I started making a list of people I thought would be at the Bird Fair and I wanted to see but it got too long after: Carry Akroyd, Tim Appleton, John Armitage, Nick Baker, Jessie Barry, Keith Betton, Andrew Branson, Keith Brockie, Mike Clarke (and everyone else at the RSPB), Victoria Chester (and everyone else at Plantlife), Andy Clements (and everyone else at the BTO), Mark Cocker, Peter Cooper, Alan Davies, Martin Davies, Mike Dilger, Steve Dudley, Alistair Gammell, Robert Gilmore, Stephanie Hilborne (and everyone else at the Wildlife Trusts), Ben Hoare, Mike Hodgson, Peter Jones, Laura Kammermeier, Martin Kelsey, Marco Lambertini (and everyone else at BirdLife International), Rob Lambert, Ceri Levy, David Lindo, Lucy McRobert, Jim Martin, Nigel Massen, Ruth Miller, Dominic Mitchell (and everyone else at Birdwatch), Charlie Moores, Stephen Moss, Ian Newton, Chris Packham, Simon Papps, Debbie Pain (and everyone else at WWT), Richard Porter, Carol Rawlings, Matt Shardlow (and everyone else at Buglife), Chris Wood, Martin Warren (and everyone else at Butterfly Conservation), Brett Westwood, Findlay Wilde, Peter Wilkinson, Stuart Winter, Barbara Young.
I stopped at 50 names. If I saw all of them on day 1 and spoke to each for 10 minutes that’s the day sorted. And there are many many more people whom I don’t know are coming but if they are then I’d love to have a chat with them too.
Will you be there? And will you approach me with a pile of Fighting for Birds in your hand that you have just purchased asking to have them signed? That would be nice.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s posts will probably be about the Bird Fair – unless no-one turns up and nothing happens…
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I’ll add myself to that list, Mark. Either today or tomorrow, probably both
Alan – excellent, I’ll look out for you. It would be good to have a natter.
And no one of them paid to get in!!
Will try to say hello 🙂
Val – please do!
I met you last year where you sing mt copy of FFB. I’ve read it and re-read parts of it. Inspiring stuff. Setting off for this years BirdFair in 15 mins. Looking forward to it. Cartoon is very good!
Darren – many thanks!
No. A festival of massive over-consumption.
The very antithesis of a green lifestyle.
No doubt easily justifiable by attendees though
On the face of it Steve I would tend to agree with your comment, i think Ralph has drawn one of the stands which represents something I find “pretty” annoying (the far flung birding trips abroad) half of that is down to jealousy (can’t afford it) and the other half because I understand the damage that can be done by “mass tourisim”. But their is more to Birdfiar then massive over consumption…after all if your wallet is empty you ain’t consuming nowt!
Their are organisations that have stands that just don’t get the same level of coverage in the media, after all NOT everyone visiting is a wildlife enthusiast and they get a chance to see/hear about campaigns that they were not aware of, it’s also a chance to meet up with people you only know via the net and put a face to a name and the biggest benefit Rutland get to make some money…in my opinion Birdfair (minus the dodgems) is no different to a Country Fair that helps with the promotion of farming etc….you’re right easily justifiable.
I hope you get a chance to visit (or the other way round) my uncle Ruary who should be manning the dragonfly project stand in marquee 2.
Chris packham had him down as geek of the week several springwatches ago and he is always enthusiastically describing odonates as the birdwatchers’ insect.
Doug – I’ll try to track him down
By the way.
Always fancied visiting birdfair but never seem to have the time.
And that’s the case again this year.
Perhaps next.
Birding is a now a massive industry that a lot of people make a good living from.
That is by far the main thrust of the event
Look at the exhibitors etc if you need proof
Birders buying expensive optics, pagers and foreign holidays.
Almost zero promotion of a lower consumption lifestyle. Just carry on and keep buying.
I have worked conservation stands there and you couldn’t get many birders to part with even a quid to help fund preservation of an endangered species.
Sorry Steve but that’s complete tosh. Firstly after costs are taken out all the profit raised by Birdfair goes to conservation projects have a look here for evidence http://www.birdfair.org.uk/birdfair-projects/ or have a look at what Tim Appleton reckons here http://talking-naturally.co.uk/10-reasons-birdfair-important-conservation/
Who am I to say why the stand you were working failed to relieve a single pound from the pockets of birders….perhaps it was your “donation pitch” that wasn’t up to scratch?
As for the companies involved, many conservation NGO’s are working closer with large companies these days, “backtrack” to Mark’s “Essex Mud” (at least I think that was the blog title) and how the RSPB are working with Crossrail to create a nature reserve or the many local wildlife trusts that use Atkins to help them dig out and create ditches/scrapes/drainage systems etc (see Norfolk Wildlife Trust and many others) as for the scopes, camera’s and bin’s, pagers (people still use them?), isn’t it better people once a year travel to one location to purchase their choice of goods rather then travel around the country to purchase them goods, for example if I want a new lens it’s more “green” for my to travel from Northants to Rutland look at the lens/purchase lens then to travel to the nearest camera store to purchase said lens (Norwich) and before you say buy it on-line, it can be purchased on-line but you can’t see it “working” and it’s not damged etc on-line.
Also some of those comapnies are helping nature conservation either via the cost of setting up a stand at Birdfair but also some contribute to conservation projects directly too.
Steve – I think that’s a bit unfair but you are entitled to your point of view. The Bird Fair raises money for nature conservation and has done, now, for 15 years. That’s a pretty good record.
“zero promotion of a lower consumption lifestyle.”
Neolithic would be about right – with a fast broadband connection, naturally …
Well I held the door of the gents open for you but you didn’t say “Hi”!
🙂
No. I won’t be there. But I didn’t see my name on your list anyway, so I guess you won’t be too upset.
Malcolm – gutted! It’s always nice to meet readers of this blog.
Hi Mark
I will try to find you tomorrow, then you can sign my copy of Fighting for Birds as well
Chris – very happy to do that, thank you.
It is interesting that the exponential rise in Birding “spend” has coincided with the equally rapid decline in the fortunes of many of our birds as shown in the State of Nature. I am too good a scientist to link these together but it does make you think. I spend more on bird food and feeders for my garden than I donate to conservation and there is no good scientific evidence that it make any difference (to the birds in my garden that is). As to the Bird Fair – the Conservation NGOs are just picking up the crumbs. Somehow even those that should care – don’t. The human brain has a wonderful ability to build partitions.
Sorry but where are you getting your evidence that the rise in “birding spend” has coincided with an equally rapid decline (a source for your evidence would be nice to read). I can see how more birders/nonbirders visiting a reserve etc can effect breeding success due to disruption etc however the decline of bird species is also linked to habitat loss, pesticide usage, enviromental/climate pressures and with some species persecution.
As for feeding wild birds the BTO and Exeter Uni, did release a report saying feeding Blue Tits over winter has an effect and breeding success in spring but at the same time the BTO also producded a report saying how winter feeding of Great Spotted Woodpeckers increase breeding success…..
I was there and saw you Mark, deep in conversation in the covered outdoor eating area. Got my copy of your book last Christmas, with signature already, so no need to present to you again.
Enjoyed the show, despite the high carbon holidays, which I won’t be partaking of, and the increasingly expensive optics which I would love to partake of but can’t afford. Most time spent in the art marquee – a weak spot for me, but at least the art is made in the UK, lots of british wildlife subject matter (if you ignore the icebergs and albatrosses) and keeps a relatively home-grown industry alive. Managed to avoid parting with too much cash – this time, and the paintings last for longer than a high carbon holiday!
Had a very interesting conversation with Matt Shardlow (Buglife) about neonics, the chancellor and the Water Framework Directive, as well as the optimum hole size needed for solitary bees to build their nests in and my husband made a pledge to build another bug hotel!
Sian – sounds like a good day!
Anyone going there is good offer at Butterfly Conservation for the fair. Join and the first year is free. Yes, Free. Join for nothing and decide at the end of the year whether you have enjoyed it enough to carry on as a member. It would make sense for other organisations to follow suit.
Agreed, a great offer to which I was happy to sign up. Other organisations take note.
I do hope that the mud has gone today, but maybe the fair wouldn’t be the same without it.
The Bird Fair represents, and is part of, the huge rise in birding “spend” that has occurred in the last 30-40 years. The State of Nature report shows the rapid decline in wildlife over a similar period. In my comment above, I was careful to use the phrase “coincided with” rather than “caused” because I do not think that more people watching birds has caused this decline in birds. Over the same period 100,000s of people have joined the RSPB and other wildlife NGOs. The growth in the number and extent of reserves has increased rapidly. More people care about wildlife now than at any other time in our history. Large numbers of people travel abroad to see wonderful wildlife for themselves and support organisations that are trying to preserve it. Millions of pounds are spent on bird food for our garden birds each year. But, as the State of Nature reports, and my own experience tells me, we are witness to a rapid decline in wildlife. As the astonishing speech by Iolo Williams at the launch of the State of Nature showed – it cannot now be business as usual. What I would like Mark to do at the Bird Fair, when he meets his 50 names, is to look them in the eye and ask them whether they are part of the solution or part of the problem. The NGOs need to start doing something special very quickly.
By the way – I have been a member of Butterfly Conservation for years. They do a great job a small organisation that “hits well above its weight). Don’t ask what they can do for you. Just give them some money.