Hen Harrier Day update

Preparations for Hen Harrier Day are proceeding well – although setting up an event is always a bit nerve wracking.

Basics:

Location: Carsington Water, Big Lane, Ashbourne, Derbys DE6 1SE

Date and time: Sunday 11 August, 12midday – 5pm

Event: a family-friendly, open-air celebration of the threatened Hen Harrier

Speakers: will include children’s author Gill Lewis, Wild Justice director Ruth Tingay, RSPB Hen Harrier Life Project’s Cathleen Thomas, Wales raptor enthusiast Dan Rouse, Hen Harrier Westminster Parliament species champion Angela Smith MP (tbc) and Green Party former leader Natalie Bennett [and a similar number of men].

Weather: bring sun-screen and a raincoat – we don’t know!

Advantages of location: Severn Trent have been very welcoming and they are used to hosting similar events; toilets, loads of parking (pay and display), shops and a cafe on site. Equally inconvenient to reach from many parts of England and Wales.

Disadvantages of location: intermittent phone reception but Vodaphone is best. No bus service runs on a Sunday.

Cost: to you it’s free, to us it’s an expense – but we are having fun setting it up.

We are looking at setting up livestreaming of the event but it doesn’t look completely easy – but a team of techies is working on it.

Stewart Abbott is attempting to set up a car-sharing service which is very kind of him.

We are looking to set up a book-signing in the RSPB shop at the end of the event.

The results of a childrens’ creative writing exercise will be read out from the stage.

More details as the event gets closer.