ABA Magazine’s article about me and the Sundarbans oil spill

Posted on June 15, 2016June 7, 2022 by Mya-Rose Craig

ABA Magazine’s article about me and the Sundarbans oil spill

The American Birding Association has got a huge membership and has a quarterly magazine. The Magazine just out is called “Birders’ Guide to Conservation and Community” with lots of brilliant articles about sex, race and getting young people into nature.

Noah Strycker (last year’s Big World Year winner, seeing over 6000 birds in the year) has written an article about my highlighting the environmentally disastrous Sundarbans oil spill in Bangladesh. Thank you Noah for your lovely article. The article about me is on pages 9 – 10 http://bit.ly/1YqRDfx

The 2016 issue of Birder’s Guide to Conservation & Community is at the printers. American Birding Association members should find it in their mailboxes in the next couple weeks. But you don’t have to wait until then to see what’s inside. You can see the entirety of this issue of Birder’s Guide right now. Simply click here. (Birder’s Guide is just one of the free resources that the ABA provides to the birding public.)

“Conservation Milestones” is back. It highlights the real accomplishments of birders like you. Look out for Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on pages 9 -10.

At the heart of this issue are efforts to increase inclusion and remove barriers to participation in birding. A diverse suite of contributors shared their thoughts on women in birding, and Jennifer Rycenga expounded on the formation of GBNA, our region’s informal LGBT birding club.
A recurring theme from past issues is the importance of cultivating the next generation of conservationists. Tiffany Kersten talks about the importance of starting young in this issue, and Jennie Duberstein reports to us about ongoing efforts in northwest Mexico.

The Article in the OBC Magazine about my trip to Bangladesh

Posted on October 28, 2015June 9, 2022 by Mya-Rose Craig

The Article in the OBC Magazine about my trip to Bangladesh

I made a trip in February 2015 to Bangladesh, to survey the rare Spoon-billed Sandpiper that winter on Sonadia Island, give a talk in Dhaka and raise the profile of the birds through the Bangladesh media. The trip was important to me as I am half Bangladeshi and also because I am the Ambassador for World Shorebird Day, a wader charity.

My trip was supported by the Bangladesh Bird Club, many of whom attended my talk in Dhaka.

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Bangladesh Bird Club, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

The Oriental Bird Club (OBC) then published an article about my trip in their June 2015 Magazine, Birding Asia. I felt extremely proud to have an article published in the OBC Magazine, which is extremely highly regarded.

Article in June 2015 OBC Birding Asia Magazine

World Shorebirds Day – 4, 5, 6 Sept 2015 – How the day went

Posted on September 18, 2015June 9, 2022 by Mya-Rose Craig

World Shorebirds Day – 4, 5, 6 Sept 2015 – How the day went

As well as being a young birder and conservationist, I am also Ambassador for World Shorebirds Day.

I have chosen to champion World Shorebirds Day because it is an organisation that each September celebrates waders (shorebirds) and those trying to conserve them. Waders often migrate long distances along nine flyways worldwide. They stop off to rest in different places along the flyways, making them vulnerable. World Shorebirds Day has been set up to show how important bird surveying is so that people who don’t normally count birds can improve and that the number involved worldwide increases.

Young Birder Mya-Rose on Sonadia Island, Bangladesh looking at waders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

I have a real connection and love of waders. They are my dad’s favourite bird groups and through years of watching and studying them, he is amazing at identifying them. That love for waders has rubbed off on me.

On Sunday 6 September 2015, World Shorebirds Day, I woke up in a hotel in Derbyshire. We had been in Cambridge the day before, for the Oriental Bird Club AGM. After dinner with a few other people, we set off driving north. We had trouble finding anywhere to stay and I thought we might end up sleeping in the car again (that’s a whole other story!).

In the morning, Dad drove us to Spurn, where we looked for a Black Stork that had been there a few weeks. As we had been away in East Africa, this was my first chance to try and see it. That would be a new British bird for me and if I saw it, would be my 450th. However, it was not to be and by 1 pm we arrived at the Spurn Migfest. I didn’t bump into any Next Generation Birders (NGB) there, who had been around, but did get brilliant views of a Barred Warbler and more importantly, we saw it within 2 minutes of coming out of the barn.

Then it was time for me to do my wader count for World Shorebird Day. I checked out a couple of pools and my wader count was the following, of which the Ruff was my favourite:

1 Greenshank
890 Redshank
1 Green Sandpiper
200 Dunlin
2 Black-tailed Godwit
16 Lapwing
1 Turnstone
2 Ringed Plover
1 Ruff

It would be really great if we can increase the numbers taking part and make it the first huge global birding event.

World Shorebird Day Project, South Korea
Photograph taken by and copyright Eugene Cheah

In Bangladesh they made it into a huge events, involving lots of school children and t-shirts for everyone. In a poor country like Bangladesh, new t-shirts are sought after and I’m sure they will be worn a lot, reminding the children of the day and the importance of looking after waders.

World Shorebird Day Project, Bangladesh
Photograph taken by and copyright Mohsin Kabir Miron

The events in Bangladesh were inspiring and it would be great if they could be replicated next year across the globe. First, we need to raise money for t-shirts and people to get enthused about the project, maybe through the Neotropic, African and Oriental Bird Clubs.

World Shorebird Day Project, Bangladesh
Photograph taken by and copyright Mohsin Kabir Miron

This is another report from the USA

World Shorebirds Day Field Trip Results

Read my first blog on the World Shorebirds Day website, http://bit.ly/18UVWu4 and register to take part, where ever you live in the world.

Tag: Bangladesh