[The Mayor with the Eco Team at the Bristol City Academy]
As the long dark days of winter draw slowly towards spring, Bath and NE Somerset school kids are being encouraged by Metro Mayor Dan Norris to get outside with a mission in mind: to count and record the number of different birds visiting their playgrounds.
It’s all part of the country’s biggest school bird-watching event called the Big Schools’ Birdwatch led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ which is running until Monday 19 February – helping the charity find out which bird species are thriving and crucially, those that are declining too.
It’s important research, as studies show around half of the birds in the country are at risk of extinction or threatened, warns the West’s directly elected Mayor.
Teachers, helpers or children don’t need to be experts to take part in the survey. All you have to do is spend one hour at any time noting the bird species seen in your school grounds at any one time. Then submit your results online
Mayor Norris says he wants more Bath and NE Somerset children to be engaged with nature from an early age, and take their enthusiasm through to adulthood. He said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the West’s youngsters to chart the West of England’s wildlife.
“It’s all about raising awareness with children in terms of the animals they have in their own area. And it works – last year, I met many youngsters coming to me telling me what sort of things they spotted in their school grounds, their gardens or when they’ve generally been out and about.
“It really does show that seeing it first hand is the single best way to get our young people excited about nature. By getting out to watch our feathered friends in action, they can learn so much, not least thinking about how we can protect our precious planet, and the animals we share it with.
“I urge all Bath and NE Somerset students to get outside and turn their eyes to the skies.”
For more information on how to register for Big Schools’ Birdwatch 2024, a free activity, visit rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch.
