Is there any better sound of spring than the cry of the curlew? Many of us look for the return of these wonderful migratory birds, and their cousins (in spirit, if not in species!), lapwings?
The UK is the third most important country in the world for breeding curlews, playing host to 25% of the world population during spring. But, as many of us know, curlew numbers have plummeted since the 1990s, with breeding populations dropping by 60% in Scotland and 30% in England. This is bad news for curlews but it’s also bad news for our landscapes over all. Curlews are an important indicator species of the health of other birds, plants and animals, and where they are in decline we can be sure other species are suffering.
In 2023, The Folly hosted a one-day arts festival all about ground nesting birds in partnership with Wild Ingleborough and Yorkshire Peat Partnership, aimed at children living locally. The event was funded by Art Fund, and was a great success. We welcomed over 200 people to the museum that day, including 100 children – our best day ever!
However, we also received a lot of feedback from the community: people wanted to find out what they could do to help curlews and other ground nesting birds, and they wanted events aimed at a wider age range. People of all ages wanted the chance to get inspired and take part.
We listened! This April, The Folly, Wild Ingleborough and Yorkshire Peat Partnership are holding a week-long festival about these iconic birds, encouraging everyone in our community to get inspired and, where possible, make change to support all species of ground nesting birds and the vital habitats that are their homes. We have activities aimed at all ages an abilities, from dawn chorus walks, to workshops, lectures and crafts. Most events are free or low cost, and charging events are directly supporting our landscape, by supporting sustainable farming through RIND and The Courtyard Dairy, or through proceeds being donated to Curlew Action.
Earth Day Celebration at St John’s
On Saturday 20 April, St John’s Methodists are hosting us for an Earth Day Celebration of all things Ground Nesting Birds and their habitats.
There will be opportunities to speak to people making a difference to ground nesting birds through their work and volunteering, such as members of Clapham Curlew Cluster, a group of 15 farmers and 20 volunteers, collecting data through wader surveys. With interest in their project growing, the group is looking to recruit more surveyors for next year’s breeding season. Why not drop in and chat to them about what’s involved?
Yorkshire Peat Partnership will bring their Blanket Bog Blanket, a community engagement project for those who fancy a little mindful stitching. For those who fancy some instant gratification, YPP have created some pompom “patterns” inspired by species of sphagnum moss that grow in our landscape.
If you’re looking to engage children who prefer screen time, Natural England will be launching their new computer game all about lapwings – can you be the hero who will save the habitat from destruction? For Minecraft addicts, we’ll even have Ingleborough itself available to explore, in Minecraft!
Alongside our drop in activities, there are bookable workshops running all day – under 7s song sessions, poetry and creative writing, and stop motion animation.
Tea and coffee will be available all day in exchange for donations to St John’s, run by their Eco Church volunteers. Why not sit and share your memories of ground nesting birds of days gone by?
Ground Nest Fest is for the whole week, not just the weekend
Kicking off on Sunday 14 April, the festival opens bright and early with a dawn chorus walk up at Ribblehead Quarry. This short walk will hopefully feature several species of ground nesting birds- but wrap up warm! April’s weather can be changeable.
On Wednesday 17 April, Broadrake Bunkbarn have put on an extra curlew willow weaving workshop with their popular tutor, Phil Bradley, for the festival. All profits from this workshop are being donated directly to Curlew Action, a charity which works to give curlews a secure future through advocacy, supporting conservation efforts, engaging with science and policy, highlighting the cultural importance of curlews, and by promoting natural history education.
Continuing the Curlew Action theme, on the evening of Wednesday 17 April, we are hosting an incredibly special event at RIND at the Courtyard Dairy. We will be meeting at 5:30pm for a guided walk by Pete Webster, a tenant farmer who has been working to improve the land for curlews, and who is a supplier for The Courtyard Dairy. We’ll head back to RIND a little later for a set menu meal followed by a discussion between Pete and Mary Colwell, founder of Curlew Action, about sustainable farming and the challenges facing our local wildlife. This event is supported by Wild Ingleborough, so you’ll only be paying for your meal at RIND, which means you’ll be supporting local food and farming businesses and enjoying a delicious meal – what could be better?
On Thursday 18 April, Sita Brand of Settle Stories will be running a workshop about how to use storytelling to inspire change. It’s easy to feel hopeless in the face of big changes, but all of us can tell a story, and every story has the power to change the world.
On Friday, 19 April, Tom Ridgeon, Project Ecologist from PBA Ecology will be giving a tea-time talk at The Folly about the importance of the Dales for wading birds and what steps can be taken to help increase their numbers.
Finally, we’re rounding off the festival on World Curlew Day on Sunday 21 April with a walk and talk up at Lower Winskill farm about hay meadows and the plants, animals and birds they traditionally support.
Bookings for the festival are open now! Visit www.thefolly.org.uk or pick up a programme from Settle Tourist Information Centre to find out more.
Ground Nest Fest is generously funded by The Royal Society through their Places of Science grant scheme. Tom Ridgeon’s talk is kindly provided free of charge by PBA Ecology as a donation in kind to the festival, while Mary Colville’s speaker fee is covered by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
