Hen Harrier Day 2020 update

More about Hen Harrier Day Online 2020: things to get involved with

Here’s an update about Hen Harrier Day 2020. Since Covid-19 first struck, the folk at Hen Harrier Action have been planning an online event, and it’s going to be fantastic. Sadly, nearly all of the planned events on the ground have had to be cancelled but they live to fight another day and meanwhile the online event is going from strength to strength. Look out for some major announcements in the coming weeks and fuller details of the programme as we move through July.

Hen harrier days are all about promoting wider awareness of the issues affecting our uplands and engaging more folk with them. Hen Harrier Day Online is an excellent opportunity to do more of that and it’s great to see that the organisers are taking full advantage. Some of the plans are still under wraps but there are six community strands which are open invitations which we need to get out there so that people know they can compete, enter or otherwise contribute.

Have a look at each of the six below. You will all know people who will be keen to join in, and a fair few of you might think to do so yourselves. So do spread the word, and do join in. Here are the different strands:

Children’s writing competition

A competition for writing on any wildlife subject, with entries in three age categories. Michael Morpurgo will read out the overall winning entry on the day and Gill Lewis, organising the competition will read out the winners in the other age groups.

A hen harrier song

The composer Cheryl Camm has written a haunting elegiac song specially for the event and recorded it in lockdown with The Bridge Singers, a community choir based in Northumberland. The invite is for more versions, perhaps in different styles, to help contribute to the day.

Early Career Naturalist Challenge

The challenge is to folk aged under 30 to make a short video about issues affecting the uplands. The entry format is a video that need not mean ‘a film’; it could be animation, puppets, a focussed interview. A way of showing your skills of course but with the emphasis on originality in conveying a message.

 Making (crafts)

An open invitation to make objects in support of Hen Harrier Day. Most of us love making things whether it is models, or mascots, hand puppets or biscuits. This is a prompt to your creativity but there are also models and patterns on the website. No prizes, but a chance for the best to appear on the day.

Street Art

Hen harrier days in the past have prompted spontaneous street art. This year we’re giving it a little push and confidently expecting a couple of creations that will be filmed in time lapse. We understand that artist ‘ATM’ has plans so we are inviting others to join in. Know any street artists? This is a contemporary medium that can convey ideas powerfully.

T-shirt design

Last but not least, Hen Harrier Action is looking for new T-shirt designs for 2021, so what better than to ask for creative ideas from the public. The ask, this time, is for designs with the words ‘Save our Skydancer’, and I promise I will wear one of the winning designs on the day (if available in very very large size).

You can see more about all of these at henharrierday.uk/community. They are not the only community activities that are on their way, nor the only ‘cultural’ ones. Just the open invitation ones that have to be out there promptly to give people the chance to create and enter their contributions. There will be more about other strands, and about the event more generally at henharrierday.uk/online over the coming weeks. If you want to talk to the organisers about your own ideas or possible contributions, please email [email protected]. Please do the same if you are willing to help with social media and would like to be on an email list to keep in the loop with new material to tweet.

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