Approved projects

Pole to Pole Performance

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:45:04 GMT

We were very excited to support something totally different. It was a pleasure to help fund Pole to Pole, a performance that was an art show, blending pole dance, fine art, and theatre with ecology and conservation, organised by biologist and artisit Alicia Hayden.

The performance featured 12 dancers with a diverse range of backgrounds and levels of experience. They choreographed routines for 11 endangered species from around the world, including well-known species like the Amur Tiger & Humpback Whale, as well as lesser-known species such as the Barbie Pagoda and the Puerto Rican Amazon.

Alicia used her understanding of ecology gained from her Biological Sciences undergraduate degree (University of Oxford 2018-2021) to select species and write up mini profiles to allow dancers to select species they felt best able to portray. She then worked closely with seamstress Pippa who made the beautiful costumes; as well as providing dancers with profiles detailing the behaviour, movement, and threats for every species. It was important to the team to create costumes which represented the species, as well as being safe to perform in. This was achieved using standard polewear bodysuits and sets as the costume bases, and adding lightweight fabric shaped into wings, tails, feathers, etc. all of which had quick-release fastenings to ensure they could be removed during the routine if required.

The sold-out performance was attended by 40 guests, of which 62.5% were under 30. In the post-show survey, 78% of respondees said their nature knowledge improved after Pole to Pole. All profits from the show were donated to David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, who fund conservation efforts across Africa and Asia - in total, £340 was raised.

The success of Pole to Pole shows there is a demand for performative art about the natural world and it was rewarding to see how you can engage and reach a new audience.

Monitoring the Rare Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Gloucestershire and Avon

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:13:00 GMT

This project aims to study habitat selection and distribution in one of Britain's fastest declining birds - the lesser spotted woodpecker.

The fund recipient, Rufus, is a 15-year old naturalist who has been fascinated by the lesser spotted woodpecker ever since first flicking to page 247 of Collins Bird Guide as a 5-year old. However, he did not catch a glimpse of the species until he was 13. Why? Because they are one of the most elusive birds in this country, sparrow-sized, and spend nearly all their life hiding away at the tops of the very tallest species of tree. Yet the difficulty of finding the species is beginning to change - with new technology called song meters.

And using these song meters to monitor lesser spotted woodpeckers is a large part of what this project is about. The Cameron Bespolka Trust have kindly sponsored three of these song meters - which are essentially highly sensitive, waterproof microphones that can be clipped onto trees. Song meters can record 24/7, listening out for the distinctive calling and drumming (known as bioacoustics) of the lesser spotted woodpecker. They can be placed in practically any environment, recording for durations that would be simply impossible for any one human observer.

The project aims to answer a few simple questions:

What is the true distribution of this overlooked bird in Gloucestershire and Avon?
What is the habitat that these birds reside in within the counties - ancient orchard (as in the Herefordshire stronghold) or ancient woodland (as in the New Forest stronghold)?
Within these habitats, what are lesser spotted woodpeckers looking for in a site in the region?

"It is so exciting to be able to take such an in-depth look into a bird that I have spent so much time watching, and even more time searching for. Being able to do this with song meters is something that I've dreamed of doing for so long - I'm so grateful to the Cameron Bespolka Trust for enabling it to happen."

The project will run from February to April 2026: the months where the birds are most active - with the aim of deploying song meters at 24 potential lesser spotted woodpecker sites. Due to the species being of national significance, yet its habits being largely unknown, it is hoped that what will be learnt and uncovered during this project will bring about real change for this cracking little bird.

All photos by William Lambourne

Conservation Career Talks

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:57:00 GMT

We are really thrilled to sponsor Mya Bambrick’s new project about delivering conservation career talks to secondary schools, sixth forms and colleges in the Poole Harbour area, Dorset.

Mya Bambrick is working on an opportunity to deliver 10 free conservation career talks for 16-18 year olds. This 45 minute talk with Q & A will include: a variety of conservation career paths with examples, how young people can be involved with nature’s recovery in Dorset as well as advice on how to gain experience in the conservation field.

The aim is to inspire and educate the next generation to pursue a career in conservation whilst raising awareness that working with nature is for everyone, no matter your background.

Conservation: The next generation

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:45:00 GMT

We were delighted to support this initiative to help fund this powerful documentary Conservation: The Next Generation. It was created by Amy King and presented by Mya Bambrick, two passionate, dedicated and knowledgeable young naturalists.

This short documentary follows the unique journeys of four young conservationists, each deeply passionate about the natural world. Through conversations about their experiences, challenges, and aspirations, the film highlights how people from diverse backgrounds are connecting with nature and advocating for conservation. By addressing the barriers young people face in the field, the documentary aims to challenge stereotypes, inspire youth engagement, and encourage meaningful change within conservation organisations.

A premiere screening took place on 22nd February at the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, in collaboration with BTO Youth.

Well done Mya and Amy, what a great documentary.

The Plants of Iron-Age Pig-Rooted Areas

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 13:23:00 GMT

This project aims to investigate the impact of Iron-Age pig rooting in woodland on birds and plant communities. The area in focus will be Blean Woods close to Canterbury, Kent.

The fund recipient, Will is a 26-year-old student currently undertaking an MSc in Conservation Science and Practice at Imperial College London. He will be asking whether pigs hold the key to the success of rare woodland bird species at Blean by encouraging the growth of woodland weeds. These weeds are essential to their survival and have now become scarce across Britain's woodland.

To monitor bird activity between pig-rooted (test) and non-rooted (control) sites, Will plans to deploy camera traps over a 50ha study area at Blean Woods, a site managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust. The study site is adjacent to the enclosure where European bison have been released.

In the UK, the lack of ecological dynamism in woodland is one of the eight biggest drivers of species decline, especially in birds. Given the high level of conservation interest in the Blean study site and the presence of rare UK woodland birds such as the lesser spotted woodpecker, nightingale, spotted flycatcher and hawfinch, he believes the findings of his study could be of real value to both the ornithology and wider conservation community.

The Trust will be providing financial support for the hiring of 20 camera traps for the 4-week data collection period.

Follow Will's progress on the blog:

July 2024 - Fieldwork Update

A collection of illustrated nature poems

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 09:32:00 GMT

Britain is a diverse tapestry, comprised of colourful plants, animals, fungi, and everything in-between which populate the cracks in our society, and call this green isle home. “Multi-coloured Ghost Towns” is a fully-illustrated poetry collection of approximately 25-30 poems, exploring the UK’s diverse natural history.

From some of our most colourful and flamboyant species, such as the ruby-tailed wasp and the fly agaric; to some of our least known and most mysterious species – such as the mountain hare, and the purple sandpiper; these poems and their accompanying illustrations bring Britain’s natural world to life in a way we’ve not seen it before.

I wanted to create a poetry book which was both personal to me, and hopefully inspiring and relatable to others. I wanted to try and show the joy and possibility that comes from the natural world

The writer and illustrator seek to engage a new audience with the natural world through artistic techniques. Creating a fully illustrated poetry book, with guest contributions from other writers and artists, it introduces a new audience to unusual species – particularly a younger audience, who may not be engaged with the natural world, but may love the arts and reading.

Speaking about the collection, Alicia said; "I wanted to create a poetry book which was both personal to me, and hopefully inspiring and relatable to others. I wanted to try and show the joy and possibility that comes from the natural world - as well as using my poems, and nature, to discuss some of the other important threads that dominate our lives, such as love, grief, loss, and trauma. Nature has such a wonderful ability to provide solace, peace, and comfort; and I really wanted to bring this to life - as well as explore my changing connection with it over the past 5 years - in this collection."

Bird observatory warden training week

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 10:46:00 GMT

Bangor University Birdwatching Society gave 10 members a Bird Observatory Training week at Bardsey Bird Observatory. The Young Naturalist Fund contributed some of the funds required to finance the week's activities.

This week was aimed at connecting individuals to Bird Observatories, showing how they operate and their importance whilst also boosting the individuals wildlife conservation skills. The hope is that will give them a head start to their careers in conservation. The week was filled with activities such as a bird observatory style census, intertidal surveying, breeding bird surveying, Bird Observatory Assistant warden duties & ringing demonstrations.

Just had one of the best weeks of my life with Bangor University Birdwatching Society at Bardsey Bird Observatory. We had so many great experiences and saw some good birds including Alpine Swift, Dotterel, Jack Snipe...

Sophie Dorman

Bird ringing. Photo: Joel Tragen

An amazing Bird Obs Volunteer training week. A massive thank you to Steve and Emma Stansfield and Ollie King for putting together an epic week. Also a huge thank you the Cameron Bespolka Trust, Bangor Bird Group and the BTO for sponsoring the week!

Joel Tragen

Bird ringing equipment

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 10:36:00 GMT

Izzy is a 17 year old trainee bird ringer hoping to go for her C-permit this summer. She is looking to start some of her own projects such as looking at farmland bird species.

She applied for funds for some ringing equipment like mist nets and poles. Once she has been given her permit she hopes to do lots of ringing in South Wiltshire over different habitats including ancient woodland, farmland stubble and hedgerows.

Saw Horse for School

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:38:00 GMT

The Youth Naturalist Fund kindly helped me to purchase this sawhorse for my forest school site, allowing the primary school children that I work with to use sharp tools in a safe and controlled way.

Without this piece of kit, the children would miss out on this opportunity and may never get a similar chance to develop their skills both physically and emotionally in an outdoor environment. Just seeing their smiles after cutting a piece of wood is priceless - that feeling of 'I did that myself' is a massive boost to their self-esteem. They are learning to use the woodland in a sustainable way and to work with nature, rather than battle against it. I hope others can use the fund to further their own projects.

70 Nest Boxes for 70 Years

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 11:41:00 GMT

In celebration of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee I created this project for 70 schools in the 32 London boroughs and the City of London to sign up to receive a nest box for their school grounds.

This project was made possible with the help of the Young Naturalists Fund. These boxes will attract a variety of garden birds. C.J Wildlife offer a wide variety of high-quality products for garden birds, squirrels, bats and insects. They work closely with the Cameron Bespolka Trust and support many of their projects.

“I hope that, in celebration of the Queen’s seventieth year on the throne, this initiative will help to introduce urban nature to children in London in a most simple way. Now, more than ever, we need younger generations to value the natural environment around them, especially in cities, where many more of us will be living in the near future.”

Kabir Kaul