THE countdown has begun on
one of the social highlights of the birding calendar - Birdfair 2018.
As ever, the event will be
held (over weekend August 17-19 ) at
Rutland Water, near Stamford.
Fundraising for worthwhile
wildlife projects - usually overseas - has always been a focus of founder Tim Appleton and the
organisers.
Last year, a total of £330,000
was raised through admission charges, ticket sales for events and other sources.
This year, the aim is to
raise as much as possible towards the creation of Argentina’s largest national park, in the process providing a
refuge for nearly a million flamingos and shorebirds.
The format of Birdfair 2018 will
broadly be similar to previous years.
However, instead of being numbered,
the marquees where the lectures are held are being given raptor names – Osprey,
Harrier, Merlin, Hobby.
Thanks to a grant from the
city of Toyooka in Japan, a new feature this year will be an area for the
special benefit of young visitors.
A large marquee will be the hub of a weekend of entertainment
including plays, storytelling, films,
guided walks, virtual pond dipping, mini-talks, origami sessions, a puffin
mural and young people’s debates.
Among TV stars from the
natural world will be Mike Dilger, Nick
Baker, Jules Howard and Adrian Cale.
Meanwhile, authors Anneliese
Emmans Dean, Edward Giles and Vicky Woodgate will read or perform a variety of
shows.
Other activities will range from hedge-laying to making Harry Potter-style wands.
But back to the lecture
theatres.
In his talk, entitled New Moon on the Wane – The Curse of the
Curlews, Rick Simpson will discuss a species group whose populations are
declining because of shrinking ranges and other factors.
Two species are thought to be
extinct already and others may be heading that way.
In a presentation on Greece’s Ionian
islands, Roula Trigou will explore the diversity of
spring migration - but also the continuing harm being caused by songbird
trapping.
The ominous title of his talk
is : A Magnficent Story Cut Short.
In a similar vein, the focus
will fall on the current bird-trapping situation on another sunshine island.
In Cyprus - the
Complexities of Progress, Martin
Hellicar and Guy Shorrock will detail the
covert surveillance work and other measures undertaken, stressing that
short-term gains still do not mean that this archaic practice is close to an
end.
The duo’s presentation will
also look at efforts by BirdLife Cyprus to turn the political and cultural tide on trapping,
with a particular focus on awareness-raising efforts, including a push to promote
birding tourism on the island.
Encouraged by the RSPB and
birdfood suppliers, many householders put out food for the birds, but is this a
practice always to be encouraged?
In a talk entitled The Effects of Garden Bird Feeding, Kate
Risely will explore the implications and what we know about the real impacts on
individuals and populations.
Kate will outline the known
benefits and risks of garden bird feeding, drawn from both long term and recent
BTO research
The weekend will feature many
other enthralling presentations.
For instance, Frank
McClintock will describe his three-week self-drive birding holiday in Namibia and Botswana.
Vaughan Ashby will regale his
audience with a presentation on huge diversity of birds and their habitats in Colombia which, at almost 2,000, is reckoned to boast the
highest number of bird species on the planet
Nearer home, author and TV
producer Stephen Moss will focus on the
birds of Avalon Marshes in Somerset.
Friday
night is Question Time night at Birdfair
A panel, chaired by chaired
by Dominic Dyer, will field questions about the current State of Nature in Britain and focus on changes in our environment since
Birdfair was launched in 1989.
The evening will bring
together figures from the broadcasting, media, business and political fields to
discuss key nature conservation and wildlife protection issues, home and abroad, with the audience.
The panel is to be made up of Chris
Packham, Simon King, Patrick Barkham,
Craig Bennett, Mark Cocker,
Kerry McCarthy MP and Mary Colwell.
Kerry McCarthy - the Labour MP for Bristol East has a special interest in environmental affairs
Kerry McCarthy - the Labour MP for Bristol East has a special interest in environmental affairs
Among authors who will be
signing their books over one or more of the three days are:
* John Lee: Bonkers about Birds
* David Lindo: Birds and the City
* Pat Morris: Hedgehog
* Tiffany Francis: Food You Can Forage
* Michael Brooke: The Mysterious Lives of Seabirds
* Patrick Barkham: Islander – A Journey Around Our Archipelago
Joe Shute will be signing copies of his book about the raven
* Mary Colwell: 500 Miles for Curlews
* Mary Colwell: 500 Miles for Curlews
* Neil Hermes: Birds of Australian High Country
Author Tessa Boase is a former journalist on The Daily Telegraph
* Tim Birkhead: The Wonderful Mr Willughby
* Tim Birkhead: The Wonderful Mr Willughby
* Mark Cocker: Our Place - Can We Save Britain's Wildlife Before
It's Too Late
* Kate Bradbury: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway
* Katrina van Grouw: Unnatural Selection: Evolution at The Hand
of Man
* Mark Brazil: The Birds of Japan: A Modern Approach
* Jon Dunn: Orchid Summer
* Full details of Birdfair 2018
are on its website: birdfair.org.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment