Latest news with #MattTrevelyan
Vancouver Sun
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Brit dressed as giant bird walks 85 km in support of endangered curlew
Article content This one is for the birds. Article content A bird enthusiast recently walked 85 km dressed in a homemade bird costume to raise awareness for one of Great Britain's most iconic and threatened birds. Article content Matt Trevelyan, 46, made the trek dressed as his favourite winged species – the Eurasian curlew – which is endangered in the United Kingdom. Article content The elaborate costume was three yards long and was made out of split bamboo, muslin and polystyrene. Article content Article content Trevelyan, a Farming in Protected Landscapes officer, walked with friends and family around the Nidderdale Way route in the Yorkshire Dales in support of conservation projects. Article content Article content 'They have such a beautiful song — it pulls at your heart strings — it was great to hear it whilst walking the awareness-raising adventure.' Article content The bird lover finished the walk over the Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend ahead of World Curlew Day on April 21. Article content Article content The day was created in 2017 by Mary Colwell to raise awareness of the declining numbers of curlews and the issues they face because of habitat loss, land-use changes and climate pressures. Article content Article content The walker covered 40 km on the first day, including a 22.5-km trek, before stopping for lunch and then going another 17 km. On Day 2, he walked and occasionally ran the remaining 45 km. Article content 'The walk was a joy — there were beautiful views and the weather was perfect,' Trevelyan said. Article content 'I underestimated how fast I could walk, meaning I was trundling along for a solid 12 hours a day.
Toronto Sun
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Brit dressed as giant bird walks 85 km in support of endangered curlew
A bird enthusiast recently walked 85 km dressed in a homemade bird costume to raise awareness for one of Great Britain's most iconic and threatened birds -- the Eurasian curlew. Photo by SCREEN GRAB / NIDDERDALE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE This one is for the birds. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account A bird enthusiast recently walked 85 km dressed in a homemade bird costume to raise awareness for one of Great Britain's most iconic and threatened birds. Matt Trevelyan, 46, made the trek dressed as his favourite winged species – the Eurasian curlew – which is endangered in the United Kingdom. The elaborate costume was three yards long and was made out of split bamboo, muslin and polystyrene. Trevelyan, a Farming in Protected Landscapes officer, walked with friends and family around the Nidderdale Way route in the Yorkshire Dales in support of conservation projects. 'The curlew is my favourite bird and I've been saddened as their numbers have reduced massively around the U.K., he said, per the New York Post . 'They have such a beautiful song — it pulls at your heart strings — it was great to hear it whilst walking the awareness-raising adventure.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More The bird lover finished the walk over the Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend ahead of World Curlew Day on April 21. The day was created in 2017 by Mary Colwell to raise awareness of the declining numbers of curlews and the issues they face because of habitat loss, land-use changes and climate pressures. The walker covered 40 km on the first day, including a 22.5-km trek, before stopping for lunch and then going another 17 km. On Day 2, he walked and occasionally ran the remaining 45 km. 'The walk was a joy — there were beautiful views and the weather was perfect,' Trevelyan said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I underestimated how fast I could walk, meaning I was trundling along for a solid 12 hours a day. 'The costume was fairly easy to walk in as it was very lightweight. 'As long as I pointed the beak in the correct direction and ducked underneath the occasional branch I was fine.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO He said it took him three days to create the costume, which included a four-yard-long beak and hand-painted details. 'It was a lot of trial and error — but I'm glad it came out so well as I wanted it to be as beautiful as the actual bird,' he said. 'The hardest part to make was the head and the beak, which was quite tricky, but once that was out the way it was a lot easier to finish. 'I was never worried about the walk. I just wanted to make sure I had done a good job with the costume.' The enthusiasts said Nidderdale Way is one of the last remaining strongholds for the endangered bird. The numbers of the bird have reportedly halved over the last 20 years with only 58,000 remaining in the wild. Canada Federal Elections Toronto Blue Jays Sports Federal Elections
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Walking 53 miles dressed as a giant bird was harder than I thought'
On Easter Sunday morning as the minds and mouths of many turned to the thought of demolishing chocolate eggs, Matt Trevelyan was thinking about protecting actual eggs. Like other walkers, he strapped on his boots, but unlike other hikers he then donned a 10ft curlew costume for his day ahead. Mr Trevelyan was on the day two of a three-day 53-mile walk to raise awareness and funds for the endangered bird species - dressed as Cathy the Curlew. The creature's call is a common sound in Nidderdale, because the European wading bird makes its nests in the traditional pasture land that surrounds the eastern edges of the Yorkshire Dales. But, according to Mr Trevelyan, the birds have declined by about two thirds in the last 50 or so years with the once-common song becoming unknown to local children. And due to recent changes to government policy, farmers are no longer paid to protect curlew. "If kids grow up and they don't hear the call then they've lost something, they won't know it but it's like losing your sense of smell. "You're going to lose some richness in your life and there's so many kids who are growing up in parts of England who will only ever hear curlew on the TV," says Mr Trevelyan, from Middlesmoor, North Yorkshire. "In any film, when they want to put a bit of atmosphere in, whether it's the wrong time of year or the wrong environment, they always play a bit of curlew song because it makes you feel special and wild and magical. "Curlew, culturally, has been a vehicle for poetry, romance, it's an important cultural facilitator to speak about things that are difficult." The Cathy costume was created using polystyrene, bamboo and hand-painted muslin. The long beak and narrow head meant Mr Trevelyan had reduced vision as he walked the almost 20-mile days through Pateley Bridge, Middlesmoor, Guisecliff Wood and Brimham Rocks. "I totally underestimated it. I'm not used to doing long walks like this," he said. "So what I thought was a seven-hour walk was really like a 12-hour walk each day. "You need supporters to push you on, especially when you've got tunnel vision, you need navigated because you don't have your usual perceptive abilities." Mr Trevelyan is a Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer for the Nidderdale National Landscape (previously known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and works alongside farmers to protect endangered species. He says curlew have suffered because of the industrialisation of farming practices. "Farming has become horribly efficient. You've got one man and a very big machine as opposed to 10 men with very small machines. "You have contactors coming in and taking all the grass off a farm in one afternoon. And probably doing that three times over the summer, so that will take out the nest and the chicks. "We can do something about it. We can locate nests with drones. They fly at a height curlew don't mind and curlews are masters of hiding their nests which makes it difficult to protect them. "Most farmers don't want to mow a nest on purpose so if it's been found they can avoid it." The money raised by Mr Trevelyan will go towards a private fund to pay famers to delay making hay until July, when the fledgling chicks will be old enough to fly away from any dangers. 'Joy and celebration' Cathy the Curlew's adventures are not over yet. While currently held up in the council chambers in Pateley Bridge, her calendar also includes a visit to Harrogate Flower Show and The Fellsmen fell run race. "I'm going to milk the Cathy costume for all it's worth," says Mr Trevelyan. "Eventually people will get bored of seeing her. But she will go to assemblies in schools and hopefully lay eggs, kids love it." Mr Trevelyan also hopes Cathy will inspire future generations of conservationists, because, he says, you've got to learn to love an animal before you learn to save it. "The first stage in any exercise in conservation is coming out and learning to love the bird, celebrate it. "The curlew cry has major and minor notes in it, the minor notes in the call make you feel wistful and sorrowful and the major notes give you a feeling of joy and celebration. "That's life isn't it in a nutshell. It's very profound. The call of the curlew makes you feel something and, perhaps, connects you with loss and pain." Curlew decline According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the curlew is the largest European wading bird and about 30% of the west European population spend winter in the UK. In the spring and summer they search out areas of rough pasture, heather moorland and wetland to breed, laying their eggs in a nest on the ground. In 2015, curlews were added to the Red list on the UK Conservation Status Report. Red is the highest conservation priority. On World Curlew Day, the RSPB launched the UK Action Plan for Curlew. The plan calls on government and agencies to support urgent action to reverse their decline. The RSPB's Suzannah Rockett said the species had been in sharp decline across the UK since the 1980s. "Changes to farming practices, driven by agricultural policy, have led to a loss of habitat, and a rise in predators is impacting on the numbers of chicks surviving," she said. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Pateley Bridge Curlews
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Curlew man Matt Trevelyan on why he walked 53 miles dressed as a giant bird
On Easter Sunday morning as the minds and mouths of many turned to the thought of demolishing chocolate eggs, Matt Trevelyan was thinking about protecting actual other walkers, he strapped on his boots, but unlike other hikers he then donned a 10ft curlew costume for his day Trevelyan was on the day two of a three-day 53-mile walk to raise awareness and funds for the endangered bird species - dressed as Cathy the creature's call is a common sound in Nidderdale, because the European wading bird makes its nests in the traditional pasture land that surrounds the eastern edges of the Yorkshire according to Mr Trevelyan, the birds have declined by about two thirds in the last 50 or so years with the once-common song becoming unknown to local due to recent changes to government policy, farmers are no longer paid to protect curlew."If kids grow up and they don't hear the call then they've lost something, they won't know it but it's like losing your sense of smell. "You're going to lose some richness in your life and there's so many kids who are growing up in parts of England who will only ever hear curlew on the TV," says Mr Trevelyan, from Middlesmoor, North Yorkshire."In any film, when they want to put a bit of atmosphere in, whether it's the wrong time of year or the wrong environment, they always play a bit of curlew song because it makes you feel special and wild and magical."Curlew, culturally, has been a vehicle for poetry, romance, it's an important cultural facilitator to speak about things that are difficult." The Cathy costume was created using polystyrene, bamboo and hand-painted long beak and narrow head meant Mr Trevelyan had reduced vision as he walked the almost 20-mile days through Pateley Bridge, Middlesmoor, Guisecliff Wood and Brimham Rocks."I totally underestimated it. I'm not used to doing long walks like this," he said."So what I thought was a seven-hour walk was really like a 12-hour walk each day."You need supporters to push you on, especially when you've got tunnel vision, you need navigated because you don't have your usual perceptive abilities."Mr Trevelyan is a Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer for the Nidderdale National Landscape (previously known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and works alongside farmers to protect endangered says curlew have suffered because of the industrialisation of farming practices."Farming has become horribly efficient. You've got one man and a very big machine as opposed to 10 men with very small machines."You have contactors coming in and taking all the grass off a farm in one afternoon. And probably doing that three times over the summer, so that will take out the nest and the chicks."We can do something about it. We can locate nests with drones. They fly at a height curlew don't mind and curlews are masters of hiding their nests which makes it difficult to protect them. "Most farmers don't want to mow a nest on purpose so if it's been found they can avoid it."The money raised by Mr Trevelyan will go towards a private fund to pay famers to delay making hay until July, when the fledgling chicks will be old enough to fly away from any dangers. 'Joy and celebration' Cathy the Curlew's adventures are not over yet. While currently held up in the council chambers in Pateley Bridge, her calendar also includes a visit to Harrogate Flower Show and The Fellsmen fell run race."I'm going to milk the Cathy costume for all it's worth," says Mr Trevelyan."Eventually people will get bored of seeing her. But she will go to assemblies in schools and hopefully lay eggs, kids love it."Mr Trevelyan also hopes Cathy will inspire future generations of conservationists, because, he says, you've got to learn to love an animal before you learn to save it."The first stage in any exercise in conservation is coming out and learning to love the bird, celebrate it."The curlew cry has major and minor notes in it, the minor notes in the call make you feel wistful and sorrowful and the major notes give you a feeling of joy and celebration."That's life isn't it in a nutshell. It's very profound. The call of the curlew makes you feel something and, perhaps, connects you with loss and pain." Curlew decline According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the curlew is the largest European wading bird and about 30% of the west European population spend winter in the UK. In the spring and summer they search out areas of rough pasture, heather moorland and wetland to breed, laying their eggs in a nest on the ground. In 2015, curlews were added to the Red list on the UK Conservation Status Report. Red is the highest conservation World Curlew Day, the RSPB launched the UK Action Plan for Curlew. The plan calls on government and agencies to support urgent action to reverse their RSPB's Suzannah Rockett said the species had been in sharp decline across the UK since the 1980s. "Changes to farming practices, driven by agricultural policy, have led to a loss of habitat, and a rise in predators is impacting on the numbers of chicks surviving," she said. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Bird man' completes 53 mile walk - and five more local stories you missed this week
A man who dressed up as his favourite bird to highlight how endangered it is features in one of our best local stories of the week. Yorkshire Live reported how Matt Trevelyan walked 53 miles in a costume to resemble a curlew, the UK's most endangered bird. Elsewhere, a deaf woman from Cheltenham has featured in British Vogue magazine modelling a cochlear implant and a 79-year-old in the North East has been awarded her third university degree. You can read the full version of each of our selected articles through the links under each story – or read more top headlines from around the UK's regions on the Yahoo UK local news page. A dedicated bird enthusiast trekked an impressive 53 miles clad as a colossal curlew to shine a spotlight on one of the UK's most distinguished and imperilled avians. Matt Trevelyan, aged 46, embarked on the journey donning an outfit of his most cherished bird - the Eurasian Curlew - which is currently listed as endangered in Britain. His handmade attire, spanning 3m in length, was crafted using materials such as split bamboo, muslin, and polystyrene. Read the full story from Yorkshire Live A deaf woman has expressed her joy at achieving her "dreams" after being featured in British Vogue, sporting a designer cochlear implant. Imy Harris was born "profoundly deaf", meaning she had no hearing from birth. This shaped her early life as she navigated the world with a hearing impairment. Read the full story from Gloucestershire Live At the impressive age of 79, a pensioner has bagged her third degree, showcasing that age truly is no barrier to further education. Pat Wetherell, who used to run a sub-post office, celebrated her latest academic triumph - a master's degree in history - alongside family and friends. Originally from Charltons, near Guisborough, North Yorkshire, Pat completed her first degree back in the 70s – an Open Degree in humanities and understanding society. Read the full story from Teesside Live A woman from Newcastle who believed she'd be stuck in the struggle of the UK rental market forever now spends her days living in a van with her beloved dog, travelling up and down the country. Nicole Keefe, a 27-year-old photographer, has spent her life moving around, having lived in 18 different houses in total. So in September 2023, when her car was written off, she overhauled her routine and bought an £8,500 converted Ford Transit van, moving in with her dog, McCartney. Read the full story from Chronicle Live When it comes to rules, a list of dos and don'ts - and consequences for breaking them - seems more a little out of place for a pub in a seaside resort. But a list of "prehistoric" regulations is exactly what punters will find in place if they visit The Plough Inn in Whitby. The Baxtergate pub is certainly a bit like Marmite when it comes to popularity. A quick glance at TripAdvisor shows a mixed bag of reviews, with some urging people to "avoid like the plague" while others saying it was just the quiet and friendly watering hole they'd been looking for. Read the full story from Yorkshire Live A superfit dad aims to set a Guinness World Record at this month's London Marathon - dressed as a medal for his 50th and final race. Simon Couchman, from Lancaster, has to run in a time of under four hours in the 15kg costume to set an official record for the fastest marathon dressed as a medal. He ran his first marathon over 20 years ago when he was 29 years old dressed as a lobster - he dressed up as an astronaut for another. Read the full story from Lancs Live
