Birds on the Edge
Birds on the Edge is a project dedicated to helping both nature and people thrive through conservation, education and recreation.
We are restoring and creating vital habitat from ponds and pools to wildflower plots to support the critically endangered Turtle Dove, Yellowhammer, Redstart, and Song Thrush, while also benefiting pollinators and other wildlife.
Working with communities, farmers and land managers, we are enhancing the landscapes where woodland meets farmland in the North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills National Landscape, securing a future for these species.
At the same time, we are connecting people with nature and developing skills through art, play and hands-on conservation. We work closely with young people from disadvantaged communities, breaking down barriers to nature, improving wellbeing and fostering a lifelong love for the natural world. Whilst we engage with schools across both protected landscapes, creating feeding stations for bird surveys to support an immersive learning experience.
Birds on the Edge is four-year project (2022-2026) made possible thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Conservation
We are creating and restoring vital habitat to support our four target bird species that live on the edge of wood and farmland in the North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills National Landscape.
This includes feeding and nesting habitat, such as wildflower plots, and drinking habitat, such as ponds.
These buzzing hubs of biodiversity are not only beneficial for our target bird species, they also support a wide array of other wildlife, including pollinators.
We are working with communities, farmers, and land managers to create, restore, and sustain these habitats, ensuring they remain thriving spaces for wildlife long into the future.
Recreation
We are engaging diverse communities across the North York Moors National Park and beyond, particularly children and young people, using recreation, art and creative play to connect them with nature. By breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for meaningful interaction with nature, we aim to support their wellbeing and personal development, as well as nurture a love of the natural world and its protection.
As part of this work, the project has engaged with students from Scarborough Pupil Referral Service and Bridlington Spotlight Youth Theatre to explore the parallels between our target bird species and their own lives through artistic expression. This work was undertaken by practitioners from our partners, ARCADE and the North York Moors National Park Authority.
In 2023, students from Scarborough PRS wrote, recorded and produced music videos inspired by the project, premiering their work at a dedicated event before it was showcased at the inaugural Scarborough Film Festival.
In 2024, students from the PRS designed and created project-inspired skateboards, which were featured in the Birds on the Edge exhibition alongside works from local and nationally renowned artists. Young people from Bridlington Spotlight Youth Theatre created performative responses to the project, which were performed to an audience in January 2025.
Through film, music, writing, and visual arts, young people develop a deeper connection with nature, whilst also supporting their wellbeing, harnessing creative talent and developing new skills.
Education
We connect with 10 local primary schools each year to inspire pupils about our target bird species, their role within our precious our ecosystem, their life and the challenges they face, and the importance of conservation - and how people can take action to protect them.
As part of the Harry Spotters Challenge, primary schools are provided with binoculars, feeding stations, seed and surveys, with the aim of collecting data on bird species spotted within their school and community.
Pupils take part in a geocache challenge, connecting them with international schools along the some of the birds migratory routes. Each school is given a unique Birds on the Edge coin and can map its transit.
Feedback
Credit: Stewart Baxter - Birds on the Edge Project
Credit: Matthew Cooper - Birds on the Edge Project
Credit: Matthew Cooper - Birds on the Edge Project
Credit: Anna Bean - Birds on the Edge project
Produced by ARCADE in partnership with the North York Moors Trust.
