Latest news with #WorldCurlewDay
Agriland
17-05-2025
- Agriland
Embark on a peatland adventure with Féile an Dúlra this week
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) has planned a busy summer of peatland and nature-themed events as part of Féile an Dúlra 2025, the council's festival of nature. The festival kicked off on World Wetlands Day in February with the launch of the national 'Hop to It' frog survey, and was followed in April by World Curlew Day. A week of free events has been planned as part of National Biodiversity Week, running until May 25. Today (Saturday, May 17), the IPCC will hold a guided peatland nature walk to Lodge Bog in Co. Kildare, starting from the Bog of Allen Nature Centre at 10:00a.m. IPCC guides will share the diversity of peatland birds that use this raised bog for nesting or feeding, and visitors will also get the opportunity to discover the variety of fascinating peatland plants. From Monday, May 19 to Friday, May 23 10:00 a.m.-4:00p.m., there will be free admission to the Bog of Allen Nature Centre, where the history, cultural traditions, flora and fauna and archaeological importance of peatlands can be discovered within the peatland exhibition. The peat-free wildlife gardens will also be open, allowing visitors to explore the largest public display of carnivorous plants in Ireland and the UK. On Tuesday, May 20 at 11:00a.m, the IPCC will host a butterfly walk at Lullymore West nature reserve. Lullymore West is known nationally as a butterfly haven, as 26 of Ireland's 35 butterfly species have been recorded on the site, including the threatened marsh fritillary butterfly. In collaboration with the Native Woodland Trust, the IPCC will guide a walk and talk at Girley Bog on Wednesday, May 21, meeting at Girley Hall at 7:00p.m. This will provide an opportunity to learn all about bog habitats and the various plants and animals that call this precious habitat home. For those who do not have time to join one of the biodiversity walks, there is still an opportunity to learn about peatland biodiversity as the IPCC will host an online talk at 1:00pm on Thursday, May 22, titled 'Lunchtime with IPCC'. All the events are free and people are encouraged to get involved and explore their peatland heritage for Biodiversity Week. The IPCC has lots more events planned for later this summer, with a bat walk on June 20, International Bog Day on July 26 and Heritage Week from August 16.
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.
New York Post
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Man treks 53 miles in bird costume to raise awareness about endangered species
A bird lover has walked 53 miles dressed in a homemade costume to raise awareness for one of Great Britain's most iconic and threatened birds. Matt Trevelyan, 46, walked the distance dressed as his favorite bird — the Eurasian Curlew — which is endangered in the United Kingdom. The DIY costume was 3 yards long and was made out of split bamboo, muslin, and polystyrene. The Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer walked with friends and family around the Nidderdale Way route, in the Yorkshire Dales in support for conservation projects. 6 UK man Matt Trevelyan walked 53 miles to raise awareness for the Eurasian Curlew in a costume that looks like the endangered bird. Nidderdale National Landscape / SWNS Matt said: 'The Curlew is my favorite bird and I've been saddened as their numbers have reduced massively around the UK. 'They have such a beautiful song — it pulls at your heart strings — it was great to hear it whilst walking the awareness raising adventure.' Matt completed the walk over Easter Saturday and Sunday in the run-up to World Curlew Day (April 21). 6 Matt's homemade costume was over 3 yards long. Alex Large / SWNS World Curlew day was created in 2017 by Mary Colwell to raise awareness of the declining numbers of curlews and the troubles they face due to habitat loss, land-use changes, and climate pressures. Starting at Pateley Bridge he walked 25 miles on day one which included a 14.5 mile trek to Middlesmoor before stopping for lunch then continuing a further 10.5 miles to Bewerley. Then on day two Matt walked and occasionally ran the remaining 28 miles completing the figure of eight shaped route back in Pateley Bridge. 6 Matt seen crossing a bridge in his Curlew costume. Jo Wright / SWNS Matt said: 'The walk was a joy — there were beautiful views and the weather was perfect. '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.' 6 Matt completed his journey ahead of World Curlew Day on April 21. Alex Large / SWNS Matt told it took him three days to create the costume which included a four yard long beak and hand-painted final details. He said: '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. '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. 6 Matt walked and occasionally ran through the 53 mile route in two days. Jo Wright / SWNS According to Matt, Nidderdale is one of the last remaining strongholds for the endangered bird. Numbers of the bird have halved over the last 20 years with now only 58,000 remaining in the wild. Matt has told this is due to a 'number of factors.' He said: 'Curlews are habitual meaning they will return to the same field every year to lay eggs and tend the hatchlings. 6 There are only 58,000 remaining Eurasian Curlews left in the wild. Jo Wright / SWNS 'They like quiet fields with tall grass — but these fields are frequently used by farmers to produce silage and in the process the tractors crush the eggs or kill the birds. 'It isn't just farming though that is causing damage — the UK also has large populations of crows and foxes which steal the eggs or meal on the birds. Matt hopes his walk inspires people to get involved with local conservation and 'engage' in nature 'responsibly.' He said: 'It would be great if people were able to contact with nature by being careful when engaging and enjoying. 'If we were to lose the Curlew we would lose a rich part of our wildlife and British Culture.'
The Independent
22-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Why a man walked 53 miles dressed as a curlew over Easter
People out for an Easter walk in Nidderdale must have done a double-take after seeing a man going for a stroll while wearing a giant bird costume. Ex-puppet maker Matt Trevelyan took his former vocation to new heights at the weekend when he decided to dress as a giant curlew and walk 53 miles in the outfit over just two days. But far from a jolly hike, Mr Trevelyan was instead aiming to raise awareness for the bird he was dressed like and warn against its extinction. He told The Independent: 'I've always made giant puppets, and I'm prone to saying things like: 'I'll walk the Nidderdale way dressed as a curlew,' and then you've got to do it.' Mr Trevelyan, a farming officer for Nidderdale National Landscape in Yorkshire, started his walk at Pateley Bridge on Saturday and finished on Sunday at Brimham Rocks, just in time for World Curlew Day on Monday. He wore a 10-foot-long costume of the Eurasia curlew, which is Europe's largest wading bird, as he made his journey. The bird is known for its down-curved bill, brown upperparts and long legs, and was added to the UK Red List of highest conservation concern in 2015. 'I'm really worried [about the curlew],' he said. 'Every nest, chick and egg matters.' While Nidderdale and the rest of the Pennine chain have previously been a 'stronghold' for curlews, they have faced a huge decline in numbers over the years, similar to areas in the south of England such as Shropshire. He added the population had been 'decimated' in places like Ireland and Wales. 'We need something like 10,000 more curlews a year to become a sustainable population,' he said. 'We need curlews to be fledging one chick every two years, and they lay four eggs a year that generally don't fledge any chicks. 'One chick every other year. That's all we need to have a sustainable population, but we're a long way off that,' he added, calling for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to take action. The RSPB released its action plan to save UK curlews from extinction on World Curlew Day, calling on 'government and agencies to support urgent action to reverse the decline of our curlew populations'. A Defra spokesperson said: 'Nature across Britain is suffering. We are losing our precious species, our rivers are awash with pollution and many of our iconic landscapes are in decline. 'This cannot continue. This government is putting nature on the path to recovery.' World Curlew Day was created by Mary Colwell in 2017 to raise awareness of the dangers that curlews face due to habitat loss, climate pressures and changes in land use. The farming officer revealed there was an issue getting chicks to the fledgling stage during breeding season, caused by changes in the way farmers manage the landscape while making silage for cattle. While Mr Trevelyan has worked with farmers to take later cuts and be careful farming around curlews, he said that predation was another issue, with mid-level predators such as crows and foxes taking eggs and chicks. The hiker said he made his lightweight costume out of polystyrene and bamboo. 'The curlew was actually quite a streamlined costume, it's quite lightweight and I had wonderful support,' he told The Independent, describing the trek itself as 'hard work'. 'I had a little bit of tunnel vision looking through a peephole in the neck of the curlew, but it's an amazing landscape, Nidderdale,' he added. Mr Trevelyan is raising money for the Nidderdale National Landscape.
The Journal
21-04-2025
- General
- The Journal
Quiz: How much do you know about long-billed birds?
TODAY, AS WE'RE sure you're already well aware, is World Curlew Day. The red-listed wader has become a symbol of how some iconic Irish bird species are under threat. A range of factors, from habitat loss to modern farming practices, leave their survival as a species hanging in the balance. Advertisement To mark the day, we've pulled together a quiz featuring several long-billed ( or, in some cases, maybe, long-beaked ) birds. What is the average length of a female Eurasian curlew's bill? Shutterstock 5cm Roughly 14cm At least 100cm 200cm Which bird has the longest break relative to its body size? Shutterstock The swordbilled hummingbird Shutterstock The great white pelican Shutterstock The bar-tailed godwit Shutterstock The coal tit Common cranes are nesting in rewetted peatlands in the Midlands. What's so special about that? Shutterstock It is the only location in the world where cranes nest inland. It is the only place cranes are found in the Old World. Cranes only started successfully breeding in Ireland again in 2021, the first time in hundreds of years. The cranes waged a guerrilla insurgency against Bord na Móna in the area for many years. After ultimately forcing their withdrawal, the birds rewetted the bog themselves. Nothing, actually. This is a spoonbill. What term is used to describe the shape of its beak? Shutterstock Recurved Spatulate Depressed Stout When did Guinness first run an ad campaign featuring the toco toucan? Shutterstock 1890s 1930s 1980s 2000s Kiwis look like they have a long bill, but in terms of how bill length is calculated, it's actually the shortest of any bird (let's not get into that right now). Can they fly? Shutterstock Yes No :-( What are they? Shutterstock Turnstones Lapwings Oystercatchers Sanderlings In love How would you describe a heron's call? Shutterstock They kinda just scream, right? It's very similar to (and often confused for) a wood pigeon. They are silent, except for some barely audible courtship calls. A rapid ticking. Why do cormorants do this? Shutterstock No one knows. They're just showing off (no, really — they're trying to attract a mate). They release an oil under their wings which attracts insects, which they then chow down on. Unlike other waterfowl, they can't make their feathers fully waterproof, so they have to dry them off (not ideal for a bird which hunts by diving underwater). What is the longest possible length of a bird's bill? Shutterstock 60cm 125cm There surely must be some physical limit, but it's probably hard to define? Given the potentially infinite nature of our universe, and also the potential that infinite other universes exist beyond ours, it would be foolish for us to presume there is an upper limit, as birds could exist elsewhere in a form us mere humans can't comprehend. Answer all the questions to see your result! You scored out of ! You are long-billed curlew Shutterstock Share your result: Share Tweet You scored out of ! You are a black-tailed godwit Shutterstock Share your result: Share Tweet You scored out of ! You are a great white egret Shutterstock Share your result: Share Tweet You scored out of ! You are a blackbird Shutterstock Share your result: Share Tweet You scored out of ! You are a dunnock Shutterstock Share your result: Share Tweet Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
