birdgirl: Bristol

Saturday, 10 June 2017

Film-making Workshop using the outdoors

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig's Camp Avalon 15

Birdigirl Mya-Rose Craig filming for BBC4

I have organised with Black2Nature, in partnership with BBC Natural History Unit, Icon Films and young film-maker Paul Collins an exciting film-making workshop with the focus on group work and outdoor filming. It is aimed at young people aged 11 years - 19 years with priority to those living in areas of deprivation or of a minority ethnic background. The event takes part at Eastville Park in inner city Bristol on 21st June 2017, 4.30 pm to 7.30pm.

BirdigirlMya-Rose Craig filming for BBC4

We will cover:

(1) Discussion: What makes a good story?

(2) Discussion: What is the story? - Subject, Setting, Behaviour

(3) In Groups: What is the story? - choose a subject; a story with a beginning/middle/end; interesting behaviour.

(4) Discussion: Storyboarding - i.e. how to tell the story visually... Basics of composition; shot sizes (close-up v wide) and what these mean for the story.

(5) In Groups: Storyboarding - drawing a sequence; understanding what shots they need to get to tell the story; thinking about story structure.

Once each group has a storyboard, given instruction on how to use the camcorders and filming in groups.

Review of filming and instructions for home editing task.

All participants will receive a certificate for the workshop. It is hoped that the workshop will help young people from less affluent backgrounds to get started on a career in nature film-making as well as sparking and interest in the outdoors. Bristol makes 80% of the world's nature and wildlife films.

BirdigirlMya-Rose Craig filming for BBC4

About the Author

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

Mya-Rose Craig is a 15-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 is an Ambassador for World Shorebirds Day, See It Her Way and a Charter Champion for The Charter for Woods, Trees and People. She organised a conference, Race Equality in Nature, in June 2016 aiming to increase the ethnic diversity in nature and plans to run her third Camp Avalon camp in 2017. She has also set up Black2Nature with the aim of working with organisations to increase the access to nature of Black Asian Minority Ethnic 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. She has been awarded the Bath and West Show Environmental Youth Award 2017 for Bristol for her Black2Nature work EYA 2017. Please also like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter.

Saturday, 8 April 2017

Speaking at a Tedx Conference on 25 March 2017

Sometimes things come along that you have to say yes to straight away.

I have done almost 40 talks about nature, birding, conservation and Black2Nature or different combinations.

When I was asked to be a speaker at a Ted Conference, it was different. These are talks that are up to 18 minutes long and are totally, wow inspirational.

The Tedx UWE conference I was speaking at on 25 March 2017 at The Arnolfini in Bristol was "The Power of Perseverance" with 7 other inspirational speakers. This is the link to the Eventbrite page for the conference. This was what they said about me

"SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT!

Mya-Rose Craig AKA Birdgirl is a 14 year old young Naturalist, Ornithologist and Young Birder, as well as Environmentalist, Conservationist, Activist and Writer.

Birdgirl saw her 4,000th bird in Kenya 2015 and set a target of seeing her 5,400th bird (1/2 of the world's birds) by age 18.

She has been listed with the songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people.

Regardless of her age, she has been able to successfully follow her passions and dreams. How? Through patience and perseverance.

Don't miss her on Saturday 25th March 2017 at Arnolfini contemporary art museum."

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig
Copyright Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig

My talk was called "Passion, Priorities, Perseverance". This the link to the video https://youtu.be/UFl5bty3HKc

I talked about my passion for birds and birding, how I had to find that passion myself and how it can not be imposed by others. I also talked about how that passion has led me to set goals for myself, at a young age, such as wanting to see a Harpy Eagle, wanting to see every hummingbird in the world, wanting to see 5,400 birds (half the world's birds) before I am 18 years old and wanting to visit all the continents of the world by the time I was 15 years old.

I talked about how in everything I do, I have to prioritise my goal if I am to make them happen. For example, I know the best places for me to go birding in the world for the next 3 summers before I turn 18 years old. Then I have to keep persevering to get to my end goal.

I will post my talk here very soon, as soon as the organisers have posted it on YouTube. When I do, have a watch and I hope you find it inspiring.

BTW, those were the first flowers I have ever been given, though I have been given a flowering plant before after a talk, but that is not quite the same.

Young Birder Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig
Copyright Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig

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 is an Ambassador for World Shorebirds Day, See It Her Way and a Charter Champion for The Charter for Woods, Trees and 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.