Kate on Conservation

Birdfair: A look back at ‘next generation conservation’

Birdfair-youth-panel-standing-in-wild-zone

Birdfair 2020 has gone digital! For the first time ever, Rutland Birdfair — the so-called Glastonbury of the animal world — will be hosting an entirely virtual version of its talks and events, available to view online tomorrow (18th – 23rd August) Here.

These talks include the much-anticipated ‘State of the Earth’ Question Time Event on the evening of Friday 21 August from 7.00- 9.30pm; with panellists Dr Jane Goodall, Chris Packham, Lizzie Daly, Craig Bennett, Sir Ian Boyd , Liz Bonnin and Will Travers. As well as the ‘State of the Earth’ Next Generation Question Time Panel with James Miller, Dara McAnulty, Mya Rose Craig, Bella Lack and Sophie Pavelle.

BirdFair is one of my favourite events in the calendar, and of course one of the things I love most (and will miss most about it this year) is meeting so many other like-minded individuals and organisations — and trying to catch a glimpse of the marvellous ospreys on the Rutland Reserve, of course!

Next generation conservation debate:

Ahead of tomorrow’s online event, I figured it would be nice to share a video from a panel talk that I was lucky enough to be invited to join at Rutland BirdFair 2018; along side some of the most inspiring young people in conservation; Alex White, Bella Lack, James Miller, Beth Jennings and Georgia Locock; chaired by Dominic Dyer. I hope you enjoy our discussion around whether nature should work for us; or should we work for nature…

Should Nature Work for Us Or Should We Work for Nature?

Thank you so much to Dominic Dyer, Birdfair and my fellow panellists for the wonderful opportunity to speak at the Bird Fair.

Enjoyed this post? Take a look at some more live discussions, debates and podcasts I’ve been involved in 2020.

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2 thoughts on “Birdfair: A look back at ‘next generation conservation’

  1. Hi Kate. Agreed, can’t wait to sample BBW Online. Hen Harrier Day online worked well last week, so I have high hopes. And at least this year we won’t become stick-in-the-muds! In case you’ve blanked it from your memory, the weather last year was foul, so foul I felt compelled to blog about it – here’s the link if you want to relive the nightmare! http://64reflections.home.blog/2019/11/13/birdfair-the-curse-of-glastonbury/

    Have a great Birdfair

    1. Haha, thank you so much for sharing your post. I actually missed last year, as I’d just had a baby (it seemed a bit much to take a 1-year-old and a newborn!) — so I missed all the mud, thankfully! 2018 was my last Birdfair ‘in person’, so I very much look forward to a physical return next year! I wish it had been online to some extent last year, actually — as I was so envious of everyone who was there posting on social media over the weekend! (but couldn’t tear myself away, naturally). Nice to read your blog post and check out what I missed.

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