Nidderdale National Landscape is raising awareness in schools of the plight of the iconic curlew using the power of creativity.
A host of artists are delivering workshops in local primary schools including Dacre Braithwaite, Darley and Summerbridge.
Curlew themed school activities include singing, music-making, bookmaking, and printmaking.
Matthew Trevelyan, Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer at Nidderdale National Landscape, said: “The call of the curlew has inspired a wealth of poetry, art, and music, but the evocative call is becoming increasingly rare.”
The curlew was added to the UK Red List in in 2015 and argued to be the most pressing bird conservation priority in the UK. On average, 60% of curlew have been lost throughout England and Scotland since the 1980s.
Matthew confirms: “Curlew are visiting our fields but often fail to breed successfully. We need to take action to ensure these special birds don’t vanish from the farmed landscape. In addition to conservation projects, it's important we also celebrate curlew, not just because they’re a source of wonder and joy, but also because we're more likely to protect wildlife that we understand and value.”
Matthew said the campaign of creativity around the curlew was inspired by the close links of nature to art. The curlew has a strong tradition of folklore, poetry, and music.
To date, printmaker Sam Waterhouse Spence showed pupils at Darley School how to capture the fluid motions of the curlew in flight, and up to 50 children from Dacre Braithwaite school worked with choir leader and musician, Clare Haynes to create music and songs, using the call of the curlew as a melodic starting point.
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Dacre Braithwaite’s school building is uniquely located in beautiful moorland surroundings and borders a farm in the Darley Beck Curlew Project.
Summerbridge School will work with bookshop owner and art teacher, Kerry Thorpe, to create curlew themed, illustrated books.
The curlew themed creativity culminates in a two-day stop motion animation workshop taking place during the summer holidays [29-30 July] at Darley Memorial Hall. This is led by animator and filmmaker Finn Varney and artist Rose Ferraby, with sound-recording, games, printmaking, collage, and animation. The resulting animation will premiere on August 4.
Matthew added: “The workshops are aimed at young people from rural communities and farming families who will inherit responsibility for how our landscapes are managed. We hope to nurture the next generation of nature-friendly farmers and conservationists.”
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The workshops have been made possible through funding from both the Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust, and the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme.
Educational packs are also available for assemblies for schools further afield.
Places are now open for the animation workshop at Darley Memorial Hall, 9.30-4, on 29 and 30 July, for children aged 9-12 from the local area. To book contact matthew.trevelyan@northyorks.gov.uk
Header Image - Curlew Poster (Finn Varney)
