Manx BirdLife are excited to share that the future of the charity’s Education Programme is safe thanks to a further five years of generous funding from the Scheinberg Family. The Scheinberg’s have given financial support to the Programme since its launch in 2015.
The Manx BirdLife Education Programme helps school children and the wider community to discover the natural world through the narrative of wild birds; to inspire them to cherish the birds that make the Isle of Man home; and to develop a strong sense of responsibility and desire to protect birds and the habitats on which they, and we all, depend.
The Programme offers high-quality, environmental education experiences, and public engagement opportunities, through a range of workshops, walks, events, and citizen science projects like the Garden Birdwatch. These enable people of all ages to discover the wonder and diversity of birds; show how the health of birds, people and the environment are intertwined; and, in turn, how we can all take positive action to protect the natural world.
The charity is proud of the past 10 years of engagement; bringing nature into the lives of thousands of people; sparking an interest in wild birds and their habitats across the Island and igniting nature conservation action. However, we are still in a biodiversity crisis; many of the Island’s birds remain of conservation concern, with their habitats under threat; and many people, for a variety of reasons, are disengaged with the natural world; there is more work to be done.
The next five years will see the charity’s education work grow to include an Outdoor Education Programme (OEP) based at the Manx BirdLife Point of Ayre National Reserve (MBLPOANR) and Langness Nature Reserve. In fact, the building of infrastructure for visiting school and community groups is already underway at the MBLPOANR, including a shelter and composting toilet, generously funded by the Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust and Curraghs Wildlife Park respectively.
It is hoped the OEP will nurture and inspire a new generation of bird lovers on the Isle of Man; whilst giving people the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to monitor and protect nature into the future. Manx BirdLife wants to instil a sense of stewardship for wild birds and their habitats on its nature reserves and across the Island.
Another wonderful addition to the Education Programme is a suite of self-led online resources on the charity’s website for schools and young families. The resources use the fascinating topic of birds in Manx folklore, history, and conservation as a catalyst for learning. In due course, the resources will be available in Manx and English. Manx BirdLife is grateful to Culture Vannin for funding the work time for creating these resources.
For Manx BirdLife to achieve its ambitious aims over the coming years, the funding will also enable the recruitment of an Education Officer to support the existing Education Manager in developing and delivering workshops, walks and events across the Isle of Man.
