Sunday 14 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday in June 2015 - Week 2


30 Days wild - A Wildlife Trusts initiative for June 2015


Doing something wild everyday


Monday 8th June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 8 - I found this gorgeous caterpillar on our front step in the garden this morning.  I literally had to step over it to go out of the gate!


Caterpiller in Compton Martin, Somerset
Photograph taken by young birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig



Tuesday 9th June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday



Day 9 - I have a cute pet rabbit called Shanti (meaning peace) who lives in a large chicken house in our garden at the back of our house. Here our fence runs along the edge of a field, which lies behind our house.

At this time of year the field is beautiful as the grass is long, before it is cut and cows released into the field. I had time to look at the field as it started to get dark, when I went to put Shanti away this evening.


The field behind my house at sunset, Compton Martin, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright young birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig


Wednesday 10th June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday



Day 10 - Today, after school my little niece Laila came over. We went to play in the garden and noticed a Broad-bodied Chaser, a dragonfly.  It flew around the pond and then settled on a grass stem, long enough for me to take a photo with my phone.

It was lovely to one, but even more lovely to watch Laila's excitement.



A Broad-bodied Chaser, Dragonfly, Compton Martin, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig


My garden wildlife pond, Compton Martin, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig


Thursday 11 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday




Day 11 - The field opposite our house, abuts our garden across the road. It is steep at the top, where it starts heading up the Mendip escarpment. The field is really beautiful at the moment with long grass and wild flowers.

Today I walked to the very top oh the field to admire the view.  In this tranquility, I impulsively took of my shoes and danced in the field, rehearsing the ballet dance I am going to be performing in a upcoming show.

I had so much open space, it was was great to take all the space I wanted.




Dancing in this wild flower meadow
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig


Friday 12 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday


Day 12 - Today I went to The Avalon Marshes Centre on the Somerset Levels, after school.  This is where my Camp Avalon for young birders it taking place next weekend.  I had a look around to assess the best places for feeders, which I then filled and put up.  Hopefully, the birds will get used to feeding on the feeders so that when we put nets up, we'll catch some birds for ringing.



Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig assessing the habitat
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig assessing the habitat
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig filling feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig filling feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig filling feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig filling feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig putting up feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig putting up feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Saturday 13 June 2015 


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday



Day 13 - Examining Brian up close

Today I spent the day at the Festival of Nature in Bristol, Britain's largest free nature festival.  I am so lucky to live here.

This photograph is taken with a BBC Natural History Unit long lens, and shows me getting close up to a snail (Brian in the 1970's childrens programme The Magic Roundabout) as is used in lots of wildlife programmes.  Picture Sir David Attenborough looking at an ant.



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with a snail  at Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


I had an amazing day, visiting lots of stands and having good chats with Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Somerset Badger Group.

I feel motivated to lots more environmentally based blog posts now and maybe even earn the right to call myself an activist.

We also went to see Bill Oddie speak and as expected he was very funny. He talked about lots of topics that I feel passionately about like Palm Oil Plantations in Borneo that have replaced virtually all of the rain forest out there, ringing as a child (I love it too), the crime of the government wanting to make hunting with dogs legal again and puffins.



Bill Oddie talking at Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig


After the talk , I rushed back to the BBC tent to get into the queue to get my new book signed by Bill Oddie.  I have wanted to meet him all my life and until now things have never quite worked out.  He is legend and without him bringing birding to our screens with my good friend Stephen Moss, we would never have got Wild in My Garden and then Springwatch and I don't think it can ever be as entertaining without him.

He was really lovely to me, commenting on my Birdgirl t-shirt and asking me which hummingbird it was - Swordbilled and where I had seen it.


Bill Oddie with Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Sunday 14 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 14 - Going for a walk on the Mendips at the beautiful Stockhill and Priddy Pools.

Today was another busy day at the brilliant Festival of Nature in Bristol.  This year was an extra special event, because Bristol is the European Green Capital 2015, the first UK city to be chosen and so there are lots of events taking place to celebrate and highlight environmental issues.  I feel really lucky to be living here.




Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at the Bristol Festival of Nature
(with a fairtrade banana coming out of her head!)

Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig




Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at the Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

We then went to the lovely Stockhill for an early evening walk across to Priddy Pools, which was really peaceful after a busy weekend in Bristol and Bath.



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Stockhill, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Stockhill, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


About the writer



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig


Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol, UK and blogs about birding and conservation from around the world. Wader conservation is important to her and she is Ambassador to the global wader initiative World Shorebird Day. She is looking forward to Mountain Gorilla trekking this summer in East Africa and to watching penguins in Antarctica in December, her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter.













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