Projects Archive

Birds of Poole Harbour 2025

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 08:24:00 GMT

We are thrilled to work with Birds of Poole Harbour (BoPH) and support them in running a new Young Birders Club for 13-18 year olds. The sponsorship will help provide free resources, events and travel, aiming to give the young enthusiasts the opportunity to learn and engage with birds and wildlife.

BoPH will be putting on free monthly events providing in-person engagement such as bird ringing demonstrations, talks from conservationists, ID courses, boat trips and more! All of these activities will give young people the opportunity to gain skills, connect with nature and meet like-minded young people, hopefully inspiring the next generation of young conservationists.

Birds of Poole Harbour is a local charity which aims to raise the profile of bird conservation, preservation and observation in and around the Poole Harbour area through harbour-wide partnership working, high standards of people engagement work and continuous monitoring of the harbour and its bird populations.

The charity runs over 300 different events through the year including wildlife cruises, osprey nest tours, ID courses, bird ringing demos and much more, engaging over 10,000 people annually

They survey the birds within the harbour to give an understanding of the threats and changes within bird populations here and beyond. They also carry out important practical conservation work, including their Osprey Translocation Project which works to bring Ospreys back as a breeding species to the south coast of England.

They do a huge amount of public engagement work, running over 300 different events through the year including wildlife cruises, osprey nest tours, ID courses, bird ringing demos and more, engaging over 10,000 people annually in the exciting bird life and conservation work locally.

One of the best parts of their engagement work is their free School Bird Boat Project. They take out up to 1200 local primary school children each year on boat trips around the harbour showing them White-tailed Eagles, Seals, Spoonbills and more, getting them engaged with their local environment and wildlife. All of these projects work together to meet their goal of inspiring hope for nature and improving the local environment for both wildlife and people.

Memorial Talk 2024: Holly Budge

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:35:00 GMT

We are honoured and delighted to welcome Holly Budge, a leading conservationist, as our guest speaker for the Annual Memorial Lecture:

Disappearing Giants

Holly is the founder of UK Charity ‘How Many Elephants’ and initiated World Female Ranger Week. Her work has been celebrated worldwide, including by Sir David Attenborough and HRH Prince Edward. Holly is an official UN Women UK Delegate.

We need elephants now more than ever. For us to tackle and mitigate the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, we need healthy and thriving elephant populations. Holly explains how elephants are a keystone species that play a critical role, not only in balancing natural ecosystems and biodiversity, but in ensuring the future well-being of humanity. She has worked over a decade to raise global awareness about African elephants. Please join us and hear how her critical work has involved local communities as well as empowering female rangers.

This talk is free but please do book as places are limited.

For the third time this event is being run in the evening to give our supporters a chance to attend what should be a very entertaining talk.

Date: Wednesday 6th November 2024
Time: 7pm, doors open at 6.30
Venue: New Hall, Winchester College
Cost: Free

Reserve your tickets here

Primary School Children Talk

Very kindly, Holly will be giving the same talk in the afternoon to around 450 primary school children. This Annual Lecture has proved a very popular fixture over the years and has featured a wide variety of wildlife-orientated speakers.

Primary school children enjoying a previous year's lecture

Talks from previous years

Disappearing Giants

BTO Young Leaders 2024

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 11:25:00 GMT

We were delighted to once again sponsor the BTO Young Leaders Course at Cameron’s Cottage in August.

You can read about their stay and how they benefitted from this course and were able to learn new skills to help them discover a career in conservation.

The opportunity to be focused on developing environmental and leadership skills on a beautiful site, surrounded by other passionate people is one I will always be thankful for

Joe

Read BTO blog

The Young Leaders course is open to young people aged between 18 - 24 (inclusive) who want to make a difference to the natural world. This course focuses on skills that will help you advance as a leader and will include practical skills and theoretical skills as well as communication skills and working with other people.

The course is held over 4 days at Cameron's Cottage in the New Forest. The participants undertake a wide range of activities aimed at improving their skills as leaders. They learn everything from making the most of social media to turning their passion for nature into a career.

Course Objectives

Negotiating and influencing; how to use a leadership position to affect positive change.
Guiding events; from bird walks to debates, how do you run and organise a safe and inclusive event?
Networking; put into practice some of the theory around networking in an interactive activity.
Building a community; how do you bring together a variety of stakeholders for the greater good?
Working in partnership; understanding the importance of working together in the sector.
Practical skills; such as running successful meetings, making presentations, and writing CVs

Application

Applications for 2026 will open in the new year.

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2024 Report

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:24:00 GMT

Another splendid camp run by Wild New Forest and attended by 16 young and enthusiastic participants.

They explored the forest, heathland and marshes of the New Forest and carried out activities including bird ringing (under BTO license), Bio Blitzes, bird watching, moth trapping and many wildlife walks, observing nature around them. There were also talks on wildlife as well as a talk on future careers and further education in conservation. A blog from one of the participants to follow here. A fun packed itinerary included the following:

ringed Brambling, Hawfinch, Kingfishers, Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail, Nathatch and others
nighttime activities included hearing bats with bat detectors and hearing Snipe’s drumming flight sound
at Lymington Marshes they saw Spoonbill, Spotted Redshank, Med Gulls, Avocets, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Great Crested Grebe, Brent Geese, Eider and many more
other discoveries: Palmate Newt and many types of Lichen

Pennington Marshes, Lymington

Busy day in the New Forest

Photo credit Henry Jones

Hawfinch ringing. Photo credit Henry Jones

To Apply

The next camp will take place in Autumn 2024

Previous Camp

Read Izzy's blog post from the last camp: Autumn 2023.

Blog post

New Forest Wildlife Camp Autumn 2024

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:24:00 GMT

We are pleased to sponsor another Young Person’s Wildlife Camp to be held at Cameron’s Cottage, nestled in the RSPB Franchises Lodge nature reserve.

Who: Young wildlife enthusiasts aged 12-18

Dates: 25th - 28th October

Arrival: 25th at 6pm

Departure: 28th at 4pm

This event is organised by Wild New Forest who have a strong commitment to young wildlife enthusiasts, providing them with opportunities to be outdoors and connect with nature.

Please apply direct to Wild New Forest on their website www.wildnewforest.co.uk where you can download an application form.

Photos from the previous camp:

Pennington Marshes, Lymington

Busy day in the New Forest

Photo credit Henry Jones

Hawfinch ringing. Photo credit Henry Jones

To Apply

Please see the Wild New Forest website where you can download an application form

Apply

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2024

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:24:00 GMT

We are delighted once again to sponsor the Spring New Forest Wildlife Camp. The camp will be held at Cameron’s Cottage in the New Forest from 29th to 31st March 2024.

This event is aimed at young wildlife enthusiasts between the ages of 12 and 18 and provides a fantastic opportunity to experience the wildlife of the New Forest in the company of like-minded people.

Participants will be guided by a team of DBS-approved New Forest wildlife experts, who will share their knowledge and passion for nature as well as providing careers advice for budding conservationists.

The camp will start at 1800 on the Friday and finish at 1600 on Sunday.

Camp activities:

Wildlife observation
Bird ringing and ID skills
Moth trapping
Nocturnal bat recording
Mammal camera trapping
Bioblitz
Conservation career talks

Cost
Participants will be provided with meals, accommodation, and transportation during the weekend. The all-inclusive participation fee is £25 per person.

To Apply
To apply please visit the Wild New Forest website to download an application form.

Previous Camp

Read Izzy's blog post from the last camp

Blog post

To Apply

Applications are now open

To apply please visit the Wild New Forest website to download a form

Wild New Forest

Memorial Talk 2023: Megan McCubbin

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 12:35:00 GMT

How to Stop Extinction

Zoologist, naturalist, wildlife broadcaster, author and television presenter Megan McCubbin, will be delivering this year's Cameron Bespolka Memorial Lecture at Winchester College.

We are honoured and delighted to welcome Megan McCubbin, to deliver this year’s Cameron Bespolka Memorial Wildlife Talk. She loves nothing better than to share the wonders of the natural world and stand up for wildlife. She has just written a book ‘An Atlas of Endangered Species’ which discusses how scientists and rangers are fighting to protect our planet’s miraculous biodiversity and she asks the very tough question: ‘What can I do to make a difference?’.

For the second time this event is being run in the evening to give our supporters a chance to attend what should be a very entertaining talk.

Date: Wednesday 15th November 2023
Time: 7pm, doors open at 6.30
Venue: New Hall, Winchester College
Cost: Free

The lecture is kindly supported by the Natural History Society at Winchester College.

Reserve your tickets here

Primary School Children Talk

Very kindly, Megan will be giving the same talk in the afternoon to around 450 primary school children. This Annual Lecture has proved a very popular fixture over the years and has featured a wide variety of wildlife-orientated speakers.

Primary school children enjoying a previous year's lecture

Talks from previous years

How do we stop extinction?

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2023

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:24:00 GMT

We are delighted once again to sponsor the Autumn New Forest Wildlife Camp. The camp will be held at the newly renovated Cameron’s Cottage in the New Forest from 27th to 29th October 2023.

Update: New Forest Wildlife Camps are now closed for 2023. Read Izzy's blog post from the latest camp

Blog post

This event is aimed at young wildlife enthusiasts between the ages of 12 and 18 and provides a fantastic opportunity to experience the wildlife of the New Forest in the company of like-minded people.

The camp will start at 1800 on the Friday and finish at 1600 on Sunday.

Camp activities:

Wildlife observation
Bird ringing and ID skills
Moth trapping
Nocturnal bat recording
Mammal camera trapping
Bioblitz
Conservation career talks

Cost
Participants will be provided with meals, accommodation, and transportation during the weekend. The all-inclusive participation fee is £25 per person.

To Apply
To apply please visit the Wild New Forest website to download an application form. Forms must be returned by 15 October 2023

Previous Camp

Read the report from the Summer New Forest Wildlife Camp

2023 Report

To Apply

Applications are now closed

BTO Young Leaders 2023

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:25:00 GMT

We are delighted to be sponsoring the Young Leaders course organised by the British Trust for Ornithology.

Update: The course is now closed for 2023. Read our report from the event

2023 Report

Date: 21st -24th August 2023
Venue: Cameron's Cottage, New Forest

This course will be open to young people aged between 18 - 24 (inclusive) who want to make a difference to the natural world. This course focuses on skills that will help you advance as a leader and will include practical skills and theoretical skills as well as communication skills and working with other people.

The course is aimed is held over 4 days at Cameron's Cottage in the New Forest. The participants undertake a wide range of activities aimed at improving their skills as leaders. They learn everything from making the most of social media to turning their passion for nature into a career.

Some of the activities took me a little by surprise but having done them I felt that I had definitely gained confidence. Having the opportunity to go birding in the area at the start and end of each day was also fantastic

Jonathan Farooqi

Course Objectives

For an insight into this great opportunity, read a report by a previous year's winner Jonathan Farooqi

Banner image above White-rumped Sandpiper by Jonathan Farooqi

Application

There are eleven places available on the course. To apply for a spot, download the information pack and then apply online using the webform. We especially welcome applications from young women and under represented groups looking to develop their leadership skills. You do not need to be a bird watcher to apply.

Applications close 11.59pm on 25 July 2023 and will be reviewed anonymously. We will aim to let successful applicants know they have secured a place on the course by August 2nd.

Apply

Download Information Pack

Homeless Foundation

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 09:54:00 GMT

We are very thrilled to once again sponsor the Spring and Winter Camps for the Homeless Children’s Foundation in Florida, held at the Pelican Island Audubon Society

The camp participants spent time exploring the wildlife around them, observing and drawing nature, birding, creative writing and spending time together outside.

This camp gives young people who are homeless a chance to meet other young people and spend time outside immersed in nature.

Art plays an important part in the experience

The campers explore the great outdoors

Games bring the teens together

Exploring nature

The Spring camp was a great success and the feedback from the children was very positive. Two students who previously were not a fan of the outdoors camp requested to come back for winter break. Nine children from the Homeless Foundation joined the camp and once again the talents and resilience of the campers impressed.

Two students who previously were not a fan of the outdoors camp requested to come back for winter break

Winter was also very well attended. One of the primary projects the campers worked on was a multi-phase art piece. On day one, they drew the background which was composed of nature. On the next day, they went outside and picked a tree to draw. Next, they observed the sky and picked a bird. On the final day they added a self-portrait. The results were very impressive; this group of teens really embraced their creativity.

The students displayed great creativity

A self portrait embedded in nature

The campers spent a great deal of time outdoors, in the surrounding acres of land, observing their surroundings, birding, journaling, bonding, and learning.

Zeiss Young Birder Awards

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 06:17:00 GMT

Rosie Johnson is the winner of the Cameron Bespolka scholarship 2023 for the Cornell Young Birders weekend. She will travel to Ithaca, New York next year to participate with other young ornithologists from the US and all over the world. Congratulations!

Rosie Johnson’s winning entry about Peregrine Falcons

Winners at Global Birdfair 2023

Esther Rumsey won the Cornell Scholarship in 2022 and will be travelling to New York in July 2024. Read the report

“Birds and the natural world mean a lot to me so I feel very privileged to have this opportunity to support my future in conserving birds and nature.”

Esther Rumsey, Cameron Bespolka Scholarship winner

What previous winners thought of attending the Cornell Bird Event

Amy Hall
Winner 2016

"These people were so friendly and passionate, and I am proud to call them my friends. I still receive emails from them and hope to see them again someday. "

Amy's report »

Max Hellicar
Winner 2017

"The Cornell Young Birders' Event 2017 was absolutely amazing. It was a privilege to learn so much from those at the top of the profession which I hope to go into."

Max's report »

Elliot Montieth
Winner 2018

"What an incredible experience it was... this once in a lifetime trip really has opened my eyes and given me a massive boost of determination as well as clarifying what I want to do with my life."

Elliot's report »

Alex Chapman
Winner 2019

"To say I am grateful would be an understatement. Only now has it hit me just how amazing the event, the people involved and the place were"

Alex's report »

BTO Camps 2023

Wed, 24 May 2023 15:59:00 GMT

We are delighted to report that the very popular BTO camps are back for 2023. Four camps will take place in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Update: BTO camps are now closed for 2023. Read our report from what has been a fantastic year

2023 Report

For one young birder, the Scottish Bird Camp was another step along her path to conservation fundraising

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 in East Lothian.

Dates and Venues

England
Friday 30th June - 2nd July 2023
Venue TBA

Scotland - SOC/BTO Bird Camp
Friday 26th - 28th May 2023
Haddington

Northern Ireland: TBA
Friday 28th - 30th July 2023
Gortin, County Tyrone

Wales
Friday 16th - 18th June 2023
Stackpole

To get a flavour of the event you can read the report from the Scotland BTO Camp

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.

Email: youth@bto.org

BTO Bird Camp Application

To Apply

Applications are now closed

Scottish Ornithology Club, June 2024

Wed, 24 May 2023 15:59:00 GMT

We are delighted to report that the very popular Scottish Bird Camp was back for 2024.

Report

In the first weekend of June SOC and BTO Scotland welcomed 14 amazing participants to our base camp in East Lothian for the third annual Scottish Bird Camp, with some coming from as far as the Outer Hebrides to take part in this nature-filled weekend with us.

With a beautiful sunny evening ahead of us on Friday after arrival, the group headed out round our accommodation to check out some of the local wildlife signs around the camp. First off was a visit to the Nuthatch nest (in use for the second year running) in the local church tower – none of the team have come across building-nesting Nuthatch before – have any of our readers? Do let us know! Then Ben Darvill showed us a few bird nests that he had scoped out the week before – with everyone getting to see an (old) song thrush nest up close, seeing how solidly constructed from vegetation and mud it is! We then had a wander up to the local Badger sett, where we set out a camera trap to see if we could catch some footage over the weekend. A few of us even managed to stay up past sunset to see the first of the local Soprano and Common Pipistrelles coming out to forage around the garden.

Read full blog post

Releasing ringed birds

Mothing with Katty Baird

Making bird boxes to take home from camp

On the boat to Bass Rock

Below are photos from previous BTO camps we have sponsored

To Apply

Applications are now closed

Memorial Talk 2022: Roger Morgan-Grenville

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 12:35:00 GMT

Across a waking land: a 1000 mile walk through a British Spring

Roger Morgan-Grenville will be delivering this year's Cameron Bespolka Memorial Lecture at Winchester College.

For the first time this event is being run in the evening to give our supporters a chance to attend what should be a very entertaining talk.

Date: Wednesday 2nd November 2022
Time: 7pm - Doors open 6.30 for a glass of wine
Venue: New Hall, Winchester College
Cost: Free

Roger Morgan-Grenville is a conservation writer, storyteller and environmental campaigner with a deep interest in the restoration of British biodiversity and a passion for birds. During his time as a soldier, he successfully retraced Shackleton's journey across South Georgia for the first time and is a founder of the charity Curlew Action. During the spring of 2022, Roger undertook a 1,000 mile solo walk from Lymington to Cape Wrath.

In a highly personal account of his adventure, Roger will explain why he went, what he learned and what lessons he drew from the many people he met and the wildlife that he observed.

The lecture is kindly supported by the Natural History Society at Winchester College.

Reserve your tickets here

Primary School Children Talk

Very kindly, Roger will be giving the same talk in the afternoon to around 450 primary school children. This Annual Lecture has proved a very popular fixture over the years and has featured a wide variety of wildlife-orientated speakers.

Primary school children enjoying a previous year's lecture

Talks from previous years

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2022

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 07:24:00 GMT

We are delighted once again to sponsor the New Forest Wildlife Camp. The camp will be held at the newly renovated Cameron’s Cottage in the New Forest from 21st to 23rd October 2022.

This event is aimed at young wildlife enthusiasts between the ages of 12 and 18 and provides a fantastic opportunity to experience the wildlife of the New Forest in the company of like-minded people.

The camp will start at 1800 on the Friday and finish at 1600 on Sunday.

Camp activities:

Wildlife observation
Bird ringing and ID skills
Moth trapping
Nocturnal bat recording
Mammal camera trapping
Conservation career talks

Cost
Participants will be provided with meals, accommodation, and transportation during the weekend, and the total cost is just £25 per person.

To attend this spring camp please return your application form by the 30 September 2022.

Previous Camp
You can read a report on the Spring 2022 Camp in our news section There is also a full blog post on the Wild New Forest website

To Apply

To apply for the Autumn 2022 camp, please download and complete the application form and return by email to info@wildnewforest.co.uk by 30 September 2022.

Download pdf

Download Word doc

Young Naturalists

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 05:53:00 GMT

Together with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, we are delighted to have set up a group of young people, aged 13 - 17, who share a love of nature, called the Young Naturalists. The Trust sponsored the group from 2018 to 2022.

Under the excellent supervision of Tracy Standish, this group meets every last Sunday of the month at their Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve in Ringwood, on the edge of the New Forest. Sessions include practical conservation and habitat management, species surveys and monitoring, learning from local wildlife expert(s) and more. Our hope is that over the next 4 years, this group will grow and offer exciting new opportunities which amongst other things, will include a summer school, traineeships and accredited learning programmes.

We were delighted to have recently received an award of Highly Recommended in the Young People category by the CPRE (The Campaign to Protect Rural England). This award recognises schemes which celebrate a beautiful, diverse and living countryside that everyone can value and enjoy.

Want to Join the Young Naturalists?

To find out more about joining this group, please email Tracy Standish, Hampshire and Isle of White Wildlife Trust: Tracy.Standish@hiwwt.org.uk

Want to Join the Young Naturalists?

To find out more about joining this group, please email Tracy Standish, Hampshire and Isle of White Wildlife Trust: Tracy.Standish@hiwwt.org.uk

You can read about what The Young Naturalists have been doing every month by going to Blashford Lakes blog

BTO Young Leaders

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 11:25:00 GMT

We are delighted to be sponsoring the Young Leaders course organised by the British Trust for Ornithology.

Date: 10th -14th August 2022

Apply now if you are aged between 16 - 24 (inclusive) and you want to make a difference to the natural world. This course focuses on skills that will help you advance as a leader and will include practical skills and theoretical skills as well as communication skills and working with other people.

The Young Leaders course is aimed at 16-25 year olds and is held over 4 days at the Spurn Bird Observatory in East Yorkshire. The participants undertake a wide range of activities aimed at improving their skills as leaders. They learn everything from making the most of social media to turning their passion for nature into a career.

Some of the activities took me a little by surprise but having done them I felt that I had definitely gained confidence. Having the opportunity to go birding in the area at the start and end of each day was also fantastic

Jonathan Farooqi

The course will take place at the Spurn Bird Observatory. The course will start on Wednesday 10 August at 12:00. We advise that you arrive a bit before then and staff will be available from 11:00 onwards to welcome you on site. The programme will run until 14:00 on Saturday 13 August. The Observatory is booked for a private event from 16:00 onwards so we ask that you make sure to leave the Observatory before then.

Sessions

The programme may change depending on weather, but will include sessions on:

For an insight into this great opportunity, read a report by a previous year's winner Jonathan Farooqi

Banner image above White-rumped Sandpiper by Jonathan Farooqi

Application

To apply download the form and complete the booking form and email it to youth@bto.org

Download the form

Applications close 31 July 2022

70 Nestboxes for 70 Years Competition

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 08:50:00 GMT

The Cameron Bespolka Trust are delighted to announce that we are launching a creative competition to all school children in London in celebration of our 70 nestboxes for 70 years project.

We would like to thank all the schools that signed up to the 70 Nestboxes for 70 Years campaign. We have had 106 schools sign up across London and this is a very positive step towards raising awareness of the capital’s wildlife among children in schools.

You could paint, draw, colour, photograph or write a poem or prose about nestboxes

It is simple to enter our competition and there are exciting prizes to be won for your school.

Theme
We would like you to carry on with the idea of nestboxes. It could be based on a nestbox in your school (including the one your school might have received), garden or local park. You could include birds, trees, flowers or chicks in your piece. Let your imagination go wild!

Medium
We would like to leave this to you. You could paint, draw, colour, photograph or write a poem or prose about nestboxes. Be as creative as possible!

Categories
There are two categories: Primary School (4-11) and Secondary School (11-18). Each child can submit a photograph of their entry to amy@cameronbespolka.com, with parental or teacher consent.

Prizes

1st Prize - Nestbox camera, which can be put in any nestbox (not necessarily the one your school might have received)

Supplied by C.J. Wildlife

2nd Prize - Bird feeder and two suet blocks

3rd Prize - 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, ‘Birdsong’

2nd Prize a bird feeder from CBT

3rd Prize 1000 piece puzzle Birdsong

Details and Deadlines

Each student can email a photo of their entry to: photo@cameronbespolka.com
You must receive permission from a parent or teacher before submitting your entry.
Each email entry should have the following heading: “70 Nestboxes”.
Please include your category, your name, age, school year and the name of your school.
When taking a photo of your artwork to send to us, please make sure you use natural lighting. Dark or unnatural light can result in distorted image colour/appearance.
You can send your photos as a .JPG format.
Each student is allowed to submit one entry only.

The last day for entries is 3rd June 2022

The winners will be announced on 24th June 2022.

We look forward to seeing all your entries. Best of luck!

Kabir Kaul

Our Young Ambassador programme is sponsored by C.J. Wildlife

Homeless Foundation Summer Camps

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 09:54:00 GMT

The Trust has continued to work with the Homeless Children's Foundation this year to help provide outdoor activities for young people from troubled backgrounds.

Our funding enabled 14 young people to attend one of two camps that took place on Pelican Island in the Audubon reserve. Huge thanks to Donna, director of the Foundation, and volunteer Alexis who helped guide and encourage the children. Donna shared one experience from the camp "Three troubled sisters arrived at the camp filled with sadness and anger. I made a point of giving them each special attention and soon discovered how smart they were. The two youngest were avid readers, so one day after kayaking we went to the used bookstore and I bought them two books each. They absolutely loved reading the books during free time!”

Building self esteem
These camps focus on mental health and self-esteem in their curriculum and find creative ways to introduce environmental studies to the young learners. Being out in nature provides an idea environment for them to learn more about themselves and how to deal with some of the problems they encounter in life. They are taught the three basic ground rules: “respect one another, nature, and yourself.”

The young children enjoy a spot of birding

The camp organisers provided a rich and varied itinerary which included journaling, kayaking to Pelican Island, hiking, birding and simply taking in the beautiful outdoors of Vero. The young guests were encouraged to take notes on their discoveries during the course of the week. Environmental responsibility is a message that is reinforced during these camps and a trash pick-up helped them understand the importance of keeping their surroundings clean.

““Your organisation continues to inspire me every year! What you do is profound and I am so honoured to be a little part helping educate some of these wonderful children and give them a chance to enjoy summer in nature.”

Alexis - volunteer

Environmental responsibility is a message that is reinforced during these camps and a trash pick-up helped them understand the importance of keeping their surroundings clean.

““Donna and Alexis always go above and beyond, providing nourishing snacks, taking a special interest in the teens they see are struggling the most, and accommodating our transient group!”

Hannah Hite, Executive Director

These camps show time and time again how giving children time and attention and exposing them to nature and the great outdoors can have such a beneficial effect. We are delighted to be able to help the Foundation carry on this vital work.

The young campers are encouraged to keep a journal of their experiences

BTO Camps 2022

Tue, 24 May 2022 15:59:00 GMT

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

Getting to the camp

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

To Apply

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

Projects Archive

Birds of Poole Harbour 2025

The charity runs over 300 different events through the year including wildlife cruises, osprey nest tours, ID courses, bird ringing demos and much more, engaging over 10,000 people annually

Memorial Talk 2024: Holly Budge

Disappearing Giants

This talk is free but please do book as places are limited.

Date: Wednesday 6th November 2024Time: 7pm, doors open at 6.30Venue: New Hall, Winchester CollegeCost: Free

Reserve your tickets here

Primary School Children Talk

Talks from previous years

Disappearing Giants

BTO Young Leaders 2024

The opportunity to be focused on developing environmental and leadership skills on a beautiful site, surrounded by other passionate people is one I will always be thankful for

Course Objectives

Application

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2024 Report

To Apply

New Forest Wildlife Camp Autumn 2024

To Apply

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2024

To Apply

Memorial Talk 2023: Megan McCubbin

How to Stop Extinction

Date: Wednesday 15th November 2023Time: 7pm, doors open at 6.30Venue: New Hall, Winchester CollegeCost: Free

Reserve your tickets here

Primary School Children Talk

Talks from previous years

How do we stop extinction?

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2023

Update: New Forest Wildlife Camps are now closed for 2023. Read Izzy's blog post from the latest camp

To Apply

BTO Young Leaders 2023

Update: The course is now closed for 2023. Read our report from the event

Date: 21st -24th August 2023Venue: Cameron's Cottage, New Forest

Some of the activities took me a little by surprise but having done them I felt that I had definitely gained confidence. Having the opportunity to go birding in the area at the start and end of each day was also fantastic

Course Objectives

Application

Homeless Foundation

Two students who previously were not a fan of the outdoors camp requested to come back for winter break

Zeiss Young Birder Awards

“Birds and the natural world mean a lot to me so I feel very privileged to have this opportunity to support my future in conserving birds and nature.”

What previous winners thought of attending the Cornell Bird Event

Amy HallWinner 2016

Max HellicarWinner 2017

Elliot MontiethWinner 2018

Alex ChapmanWinner 2019

BTO Camps 2023

Update: BTO camps are now closed for 2023. Read our report from what has been a fantastic year

Dates and Venues

Typical Itinerary

Who can camp?

Cost and equipment

Accommodation

Getting to the camp

To Apply

Scottish Ornithology Club, June 2024

Report

To Apply

Memorial Talk 2022: Roger Morgan-Grenville

Across a waking land: a 1000 mile walk through a British Spring

Date: Wednesday 2nd November 2022 Time: 7pm - Doors open 6.30 for a glass of wineVenue: New Hall, Winchester CollegeCost: Free

Reserve your tickets here

Primary School Children Talk

Talks from previous years

New Forest Wildlife Camp 2022

To Apply

Young Naturalists

Want to Join the Young Naturalists?

Want to Join the Young Naturalists?

BTO Young Leaders

Date: 10th -14th August 2022

Some of the activities took me a little by surprise but having done them I felt that I had definitely gained confidence. Having the opportunity to go birding in the area at the start and end of each day was also fantastic

Sessions

Application

70 Nestboxes for 70 Years Competition

You could paint, draw, colour, photograph or write a poem or prose about nestboxes

Prizes

Supplied by C.J. Wildlife

Details and Deadlines

Our Young Ambassador programme is sponsored by C.J. Wildlife

Date: Wednesday 6th November 2024
Time: 7pm, doors open at 6.30
Venue: New Hall, Winchester College
Cost: Free

Date: Wednesday 15th November 2023
Time: 7pm, doors open at 6.30
Venue: New Hall, Winchester College
Cost: Free

Date: 21st -24th August 2023
Venue: Cameron's Cottage, New Forest

Amy Hall
Winner 2016

Max Hellicar
Winner 2017

Elliot Montieth
Winner 2018

Alex Chapman
Winner 2019

Date: Wednesday 2nd November 2022
Time: 7pm - Doors open 6.30 for a glass of wine
Venue: New Hall, Winchester College
Cost: Free