall for 100 local pupils and their families and presented prizes to the winners of the Primary Schools Wildlife Competition. The creativity of the 175 entries impressed the judges and brought optimism that our young generation is both deeply concerned about biodiversity loss and determined to bring systemic change to our precious Earth. The legacy of Cameron Bespolka continues to educate us all.

Megan and Corinne with one of the winners of the Wildlife Competition. Photo: Jim Pascoe Photography

Autumn Wild New Forest Camp

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:00:00 GMT

We were delighted to once again sponsor the Autumn New Forest Wildlife Camp. The camp was held at the newly renovated Cameron’s Cottage in the New Forest at the end of October. Izzy Fry attended the camp as a mentor and blogged about her experience.

Wild New Forest Camp

by Izzy Fry

This weekend I have been down in the New Forest for the Wild New Forest autumn camp which is sponsored by the Cameron Bespolka Trust.

On the Saturday we spent most of the morning searching for the weird and wonderful fungi around the forest and didn’t we find some amazing specimens! Highlights included Stinkhorns, Hedgehog fungi, Fly Agarics and Purple Deceivers.

The forest is home to an abundance of fungi

I joined the camp this year as a mentor and one of my roles was leading a group as part of a BioBlitz competition! My group was fantastic and preserved through the torrential rain to find and identify a huge 81 species.

In the evening we listened to some great talks about Pine Martins and camera trapping in the New Forest as well as a bird ringing talk from me and also a mentor interview from myself and photographer Dimitri Moore.

There was much to discover in the New Forest

Later that night we headed out for another walk in the dark around the forest. We found lots of new species of fungi including Puffballs, Cauliflower fungus, False Deathcaps and many many more!

We started off our second day in the forest bright and early to do some more bird ringing and the slightly better weather led to a nice selection of birds! The highlights for me were Goldcrests and Marsh tits, one of which I was lucky enough to ring. It was brilliant to see how many of the young people were interested in ringing and the process of it and lots are inspired to start training themselves! (All birds ringed under license with HPAI precautions to ensure all birds and people involved are safe)

Happy Campers

We then checked the moth traps that were put out the evening before and my favourite species was this beautiful Merveille du Jour. Later that morning we headed for another fungi walk that led us up to a patch of heath land. We spotted loads of fungi species including Rosy bonnets, Jelly babies and Hedgehog fungus as well as the rare Nail Fungus which grows on the New Forest pony poo! In the afternoon we had a bit of time to dry off from the torrential rain we walked through earlier and played a couple rounds of bird bingo which has become a camp favourite and tradition over the years.

The BioBlitz is a highlight of the weekend

For our last evening in the forest we headed out to do some more fungi photography and a final walk around the cottage before saying goodbye until next year. I had a brilliant weekend as always and would like to thank Wild New Forest for organising and running the camp and the Cameron Bespolka Trust for funding us to go.

Young Leaders Course moves to Cameron's Cottage

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:47:00 GMT

After a successful run at Spurn Bird Observatory, the Young Leaders Course (YLC) has moved to Cameron’s Cottage, a facility ideally suited to educate and entertain.

With the change in venue came some changes in the programme; lecturers from a range of backgrounds and sectors were invited to deliver talks and presentations to the 12 participants who had been carefully selected for the course. One of the key aims of the YLC is to make clear to participants how they can move into leadership positions, even if they are not yet at the CEO level. The sheer wealth of expertise on offer made the course hugely valuable for those wanting to forge a career in this area.

It was a busy four days for participants and lecturers

The Lecturers
The course was hosted by Faye Vogely who is Youth Entertainment Manager at the BTO. She was ably supported by youth staff member Rachael Griffiths and youth volunteer Mya Bambrick. There was a very busy programme with lectures and sessions from 9am until 6pm. Faye led practical sessions on delivering presentations, CVs and job applications, giving guided walks, and running successful meetings. Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link focused on negotiating and influencing with his interactive workshops showing participants how they can influence others by using effective storytelling and understanding people.

“A huge thank you to the incredible staff and people supporting the course. It has been a valuable week, where I learned priceless lessons which I will carry with me throughout my career, and personal life.”

Dr Anjana Khatwa, Earth Scientist and EDI specialist, focused on creating inclusive communities and understanding how to be an ethical leader. Her workshop forced participants to think about their own privilege and how to use it as a leader. Jack Baker, Pangolin Podcast creator and PhD student talked about the importance of communicating effectively as a leader, and showing the different ways we can communicate to different audiences. Helen Robinson and Paul Walton from New Forest National Park Authority looked at the importance of partnership working and how leaders need to be able to understand the needs of different stakeholders.

The outdoor classroom proved an ideal learning environment

There was plenty of opportunity for socialising

Students gather media content for presentations

Social activities were not neglected; ice breaker games were played at the start of the programme to help people get to know each other and after dinner each night camp fire games were played and evening walks undertaken. In addition attendees were given the opportunity to go birdwatching before and after the programme each day. This was an offer that was eagerly taken up. RSPB staff joined the course at times during the four days to talk about life as wardens and demonstrate bats in the hand as part of a ringing programme.

Roasting marshmallows on the open fire

The feedback for the course has been overwhelmingly positive. All sessions were well received and were found to have relevant elements that will help participants in their career. Most of the participants reported that their confidence increased during the four days and said they recognised that their self-worth was key for successful leadership.

A Young Ornitholigist's Passion

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 07:38:00 GMT

The Trust is proud to sponsor the four bird camps that run every year in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We always hope that these events will ignite a passion for the natural world in the budding ornithologists who attend them.

For 12 year-old Naomi who attended the Scottish camp in 2022, the event further flamed her interest in bird watching that began during Covid and set her on the course for active conservation fundraising. Writing in the Scottish Ornithologists Club journal Naomi wrote; “Recently, my friends made me aware of how many birds were dying from avian flu – before then I didn’t know much. It reminded me of the trip to see the Gannets at Bass Rock that I did at the SOC/BTO Scotland Scottish Bird Camp last summer”. Naomi decided to do something proactive and, utilising her love of art, joined with her friends at school in running a fundraising stall selling cards and painted pieces featuring birds and animals.

I want to help because I love birds - when I’m birdwatching, I lose track of time, it’s just me and the bird and nothing to worry about.

Naomi

The fundraising team (from left to right) Maeve, Julie, Naomi, Evie and Cadi. Photo: Anoushka Matthew

At the time of writing the article Naomi and her friends had raised £480.00 which they plan to donate to the BTOs avian flu support appeal.

Read Naomi’s Article

A Wonderful Wildlife Camp

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:29:00 GMT

At the end of July an enthusiastic group of youngsters travelled down to Cameron's Cottage for the summer Young Persons' New Forest Wildlife Camp.

Once again we had a great group of campers and there were many memorable wildlife experiences over the weekend.

Highlights included sightings of a host of scarce and rare invertebrates and moth trapping producing over 60 species including Dingy Mocha, Dark Crimson Underwing and the very smart Beautiful Snout. But for many it was watching a Nightjar hawking over the heath and then ringing a second year male that proved to be the most exciting moment of the camp.

The young nature lovers had plenty of stories to share round the campfire

Fungi were also a feature of the weekend, and a very fresh clump of Silky Rosegill right next to the cottage really caught our attention.

Amazing time with brilliant people. Great to spend a weekend surrounded by such enthusiasm. The highlights of my weekend were seeing my first Nightjar and Silky Rosegill.

Emily Hunt

Many thanks to the volunteers, Andy Page, Jane Pownall, Nigel Jones Tara Squire and mentors, Dimitri Moore, Max Cantrell and Tom Saunders, without whom the weekend wouldn't have been possible.

The camp was a great opportunity for the youngsters to learn more about nature

You can read more comments from the campers on the Wild New Forest Blog

Read Blog

Brilliant Bird Camps 2023

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:50:00 GMT

It has been another hugely successful year for the BTO Bird Camps. The Cameron Bespolka Trust helps fund these amazing events which run in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The camps expose the young birders to the world of the bird conservation and allow them to learn some of the skills that form part of the conservation professional’s toolkit.

One of the most important aspects of the camps are the local experts who come along to share their expertise with the young birders. In Wales, Bob and Annie rejoined us to teach about moths and help count seabirds. In England, we were joined by Tom who helped us find Turtle Doves and a myriad of owls. In Northern Ireland, Stephen and Claire shared their knowledge of nesting birds and wetland birds. In Scotland Katty Baird introduced the campers to moths and moth traps

Bird ringing is an important skill for the budding birder; all camps included a ringing demonstration to allow campers to get truly up close and personal with birds. Licensed ringers are always on hand to add context and a wealth of information.

Art is a great way for young people to express their love of nature. At every camp an effort is made to introduce this creative outlet to the campers.

The benefits of nature on mental health are well documented and each camp had guided meditations and mindfulness sessions to learn how nature and help us look after our mental health.

Wales

Stackpole: 16–18 June

Activities included a visit to the Greater Horseshoe Bat roost with local expert Paul, moth traps with Bob and Annie, and drawing sessions with Alicia.

Campers working on their art pieces

The highlight for many was the visit to Skomer Island. Participants took a two-hour cruise around the island seeing thousands of seabirds including Puffins, Guillemots and Kittiwakes. On the way back the campers stopped for rockpooling at Marloes beach and a mindfulness session back at the accommodation.

Bird ringing

Moth identification

Group photo

Drawing Seabirds

Beach trip

Extensive citizen science projects were covered, including a territory mapping session, a Pollinator Monitoring Scheme session, songbird ID workshops, and a Garden BirdWatch trial. Lastly, Alicia supported the young people in creating an art exhibition displaying what they learned on the weekend. This was then presented to the families at the end of camp, which is an approach we replicated across all camps.

"Camp changed my life and as a result I would love to get into conservation."

Read Wales report

England

Flatford Mill: 30 June–2 July

This was a new location for 2023. The campers were joined by Adam, part of the BTO Youth Advisory Panel and Tom, a local young birder. Both were participants at the England camp last year and have now progressed to leader roles. Tom's activity of finding owls was considered the highlight of camp for many, followed by a boat trip to the coastal seal colony, expertly guided by BTO Youth Advisory Panel member Matt.

Trying Garden Birdwatch

Boat trip to see the seals

Bird ringing demo

Pollinator monitoring

Group photo

Looking for owls

Campers also got to see the brilliant RSPB wildlife garden, which was used as a setting to try out BTO's Garden BirdWatch. The group was brilliant, with new friendships made very quickly.

"It was amazing and the birds we found were only possible to view down to the expertise of the guides staff and volunteers"

Read England report

Northern Ireland

Gortin Activity Centre: 21–23 July

This was a new location for 2023. Despite having a more novice group in NI, the campers were filled with enthusiasm, bolstered by a brilliant ringing demo. The birthday of one of the campers was celebrated with great enthusiasm. Local artist Stéphanie led the birders through an entertaining class, working on large art pieces.

Walking in Davagh Forest

Dark Skies Observatory

Moth identification

Campfire games

Other highlights included a visit to the OM Dark Skies observatory, an archery session, campfire games, and a bioblitz in Davagh forest. This was a great first camp at this location, and it is clear that the NI staff team is growing, so they can continue to support the young people who have started their birding journey.

"I loved my time here! And I have made friends! I think it was very helpful! And I loved the bird ringing also, I loved everything!"

Read NI report

Scotland

East Lothian: 26 – 28 May

Buoyed by the success of the first ever Scottish Bird Camp, in May 2022, SOC and BTO were excited to run Bird Camp 2023, which took place over the weekend of 26–28 May. We based Camp in East Lothian again and, perhaps miraculously, for the second year running, we enjoyed superb weather for the whole weekend, which meant all activities could go ahead as planned. Local moth expert Katty Baird arrived on the Saturday morning bringing with her two very full moth traps. Some took photos of the moths whilst other brought them to life via sketch, which led neatly into the next activity – a workshop led by inspirational wildlife artist and Waterston House regular exhibitor Darren Woodhead.

Meeting the Lothian Ringing Group

Boat trip to Bass Rock

A boat trip to Bass Rock was the highlight of the weekend. As the powered across the Forth the birders spotted Puffin, Razorbill, Guillemot, Fulmar, and numerous gulls, but needless to say, the Gannets stole the show.

Sunday saw the camp meet up with the Lothian Ringing Group members at one of their Constant Effort Sites. Over the course of the next couple of hours, the young birders got to experience firsthand the various stages of the ringing process: they were taken around the nets used to catch individuals for ringing, shown how the birds are carefully extracted, and then observed the detailed process of measuring and attaching a ring to a bird.

"Thank you very much for what sounded like an incredible weekend. Our son loved every minute and I'm sure it will be an experience he will never forget. We have heard so much about it and I'm sure we will hear even more over the next wee while!"

Parent of 2023 Bird Camp participant

Read Scotland report

Cameron’s Legacy: Cameron’s Cottage in the New Forest

Tue, 23 May 2023 15:57:00 GMT

To celebrate the official opening week at Cameron’s Cottage, we are very proud to share this video which shows the result of many years of collaboration between us and the RSPB.

Thank you to everyone who attended various events during the week to help us celebrate this very special moment. This video highlights the huge amount of thought and work that has gone into completing Cameron’s Cottage, nestled in the RSPB Franchises Lodge and will be beneficial to young people for generations to come.

Thank you to Daisy Hubble for making this wonderful video. If you’d like to contact Daisy, please email daisyhubblevideos@gmail.com or via Instagram @daisyhubble videos to discuss commissions.

Nature Poetry Collection

Mon, 22 May 2023 09:54:00 GMT

By Alicia Hayden

I just thought I'd post a quick update and let you know how my poetry collection is progressing. The collection is still tentatively called "Multi-coloured Ghost Towns", and it is exploring wildlife and nature, with threads of additional themes such as love, grief, loss, and trauma underpinning some of the poems.

Alicia Hayden

Alicia is a young, award-winning wildlife photographer, artist, writer, and filmmaker from North Yorkshire

Follow her on Twitter @aliciahaydenart

The poems in this collection feel much more personal, and dig deeper emotionally, which is exciting (if nerve-wracking!) to be exploring. The collection is rooted in two places - the UK and South Africa (potentially a few poems from Zimbabwe might pop in too!) - pulling on experiences I've had in both places, the diversity and colours of nature found across the world, as well as close to home.

I've got 18 poems so far (I may have a few more by the end of the week, as I appear to be in a writing spree at the moment!), but none are illustrated, and I haven't categorised or edited them yet - so it's still in the early stages! Below is one of my favourite ones "Swimming in the rain".

I was thinking that I'd really like the collection to have a foreword, I think either from Sophie Pavelle - as she's read some of my poems before, and really liked them - or Tiffany Francis-Baker - who has also read some of my poems before, and who has been a massive inspiration of mine for her poetic way of writing about nature!

Alicia.

Note: Alicia has received funding from our Young Naturalist Fund

Swimming in the rain

I was writing an email to a friend, and the suggested header:
"Swimming in the rain" - a mistake on a pop-culture reference, surely,
But it got me thinking.

Whilst working in Northern Norway, a rainstorm hit our wooden hut,
Shaking the logs and vibrating off the veranda like a new take on a glockenspiel,
The wettest summer they'd seen in decades.

And I was out the door like a bat out of hell,
Desperate for the release - the freedom -
Laces barely tied, tumbling over myself, towel flapping in hand,

Hair flapping over my face - a natural veil -
The river, still a slow flow, icy cold and crystal clear,
It beckoned to me, the raindrops a drumroll of anticipation

As I slipped out of earth-sodden clothes and into a silky shock
So fresh, so sharp - she stole my breath,
Raindrops blending with tears as I dipped under and up,

Through the ripples, over rocks, half swimming, half paddling,
Until the grime and dirt of a week's work
Went floating away; a kind of ending, or perhaps

A new beginning.

Cameron's Sustainable Cottage

Thu, 11 May 2023 09:45:00 GMT

Joe Moorhouse of Moorhouse Architecture Ltd will be delivering what is sure to be a fascinating talk on the sustainability credentials of Cameron's Cottage.

The talk will be held Cameron’s Cottage on 16th May at 6pm. This event is free and gives a unique insight into how this off-grid Cottage was renovated and how it will be powered by solar panels. The presentation is a must for anyone interested in sustainability and beautiful architecture.

Thank you RSPB for hosting and Joe for giving this excellent talk. Please book via the link below.

Book Event

The Green Gallery

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 11:04:00 GMT

By Emily Hunt

Perhaps I was clutching at straws. I found it hard to believe that young people as a whole didn’t care about nature. So I sent out a request for people in my school to forward me any photographs of nature that they had in their phone galleries.

Emily Hunt

Emily was chosen as Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate 2023

Follow her on Twitter @em_nature

The result has been inspiring, and the project has gained the attention of OCR (exam board behind the Natural History GCSE) and the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.

The idea formed when I began to take an interest in youth engagement with nature, or rather, the supposed lack of it. My mind began ticking over after attending several panel events where the issue was discussed. The absence of solutions frustrated me. It was easy to talk about the problem, but solutions weren't obvious – and so I left each talk a little more deflated and despairing, as it's clear we need our generation on board if we are to reverse biodiversity loss and tackle the climate crisis. There is a thriving community of young people passionate about nature on social media, who attend BTO events and Birdfair etc, but what about my fellow students at school? Were they all so disinterested?

So I began to pay attention to other young people’s interactions with nature. At my school we have very little access to nature, having only a sports field as our outdoor space. However, sometimes nature appears in unexpected ways. One of the most memorable moments was when a red kite flew over the school field while being mobbed by crows. A gaggle of Year 11 boys halted their football game to watch it as it dipped and dived to shake the corvids off its tail.

These boys were in awe of this incredible bird of prey, and yet these are the kids who may have been stereotypically labelled as those who never notice wildlife and are disengaged from the world around them

The boys cheered and clapped like spectators at a match. The whole group were captivated by it. It was at this point that it hit me – are we getting it all wrong? These boys were in awe of this incredible bird of prey, and yet these are the kids who may have been stereotypically labelled as those who never notice wildlife and are disengaged from the world around them.

So, I tentatively texted school group chats with ‘got any nature pics in your phone galleries?’ Obviously this was not without personal risk - but I was prepared for any teasing which might follow…I was already accustomed to occasional chants of Em loves nature as I went about my day to day business. However, word soon got around and pictures began to trickle in. After sharing some on my social media accounts, more arrived and more people joined in! The reasoning behind my request was that each photograph represents a moment when a young person has stopped to capture and appreciate nature. In that moment they were engaged in their own way.

With the pictures came stories too, for example Lydia had helped rescue a young owl found in the woods, Blue had relocated a caterpillar found at the tip, and Harry had fed a vole which wasn't looking very healthy. But who would know about these good nature deeds if I hadn't asked? Are lots of young people interacting with nature but not mentioning it - who would they tell? Do they need to tell anyone - perhaps it's just instinctive to help out an animal in need or to gaze at a beautiful view. Should we re-evaluate the assumption that the youth is disengaged? How do we measure such a thing anyway?

Nature isn't a subject deemed cool to talk about among a typical group of 15 and 16 year olds. Individuals may feel isolated in their interest and have no way of developing it further. Memberships to organisations are expensive, the curriculum is nature-deprived and at secondary school we lose much of our free time plus our access to nature clubs and Forest School. How do we expect a love of nature to flourish?

I believe the launch of the Natural History GCSE in 2025 will have a massive impact on youth engagement with nature

I don't have all the answers - but what I do have is a collection of nature photography and stories from students at my comprehensive high school. Students who may have been branded 'disengaged'. It is a source of optimism, it is growing and it is spreading! My Headteacher has given me permission to display the pictures in school as a ‘Green Gallery’ and my English teacher and I are planning writing workshops based upon students' pictures. We hope to make it more commonplace to celebrate nature and for young people to have a way of expressing their interest.

I believe the launch of the Natural History GCSE in 2025 will have a massive impact on youth engagement with nature - it will firmly place nature on the curriculum and provide a space for young people to interact and develop an interest. In the meantime, maybe we should question the assumption that the youth are disengaged, maybe they simply have very few avenues in which to register their interest. Let's find more ways, however small they may seem, to change this!