Hen Harrier Eve

IMG_3462

The Hen Harrier Eve event in Buxton on Saturday evening was a sell-out and a good time was had by all.

My thanks go to Susan Cross, the co-organiser with myself; and the two of us would like to thank a large number of friends, colleagues and partners who helped put the event together.  And also, 290 people for coming to fill up all those seats.

IMG_3465
The room begins to fill

About half of the programme was filled with the same familiar faces (me, Chris Packham, the RSPB (Amanda Miller and the Skydancer video) and Findlay Wilde (not an old face but a familiar one)).  A little about them later, but what about the less familiar names?

Susan, with Gordon MacLellan (Creeping Toad), did some readings about the Peak District to put the local home of the Hen Harrier in context. Did Sir Gawain twitch Hen Harrier while searching for the Green Knight in the Peak District?

Mark Cocker, Buxton-born author, is a familiar name to many because of his excellent books but his was a fresh face to many in this audience. As well as speaking about the place of birds of prey in human cultures across the world (see his excellent book Birds and People) Mark was in conversation with Jeremy Deller.

Jeremy Deller won the Turner Prize in 2004, but that might not have been on the radar of most raptor workers in the audience. When he won, he dedicated the prize to ‘Everyone who cycles, everyone who cycles in London, everyone who looks after wildlife and the Quaker movement’. His work ‘A good day for cyclists’ brought several of these interests together as an enormous ringtail Hen Harrier, a massive mural, clutches a blood-red Range Rover in its talons.

IMG_2630

Jeremy was a star! His discussion with Mark was a massive hit with the audience and in the interval and after he produced A4 versions of his mural, signed them, flogged them for a fiver each, and raised nearly 650 quid for Birders Against Wildlife Crime!!

But there were the usual suspects too. Findlay Wilde (age 13) is now a must-have speaker at any event on Hen Harriers. The speakers were all speaking from a grouse butt (which reappeared in the Goyt Valley on Sunday – of which more tomorrow) which was built by Findlay (I think his Dad, Nigel, helped), and Fin played (what I believe young people call) a video ‘mash-up’ of its construction (to a soundtrack composed by his younger brother Harley). As well as a grouse butt, there was a massive poison bottle and a massive gin trap in the room.  And, by the  way, a  few thousand shotgun cartridges.

Findlay, star that he is, had an announcement up his sleeve too – he told us all that Ecotricity had been persuaded, by Findlay, to support the satellite-tagging of Hen Harriers next year.  I’m glad I am one of their customers – not just for this but because they are part of the roll out of sustainable energy production on the UK.

Henry the Hen Harrier was also present, and we had another video ‘mash-up’ of Henry’s travels around the UK composed by (older than 13 years, Phil Walton). At first, I think some people thought that I was Henry – not true! I don’t fit! Many people have been Henry – some as young as 13, others as old as, ahem, 60 – some male and some female. Henry is a composite – but it’s been great fun travelling with Henry on his journeys (some of them, not all) and giving him pearls of wisdom on our travels (!).

After Amanda Miller had introduced the Skydancer video, and we had watched it, Mike Clarke, RSPB CEO, said a few words which touched on YFTB’s campaign, the RSPB’s determination to fight Hen Harrier persecution and went down very well with the audience.  It was good to see Mike at this event – much appreciated.

Also in the audience was the CEO of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Jo Smith – who spoke in the Goyt Valley on the following day.

But also, we had the pleasure of the G(W)CT’s spin doctor (although the TGC((W) has a lot of real Drs, PhDs), Andrew Gilruth, in the room. He arrived late, so I’d like him to know that he did get a special mention in my introduction. After all, without some of G(W)CT’s members, supporters, fellow-travellers like-thinkers and grouse moor managers and their gamekeepers, and grouse shooters, there would be no need to have public meetings in support of the Hen Harrier.

And then there was Chris Packham.  He was, as always great. More on Chris tomorrow.

Every gathering of people is unique – so was this one.  It was special for the people who attended. It really was a great evening – I enjoyed it enormously. But it was just a little bit special for taking forward the mission shared by many, and best exemplified perhaps in New Networks for Nature, of the bringing together art and science, head and heart, to forge a common cause for a better future.

Whilst we were enjoying ourselves, the e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting passed 11,000 signatures.

IMG_3470
The room was full

 

 

[registration_form]

8 Replies to “Hen Harrier Eve”

  1. And thank you, Mark, again, for everything you did – particularly for being a focal point for all those amazing people and for absolutely knowing all the way through that we could do this and it would be great. I suspect on the night it was greater than even you envisaged but without your vision all those contributions would not have been made and there would have been nothing. Thank you too for your unfailing support and encouragement and for making this whole endeavour so very enjoyable. It has been a delight.

  2. Hi Mark,what a wonderful week-end,all organisers and helpers did a wonderful job and all speakers left us spellbound.
    Special for us to meet yourself after all this while and extra special surprise was that the first person I met was Rosemary which started the week-end in a special way.
    Richard will be pleased that Mike Clarke allowed me quite a while to exchange our views and I think it was good of him to allow that and special that he supported the event and spoke for some time explaining how is is committed to the Hen Harrier cause.
    As I.. have been critical of him I must say after our conversation and his attendance at the week-ends events in the Peak District he has gone up in my estimation

  3. Dennis, fully agree with all you say. Sorry not to have had the chance of a chat with you. Mike Clarke signed his chapter in Mark’s book for me. I thought his talk was excellent and also Jeff Knott’s on Sunday. Perhaps we’re at last all beginning to pull together!

    1. Richard,yes it is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack when you do not know the person.My impressions from speaking with Mike Clarke was that it is probably more difficult for a organisation to do certain things than it is for individuals and I did think he is fully committed to the Hen Harrier cause even though I guess he is great at PR.
      The nicest thought I got from our chat although he did not say it was that in my opinion it would do a lot of good if very ordinary people like myself let him know how we feel.That is however only my opinion but he is certainly a good listener and gives him a chance to explain his ideas personally,perhaps what cannot be put out in the same way,I do think he carries a big responsability as being head of a large organisation he is the person who somehow needs to find ways where we have far more Hen Harriers in England so in that case he is the most important person with all that backing of over one million members behind him for the Hen Harrier cause.I feel sure that his attendance was a show of the strength of support for Hen Harrier day and for that we should all be thankful.

  4. Brilliant evening , entertaining, informative and very inspirational. Hard to say what the best bit was all the speakers were excellent. So glad I went to support this cause, Hen Harrier Day can only go from strength to strength….

  5. Hi Mark

    It was good to finally meet you on Sunday, albeit very briefly, I think you probably had a lot on your mind! Will have to catch up for a good chat sometime maybe.

    I am just sorry I couldn’t make the evening before, it sounds like it was a great event, maybe next year, but maybe all the gamekeepers and land owners will have called a truce by then? I very much doubt that, but I do believe change is certainly being felt in the air.

    I would just like to add my voice to all the many others, about what great work is being done to save ‘our’ Hen Harriers by you, BAWC, RSPB, DWT and a host of others, Thank-You all.

    Regards
    Peter ( & Jane )
    p.s. Thanks for signing my copy of Inglorious!

Comments are closed.