Online events for young people under 30 in Scotland
The SOC and BTO Scotland are delighted to bring you another programme of online talks for 2024. Delivered on Zoom, attendees will enjoy a diverse programme of interactive online workshops and talks from some of Scotland’s top ornithologists, naturalists and creatives. Programme contributors have kindly donated their time and expertise to help inspire the next generation of birdwatchers, recorders and conservationists, for which we are most grateful. All sessions start at 7pm and will last approximately 1.5 hours.
The joining links for each event will be sent out in advance to everyone on our youth mailing list. If you have signed up in previous years then you will automatically receive the 2024 communications. Not yet signed up? Please subscribe below.
Creative Nature
| Talks | Discussion | Q&A |
Join us for an evening celebrating the nature of Scotland, and its impact on the creative arts. Find out how our experts celebrate and protect birds through their photographs, filmmaking and art.
Your panel: Stuart Spray (Filmmaker, Journalist and Activist) and Alicia Hayden (Wildlife Artist, Filmmaker, Writer, Animator).
Stuart Spray
After working as an ecologist for over 25 years, Stuart retrained as an investigative environmental journalist. He now writes and makes short films on climate change, wildlife crime, biodiversity, environmental activism and wildlife law.
Stuart regular writes for Byline Times and produces short films for environmental charities such as OneKind, Project Borneo, Crustacean Compassion and Tarras Valley Nature Reserve. He is currently working on a short film highlighting the impact of the East African Crude Oil Pipleine (EACOP) on Project Affected People (PAPs) of Tanzania and Uganda and has just started filming a documentary about the pros and cons of Biodiversity Net Gain.
Alicia Hayden
I’m a creative conservationist, with a BA in Biological Sciences from Oxford University, and an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking from the University of the West of England, working across the arts to tell stories about the natural world, and communicate science.
Originally from North Yorkshire, I grew up surrounded by the natural world – exploring the woods and moorlands was natural to me, and led to a deep love of wildlife.
I work as a wildlife artist, filmmaker, animator, writer, and photographer – from commissions and exhibitions, to films, books, and talks and teaching others – I believe everyone can engage with the arts in some form, and that everyone should be given the opportunity to fall in love with the natural world.
