Daniel Johnson from BTO explores the memories, moments and local greenspaces that inspire people to notice the wildlife around them.
As an engagement officer working for BTO, I often have conversations with people about their experiences with birds. Through these conversations, it is easy to see that for some people, birds are an indelible thread connecting stories and moments from their childhood all the way up to the present day. For others, birds or specific birds remind them of an unfortunate event, one they wish to forget.
Birds are an ever-present in our lives, whether we are aware that they are there or not. I am always amazed at the array of wonderful stories that I am told of how a Robin reminds someone of a loved one that has passed, or how a Jay brings back childhood memories of walking with family in a woodland. Birds are a great indicator of changes in season and can play a fundamental role in our present awareness of our surroundings.
As you are reading this article, I encourage you to spend a minute casting your mind back to one of your earliest, happiest memories of a bird. Can you remember what type of bird it was, where you were, and whether you were on your own or with someone?
The earliest memory for me was with my mum, going to a local park and seeing the Mallards. There were many other birds present, of course, but the Mallards stuck with me: the females with their intricate brown markings weaved in together and the males with their iridescent dark green heads. That sowed a seed of interest for me in birds and connected me to nature, a journey that continues today.
Where this encounter took place was of equal importance to me: a local park, free for everyone to use. I have since been back to Manor Park in southeast London, where I grew up, and have seen Grey Wagtails, a Kingfisher and a Little Grebe on the pond – all of which are regular along the rivers in Thetford, too – yet my earliest memory will always be the Mallards.
Twenty years later, and I now lead the engagement for Birds in Greenspaces, a project that is looking to highlight the important role these publicly accessible spaces play for birds. You can play a part in this project by signing up for our free e-newsletter and carrying out the survey next April: www.bto.org/greenspaces
