Speaking at the Bath Spa University Landscape and Change Festival 25 February 2017

On 25 February 2017, I was on a panel speaking at the Bath Spa University English Department one day micro-fest Conference, Landscape and Change Festival.

The conference was made up of lots of different academics and artists, such as poets and writers from around the country. This is a link to the Eventbrite listing http://bit.ly/2qhy1yI.

Speakers:

11.30 – 12.45 Panel 1. Activism, Education, Community
Introduction
Madhu Krishnan (academic, University of Bristol)
Jess Tamsin (organiser, Protestival)

12.45 – 13.30 Lunch

13.30 – 15.00 Panel 2. Nature, Ecology, Engagement
Mya-Rose Craig (Birdgirl, Black2Nature)
Lila Matsumoto (poet and researcher, University of Nottingham)
J.R. Carpenter (artist, writer, researcher, performer)

15.15 – 16.45 Panel 3. History, Memory, Creativity
Olivette Otele (historian, Bath Spa University)
Edson Burton (poet and historian, Bristol) Tony White (author, Piece of Paper Press)

17.00-18.00 Panel 3. Publishing, Small Press
Lily Green (No Bindings press)
Sarah Hayden (poet, University of Southampton)
Camilla Nelson (poet, artist and researcher)

I spoke about Black2Nature, Camp Avalon and my Race Equality in Nature Conference. The audience were great and were really interested in what I had to say.

The event was organised by Dr Samantha Walton in the English Department.

It was the first time I had been to Hamilton House on Stokes Croft, Bristol even though it was close to my Nanu's house and down the road from where my mum went to school. It was really brilliant to walk around the area, soak up the graffiti and shop in a vintage shop with charity shop prices; great for me with my love of pre-loved clothing!

Afterwards I heard from Samantha that almost everyone wrote on their feedback forms that I was the highlight of the day. With all these amazing speakers, that was fantastic to hear. Thank you to everyone who was at my talk.

About the Author

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig in Antarctica
Photograph copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 14 year old young British Bangladeshi birder, naturalist, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She loved seeing Mountain Gorillas in East Africa and Penguins in Antarctica over Christmas 2015, her 7th continent.

Mya-Rose was a Bristol European Green Capital Ambassador along with Kevin McCloud, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Tony Juniper, Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Shaun the Sheep! See the full list of Bristol Ambassadors. She has also been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. She organised a conference, Race Equality in Nature, in June 2016 aiming to increase the ethnic diversity in nature. She has also set up Black2Nature with the aim of working with organisations to increase the access to nature of BAME people. Please connect with her on LinkedIn (Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig) so that she can invite you to join the Race Equality in Nature LinkedIn Group and be part of the change. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter