As part of their ongoing work to promote engagement with nature and wellbeing, the British Trust for Ornithology is helping to bring award-winning authors and nature-focused activities to schools in Thetford. In Ieuan Evans from BTO explains how this collaboration is helping young people in Thetford connect with both the natural world and the joy of reading.
Recently, we at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), a Thetford-based charity, have been exploring ways that our organisation can grow our impact on the people of Thetford. There are so many health and wellbeing benefits of engaging with nature, and we want to help more people access these. Where better to start than here on our own doorstep?
We have trialled supporting community meals at the Charles Burrell Centre and offering bird-themed craft workshops for community groups. We’ve worked with local company Sound and Ground to provide birdsong sound baths and forest bathing sessions at our Nunnery HQ. With Bush Adventures CIC, we’ve delivered nature and bushcraft activities for children and young people with social and emotional mental health needs. We provided all of these activities free of charge to help ensure they were accessible to as many Thetford residents as possible. Through this work, we have learnt that there are many people in Thetford who can benefit from engagement with nature, and we are committed to finding ways to continue to provide these opportunities.
This spring we’ve teamed up with another charity to provide a special event for Thetford’s schools. The Children’s Bookshow inspires school children with a love of reading through an annual programme of theatre and digital performances alongside school workshops with the best authors and illustrators from around the world. Together, we are bringing award-winning authors Neal Layton and Helen Stephens to Thetford in April. They’ll be providing a theatre performance based on their nature-themed books at The Carnegie for Year 3 pupils. Every child attending will receive a copy of Neal Layton’s book The Tree or Helen Stephens’ book Saving Mr Hoot.
Neal and Helen will also be visiting selected schools to run workshops with the children. To help make Thetford’s school grounds better for birds, BTO will give each participating school a free bird box, bird feeder, and identification kit.
If you work with Year 3 children in Thetford and would like them to access these opportunities, please contact Jo Daley on 07769 216493 or email jodaley@thechildrensbookshow.com.
If you are a local business owner and would like to support this initiative financially, please contact ieuan.evans@bto.org
Ieuan Evans
