Champions Of The Flyway 2015: Team NGB

In March 2015 a team of young birders will be racing around Southern Israel trying to see as many species as possible in 24 hours and all to raise money for Birdlife Cyprus, read on for more.

Our team comprises four young UK birders that each come from different backgrounds and lifestyles but who all share one common passion…. BIRDS. Next Generation Birders will be represented at the Champions of the Flyway event in Eilat 2015 by James Shergold, Andrew Kinghorn, Matthew Bruce and Tim Jones.

The Next Generation Birders team are proud to be involved with Champions of the Flyway in 2015. We want to see the next generation take up the fight to save species and habitats before it is too late and hope that our participation will help draw other young peoples’ attention to the plight of our migratory species and what can be done to save them.

On the 25th March 2015 the team will attempt to record as many species as possible across Southern Israel in 24 hours. We will be aiming to get upwards of 150+ species on the day, so if you would like to sponsor us per species that’d give us an extra incentive to see as many as possible!

Competing against an international array of other teams we are hoping to raise as much money as possible for Birdlife Cyprus, to help them in the fight to prevent the illegal trapping of migrant birds across the island.

‘’Champions of the Flyway is an international bird race that challenges the norm. Its primary purpose is to celebrate the extraordinary miracle of bird migration.’’

Every year it is estimated that millions of migrant passerines are illegally caught and killed in Cyprus. The birds are caught using either the traditional method of lime sticks where the birds become stuck to the stick or mist nets.

Once caught they are killed, plucked and boiled and served as a traditional dish called Ambelopoulia. This dish is in such demand by the Cypriot community and certain tourists that each bird is worth up €5 per bird and the illegal trade in these birds is worth up to €15,000,000 a year! Due to the dish being such a deep rooted tradition Birdlife Cyprus need all the help and money they can get, so please help them by sponsoring our team!

More details can be found here http://www.champions-of-the-flyway.com/cause/

This documentary shows the situation in Cyprus and what the money raised from the event will be going towards stopping.

Last year $60,000 was raised from the Champions of the Flyway event for the Batumi Raptor Camp which was used to protect the raptors passing through Georgia and this year we’re hoping to raise more for Birdlife Cyprus, more details here.

http://www.birdlife.org/europe-and-central-asia/news/champions-flyway-2014-race-helps-mobilise-falconers-save-migratory

A video showing what Champions of the Flyway is and the race in 2014.

So were asking you to get behind the Next Generation Birders and sponsor our team. Every penny that is donated to us will go to Birdlife Cyprus to help them protect migrant birds passing through the island in Spring and Autumn.

Please dig deep and help this great cause, our just giving page is linked below.
https://www.justgiving.com/COTF2015NGB/

If you could share this with your followers on Twitter or friends on Facebook we would really appreciate it.

-The NGB COTF Team

Cameron Bespolka Memorial Birdrace

Cameron Bespolka

1997 - 2013

Cameron Bespolka was a lively young birder from Hampshire and joined Next Generation Birders in early 2013, where he quickly became well known for his patching prowess in his home of Winchester, as well as his ongoing quest to find a patch Yellow-browed Warbler.

Tragically, on 17th December 2013 Cameron was killed in an avalanche whilst skiing in Lech am Arlberg in the Austrian Alps. His father and their ski instructor were also buried in the snow, escaping with injuries. This was a truly harrowing event and one which devastated the NGB member base and the wider birding community.

It is therefore with pride that we announce The Cameron Bespolka Memorial Birdrace, a partnership between NGB and Patchwork Challenge, to be held this weekend 28th - 30th November, which marks Cameron's 17th birthday.
Previously, PWC have been very supportive of NGB and dedicated their NGB minileague in Cameron's memory, with the Cameron Bespolka Prize awarded to the winner of the minileague. It is hoped that the minileague will encourage all NGB members to visit their patch more regularly, hopefully resulting in improved ID skills, a more fulfilling birding experience and perhaps even a few nice self finds.

The birdrace is open to both NGB members and PWC participants and will use the score system that PWC have developed for their annual competitions (the score spreadsheet can be downloaded from their blog). The aim is to record as many species on your patch over the three days, whether you spend a couple of hours there one morning or live on patch for the full 72 hours is your choice! There will be two minileagues for the birdrace, one for NGB members and one for PWC participants, and a cumulative total number of species will be kept for each league to see which group comes out on top. More details on how to submit your scores will be posted later in the week. Cameron’s longing to find a Yellow-browed Warbler on his patch became well known within NGB and as such committee member Liam Curson has pledged to donate £100 if an NGB members finds one over the weekend, a very generous offer which several other members have offered to contribute towards, so good luck!

All money raised goes towards the Cameron Bespolka Trust, a charitable initiative set up by Cameron's family to support many different causes that were close to Cameron's heart. It is not compulsory for participants to donate to take part in the birdrace; however it would be greatly appreciated.

Taken from the Trust's website: "The Trust will aim to help teenagers pursue similar interests and passions, especially those who have less privileged backgrounds.

We will be creating opportunities for young birders to pursue their passion, both as an interest or a vocation. We will look to do this independently and together with various nature and birding organisations.  

We would also like to work with schools from the local area, helping young children appreciate and experience nature and the environment first hand. Our primary focus will be with schools with limited resources."

http://patchworkchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.cameronbespolkatrust.com/