BTO Camps 2023
England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland
We are delighted to report that the very popular BTO camps are back for 2023. Four camps will take place in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Update: BTO camps are now closed for 2023. Read our report from what has been a fantastic year
For one young birder, the Scottish Bird Camp was another step along her path to conservation fundraising
These camps are a great way to get young people started on their journey with birdwatching, or to develop their skills if they are already a budding ornithologist.
The BTO run three Bird Camps in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland they are working in partnership with the Scottish Ornithologists' Club in East Lothian.
Dates and Venues
England
Friday 30th June - 2nd July 2023
Venue TBA
Scotland - SOC/BTO Bird Camp
Friday 26th - 28th May 2023
Haddington
Northern Ireland: TBA
Friday 28th - 30th July 2023
Gortin, County Tyrone
Wales
Friday 16th - 18th June 2023
Stackpole
To get a flavour of the event you can read the report from the Scotland BTO Camp
Typical Itinerary
Friday: Arrival at camp - late afternoon, getting to know each other, health & safety, evening activity andintroduction to our arts activity.
Saturday: Day-trip to local nature reserve(s), learning about BTO surveys and bird identification, mindfulness,creative workshop, evening activity (e.g. campfire,looking for bats or stargazing).
Sunday: Ringing demo, learning to identify birds by song, final presentations & pledges.
Who can camp?
The BTO camps are open to young people, resident in the UK, who are, at the time of camp, in secondary school or college and under 18 years old (10–16 in Scotland)
Cost and equipment
All Bird Camps are completely free of charge to make the camps accessible to any young person. However, if you are financially able to support the camps, donations are always welcome.
You will receive a full packing list before going on camp, but a key piece of equipment for Bird Camp is binoculars. If you don't have a pair, let us know in your application so we can lend you some.
Accommodation
Accommodation at all camps will be shared, either in dormitories (Northern Ireland, Scotland &Wales), or in large bell tents (England). Staff fully DBS-checked (through Disclosure Scotland an AccessNI in Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively) and trained in safeguarding will always be on site overnight and available to the campers.
Getting to the camp
The camps take place near nature reserves and greens paces, and may not be accessible by public transport. To help you get there, we'll be organising pick-ups from different cities near the camp, but you can also be dropped off directly at camp if you prefer, just let us know in your application form.
Email: youth@bto.org
To Apply
Applications are now closed
