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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig birding locally on the Somerset Levels |
2015 was a
great year for me, with so much happening.
It’s hard to remember it all, but thought I’d have a got at putting it
all together!
I went local
birding and ringing most weekends.
I also took
part in the BBC Wildlife Magazine Local Patch Reporters and had the highest
number of posts at 272 for the year and also the highest number of views with 49,500
views http://bit.ly/1SkH5NC
I also ended
the year with 7,900 likes on my Facebook Page http://on.fb.me/1P5yGrb
and 1100 followers on Twitter http://bit.ly/1yoslnK
The summary of my year is - Awards - 7, Television interviews - 6, Radio interviews 4, Newspaper and magazine articles - 31, Interviews, meetings and letters - 28, Guest blogs 17, Workshops and events 29, Talks given by me 11, Talks I attended 9, Twitches - 7 and World birding trips - 7
Awards
- 01/01 At the
end of 2014, I was nominated for 2014/2015 as one of Bristol’s most influential
young people by Rife Magazine along with Singer Songwriter George Ezra and
actress Maisie Williams http://bit.ly/1AKR0BJ
- 02/01 I
received “Letter of the Month” for my letter about getting kids into nature and
won a pair of walking boots
- 22/01 I
received an award from my science teacher for all my efforts in birding and
conservation projects, which meant a lot
- 10/03 BBC
Wildlife Magazine awarded me “Blogger of the Week” for my blog post on surveying
Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Bangladesh
- 05/10 I was
made a Bristol European Green Capital 2015 Ambassador along with Simon King,
Tony Juniper and Miranda Krestovnikoff and other TV celebrities http://bit.ly/1MTBUfB
- 26/10
Birdwatch Magazine announced their Birders’ Choice Awards for 2015 and listed
me in their shortlist for their Blog of the Year category http://bit.ly/1nwEC5i
- 28/12 The
BBC Wildlife Magazine announced that in the category for Young Blogger of the
Year, I was awarded Highly commended
- 28/12
Birdwatch Magazine announced the results (from voting) of their Birders’ Choice
Awards for 2015 and I was mentioned as being runner up (after Mark Avery) in
their Blog of the Year category and described me “At just 13 years old, she is
a passionate conservationist and activist.”
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| Birdwatch Magazine Birders' Choice Awards Results |
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Birdwatch Magazine Birders' Choice Awards Results
showing Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig as runner-up in Blog of the Year Category |
Television Interviews:
- 21/01 I was
filmed during an interview with a team of two from Channel S and broadcast on
11 Feb in the UK and Europe and
on 13 Feb in Bangladesh
on 24 hour news channel Ekkator TV
- 31/01 I was
filmed by a team of three from the BBC Natural History Unit giving a talk at
WWT Festival of Birds
- 01/02 I was
filmed during an interview for WWT about their Festival of Birds
- 21/02 I was
filmed during an interview with Jamuna TV in Dhaka.
This was shown on the 1st March in Bangladesh and the link is http://bit.ly/iBmYqYh and I am on at 10.27 minutes
- 26/05 I was
filmed live during an interview for Springwatch extra about my birding
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig being filmed at WWT Slimbridge |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig being filmed at Jamuna TV, Bangladesh |
Live Radio interviews:
- 21/01
Interview with Shepherd Radio, local radio station, about Sundarbans oil spill
- 08/03
Interview on BBC Radio Asian Network about me, Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Bangladesh and
inspiring other Bangladeshi girls on International Womens’ Day
- 11/03
Interview with Shepherd Radio, local radio station, about Spoon-billed
Sandpiper in Bangladesh
- 11/11
Interview with Shepherd Radio, local radio station about Africa
and Bristol Green Capital
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| Birdgirl and Nadia Ali at interview with BBC Asian Network |
Newpapers and Magazines
- 02/01
Article in the January edition of Chew Valley Gazette about being recognised by
Rife Magazine as one of Bristol’s most influential young people along with Game
of Thrones actress Maisie Williams who is also from the Chew Valley http://bit.ly/1Tv5Cid
- 02/01
January edition of Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about saving the
Spoon-billed Sandpiper and World Wader Weekend on P52 http://bit.ly/1Tv5Cid
- 09/01
Article in WWT website about my talk http://bit.ly/20gbAIW
- 30/01
February edition of Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about twitching
Little Bustard on p14 http://bit.ly/1QAvbM7
- 17/02
Article on Audubon Magazine (USA) “The Little Twitcher Who Could” http://bit.ly/1KPQJ2B
- 22/02
Article in Prothom Alo in Bangladesh
with the link http://bit.ly/1Dx1t6P
- 24/02
Article in The Sunamganj Times http://bit.ly/1nxdm6G
- 25/02
Article in The Daily Sunamkantha Times http://bit.ly/1KhPTfF
- 27/02 March
edition of Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about surveying the
Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Bangladesh
p61 http://bit.ly/20AfCsd
- 06/03
Article in the Bangladeshi Youth Magazine Kishor Alo http://bit.ly/1F6pRrc
- 11/03
Article in The Daily Ittefaq in Bangladesh
http://epaper.ittefaq.com.bd/
- 03/04
Article in The New Nation English language paper in Bangladesh http://bit.ly/1yKIZKu
- 24/04 May
edition of Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about giving a talk and
birding on the Somerset Levels p55 http://bit.ly/1PJ7LAF
- 01/05 Article
in the Bangladesh Bird Club Jan-Mar 2015 Magazine about my visit to survey
Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Dhaka talk
- 29/05 June
edition of Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about GMO and the impact
on our health and the environment p57 http://bit.ly/1Su3N4b
- 26/06 Article
that I wrote for the RSPB Birdlife Magazine Jul-Aug edition for children about
how to identify waders and improve their skills
- 28/08
September edition of the Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about our
trip to Uganda
on p9 http://bit.ly/1NfCxVu
- 28/08 September edition of the Chew Valley Gazette, article about World Shorebirds Day p9 http://bit.ly/1NfCxVu
- 29/10
November edition of Bird Watching Magazine on p79 had a photograph of my with a
nest box http://bit.ly/23AMnYJ
- 30/10
November edition of Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about seeing a
Black Stork my 450th bird in UK on p44 http://bit.ly/1NIlEOl
- 01/11 The
Western Daily Press on-line (a Bristol
newspaper) published an article about me and seeing my 4000th bird
species in the world http://bit.ly/1SQRYX6
- 02/11 The
Western Daily News on-line (Bristol)
published an article about me and seeing my 4000th bird species in
the world http://bit.ly/1QzHkAL
- 02/11 The
ITV West Country News on-line (Bristol)
published an article about me and seeing my 4000th bird species in
the world http://bit.ly/200bLTa
- 04/11 The
Metro Nationwide published an article about me and seeing my 4000th
bird species in the world http://bit.ly/23AMnYJ
- 04/11 The
Daily Express (A National newspaper) published an article about me and seeing
my 4000th bird species in the world http://bit.ly/23AMnYJ
- 05/11 The
Somerset Guardian (a West Country newspaper) published an article about me and
seeing my 4000th bird species in the world http://bit.ly/23AMnYJ
- 05/11 The
Midsomer Norton and Radstock Journal (a Bath
newspaper) published an article about me and seeing my 4000th bird
species in the world http://bit.ly/23AMnYJ
- 27/11
December edition of Chew Valley Gazette, where I have a column, about the terrible
fires in Indonesia being caused by Palm Oil Plantations on p43 http://bit.ly/1QAjWTK
- 01/12
Article in the American Birding Association (ABA) Magazine Birding in their
“Milestones” section about me seeing my 4000th bird in the world
- 02/12 I
wrote a letter to BBC Wildlife Magazine about sexism in birding and nature
conservation. My blog post with the
extended version of the letter has had 20,000 views http://bit.ly/1QAjmFu
- 12/12
Article in Weston Daily Press, about my birding and inspiring teenagers in get
into birds and nature
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| Article about Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig in Somerset Guardian |
Interviews, letters and Meetings
- 11/01 Meeting
at BBC Natural History Unit with Charlotte Crosse, Tim Scoones, Anne Gallagher
and Rosemary Edwards
- 17/01
Interview with Audubon Magazine, New
York via Skype
- 03/05
Meeting with George Fergurson, Bristol Mayor
- 03/07
Meeting with my MP Jacob Rees-Mogg to discuss hunting with dogs
- 01/07
Prepared a questionnaire and sent it to ethnic minority birders and conservationists,
to try to find the issues related to lack of diversity
- 04/07 Letter
to teaching Unions about getting teenagers into wildlide and asking to speak at
their annual conference
- 05/07 Letter
to RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and The British
Trust for Ornithology raising issues about the lack of ethnic diversity in
nature and nature conservation
- 06/07 Letter
from Association of Science Educators (ASE) asking me to speak at their
conference in Jan 2016
- 06/07 Wrote
to The Green Party, The Labour Party, The Liberal Democrat Party and The
Conservative Party why it’s is important to educate our young people about
nature and the environment and asking to speak at their party conference
- 07/07 Letter
from Green Party asking me to speak at their conference
- 08/07 Letter
from MP Jacob Rees-Mogg after our meeting
- 12/07 I
wrote a letter to my MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg about hunting with dogs http://bit.ly/1Vy7ViN
- 13/07 Sent a
video to my MP Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg, I am fox, http://bit.ly/1Sj4u22
- 01/08
Interview with Charlotte Wasylik published on her blog Prairie Birder http://bit.ly/1P4tF20
- 02/08 Letter
from the Geographical Assocation asking me to speak at their next conference in
April 2016
- 15/08 Letter
from Lib Dem Party with a positive response but saying that the conference was
full
- 25/08 Letter
from Shadow Home Secretary Tristram Hunt to me about my wanting education about
conservation and the environment in schools http://bit.ly/1TtjJ7x
- 30/08 The Oriental Bird Club June 2015 Magazine, Birding Asia, had an article about
my trip to Bangladesh
to survey Spoon-billed Sandpiper and promote them http://bit.ly/1Ki9Ojh
- 01/09 June
15 Edition of The Bittern, Somerset Ornithological Society’s Newsletter had an
Article about Camp Avalon http://bit.ly/20eEQ2N
- 28/09 Letter
to Jeremy Corbyn about environmental issues and asking again to speak at the
Labour Party Conference
- 05/10
Meeting with Bristol European Green Capital 2015 organisers
- 06/10
Interview with Wall Street Journal, New
York via Skype
- 11/10
Meeting and podcast with The Wildlife Trusts and Charlie Moores as part of
their Every Child Wild Campaign and shown a month later http://bit.ly/1PMr2Yd
- 29/11
Interview with Bristol
Journalist Adanma Maduagwu
- 05/12
Meeting with camera woman Anneliese Possberg about filming in Antarctica
- 06/12
Interview with Audubon Magazine, New
York via Facetime
- 09/12
Interview with Audubon Magazine, New
York via Facetime
- 30/12
Interview with Matthias Benko of the Indiana Young Birders’ Club and published in
their Fall Edition of their Magazine, The Warbler on page 2 http://bit.ly/1RTTgjX
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with The Wildlife Trust taking part in a podcast |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Bristol Journalist Adanma Maduagwu |
Guest Blogs I have written or articles
- 08/01
Article on American Birding Association (ABA) website about the oil spill in
the Sundarbans, which led to $30,000 being raised for the clean up, http://bit.ly/14vMr1A
- 19/01 Article
on The Wild Network website about Big Garden Birdwatch http://bit.ly/2dqhzre
- 19/02 Article
on World Shorebirds Day website, “A Young Birder’s view on shorebirds” http://bit.ly/1BgHDw6
- 23/04
Article online on the Bangladeshi Environmental website 4matters.com http://bit.ly/1dmaTa1
- 29/04 Article
on A Focus on Nature website, What I want the natural world to look like by
2050, about GMO http://bit.ly/1Q2wH8Y
- 01/05 Article
on Beyond GMO website, What kind of World would I vote for? A GM free one http://bit.ly/1KhpzHc
- 06/07 Article
on Reflectiveteens.com website, What kind of World do I want? Sharing my
thoughts on GMO http://bit.ly/2dHxyDO
- 07/06 Article
on 4matters.com website, What kind of World do I want? Sharing my thoughts on
GMO http://bit.ly/1Kj5g9A
- 30/06 Article
for The Wildlife Trusts about their #30 Days Wild initiative http://bit.ly/1KZncI5
- 01/09 Article
in Avalon Marshes Newsletter about Camp
Avalon
- 11/09 Poem about waders (shorebirds) written for Waderquest
Newsletter
- 16/09 Article for Swarovski Optik Blog about East Africa and seeing my 4000th bird in the
world http://bit.ly/1Tuc2xU
- 30/10 I entered a video of my encounter with Mountain
Gorilla in Uganda
for the RSPB Caingorms Nature young presenter of the year competition 2015 http://bit.ly/1OY04tb
- 10/11 Article in the American Birding Association Blog (ABA)
about my trip to East Africa and the birds and
animals we saw there and seeing my 4000th bird species in the world http://bit.ly/1nFdP7D
- 25/11 Article for Swarovski Optik Blog about World Shorebird
Days as their Ambassador http://bit.ly/23BG8Eg
- 01/12 Article for The Wildlife Trusts for their Every Child
Wild about focusing on getting teenagers into nature http://bit.ly/20A7Ajd
- 03/12
Article I write for Bristol European Green Capital 2015 website as an
Ambassador about “How teenagers can help save the Planet” http://bit.ly/1TuXgXV
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig writing message for GMO guest blogs |
Workshops & Events
- 20/01 School
visit to an Indoor Rainforest
- 25/01 RSPB’s
Big Garden Birdwatch
- 28/01 RSPB’s
Big Schools Birdwatch
- 31/01 WWT
Festival of Birds
- 01/02 WWT
Festival of Birds
- 14/02
Wildlife Poetry Reading
- 07/03 Bristol Naturalists Society Celebration in Bristol
- 18/04
Leading a Family birding day at RSPB Ham Wall Reserve
- 24/04 Chew Valley
Bird Fair
- 21/05
Leading a birding session for East Harptree Environmental Club
- 26/05
Watching Springwatch Unsprung from the live audience and chatting to Chris
Packham about world birding
- 01/06 –
30/06 #30 Days Wild Project
- 13/06 Bristol Festival of
Nature
- 14/06 Bristol Festival of
Nature
- 19/06 Avalon
Marshes, Young Wardens Mothing Workshop
- 19/06 Camp Avalon
a camp for young birders and inner city teenagers, organised by me
- 20/06 Camp Avalon
a camp for young birders organised by me and inner city teenagers, organised by
me
- 21/06 Camp Avalon
a camp for young birders organised by me and inner city teenagers, organised by
me
- 23/06
Demonstrating ringing at session with Bristol Nature Network
- 26/06
Leading a session with Scouts to look for Nightjar on the Mendips
- 27/06 Bath Festival of Nature
- 06/09 World
Shorebird Day spent at Spurn
- 09/09 Mendip
AONB Young Rangers, Working towards Muir Conservation Award
- 19/09 Mendip
AONB Young Rangers, Working towards Muir Conservation Award
- 08/10
Ringing session with East Harptree Environmental Club
- 17/10 Mendip
AONB Young Rangers, Working towards Muir Conservation Award
- 14/11 Mendip
AONB Young Rangers, Working towards Muir Conservation Award
- 23/10 Wildlife Film Roadshow, MShed and meeting Doug Allan and Simon King
- 01/12
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 Exhibition Preview in Bristol, meeting Mark Carwardine (Judge) and
Ben Hoare (BBC Wildlife Magazine features editor)
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig doing Big Garden Birdwatch |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig doing Big Schools Birdwatch |
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| Bristol Naturalists Society Celebration |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose leading Family Birdwatching Day at RSPB Ham Wall |
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Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig leading Family Birdwatching Day at RSPB Ham Wall
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig talking to Chris Packham and Biking Birder about world birding |
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Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig talking to Chris Packham and being bombed by Michaela Strachan
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Camp Avalon |
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| Camp Avalon |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Simon King at a Wildlife Film Roadshow |
Talks given by me
- 31/01 WWT
Festival of Birds (particularly about the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Conservation
Project)
- 20/02 Born
to Bird in Dhaka, talking particularly about the
Bangladesh Spoon-billed Sandpiper Conservation Project with lots of Bangladesh
Bird Club and media attending
- 01/03 Born
to Bird at Avalon Marshes Centre, The Somerset
Levels
- 24/05 Born
to Bird at Scotland’s
Big Nature Festival
- 05/09
Oriental Bird Club AGM, talking about birding and seeing Spoon-billed Sandpiper
in Bangladesh
- 16/09 Born
to Bird at Somerset
Wildlife Trust Heart of the Levels Group, Somerton
- 15/10 Born
to Bird at Somerset
Ornithological Society, Ruishton
- 04/11 Born
to Bird at Somerset Wildlife Trust Polden Group, Shapwick
- 20/11 Born
to Bird at Somerset Wildlife Trust Ilminster Group, Ilminster
- 29/11
Addressing the Bristol Peoples’ Climate Rally on why teenagers are the future
and need help to save the world. This
was part of 785,000 worldwide who marched leading up to the UN Conference on
Climate Change December 2015 (COP21)
- 08/12 Born
to Bird, Bath Natural History Society with a focus on conservation projects I
have been involved with
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| Birdgirl and Martin Spray WWT CEO at her talk at WWT Festival of Birds |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig during Dhaka talk |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Bangladesh Bird Club at Dhaka talk |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig giving talk at Avalon Marshes Centre |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Bristol Peoples Climate Change Rally |
Talks I have attended
- 28/01/2015
Bristol Nature Network hosted a talk with Stephen Moss and Sam Jones
- 01/02 Mike
Dilger at WWT Festival of Birds
- 04/03 Nature
our Big Allay with Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Stephanie Hilbourne
- 05/03 Mark
Cocker, Nature Writer
- 07/03 Tony
Juniper on “What Nature does for Britain”
- 26/03 An
event at Yeo Valley, watching the film OMG GMO! Followed
by a discussion chaired by Stephen Moss
- 09/06 How to
be a badass vlogger, Rife Magazine
- 13/06 Bill
Oddie at Bristol
Festival of Nature
- 23/10 Nature,
camera, action! The secret of making incredible wildlife films Exhibition,
MShed
- 23/10 Doug
Allan, Antarctic Cameraman at Mshed
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Mike Dilger after his talk |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Tony Juniper after his talk |
UK Twitches
- 01/01 Little
Bustard
- 09/02
Laughing Gull
- 25/04 Great
Blue Heron
- 29/04 Hudsonian
Godwit
- 04/05
Red-throated Pipit
- 10/05 Citril
Finch
- 05/09 Black
Stork my 450th bird species in the UK
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Hudsonian Godwit twitch |
World Birding Trips
- 14/02 –
22/02 Trip to Bangladesh
including a Spoon-billed Sandpiper survey with Bangladesh Spoon-billed
Sandpiper Conservation Project.
- 18/07 –
13/08 Trip to Uganda
including seeing Shoebill and Mountain Gorillas
- 13/08 –
18/08 Trip to Rwanda
- 18/08 –
31/08 Trip to Kenya
including seeing my 4000th bird, Red-throated Tit
- 12/12 –
19/12 & 30/12 – 04/01 Chile
including King Penguins and Puma
- 19/12 –
20/12 Falklands
- 21/12 –
29/12 Drake Passage and Antarctica Voyage
including Emperor Penguin and Snow Petrel
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig surveying Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Bangladesh |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig meeting local village children on Sonadia Island, Bangladesh |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig watching Mountain Gorilla in Uganda |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig camping on ice in Antarctica |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Adeile Penguin and icebergs in Antarctica |
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| Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig "hugging" a Gentoo Penguin in Antarctica (for her friends) |
About the Writer
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Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig
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Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young 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.
