BRISTOL LIVES The Birdgirl of Compton Martin

“Ayesha was a cool teenager, and if she loved birds, so did I”

MYA-ROSE CRAIG (AKA BirdGirl) The 17-year-old British Bangladeshi young birder from the Chew Valley is redefining ‘teen rebel’

Despite her tender age, MyaRose has achieved more than many would in a lifetime. She recently became the youngest person to receive an honorary doctorate of science from Bristol University, created the non-profit organisation Black2Nature and was a Bristol European Green Capital 2015 Ambassador – and that’s just a few of the feathers in her cap. We caught up with the incredible young ornithologist to talk birds and beyond.

How did it all start? What sparked your interest in birds, nature and conservation, and when did you become Birdgirl? I have been birding with my parents and older sister, Ayesha, all my life. It is what I have always loved. My dad has been obsessed with birds since he was young. My mum grew up in Bristol and didn’t become interested in birds until she met my dad. Ayesha was 12 years older than me and was the youngest person to see the landmark 400 birds in the UK until I broke her record. Ayesha was a cool teenager, and if she loved birds, so did I. I came up with Birdgirl age nine; in Peru I wrote a song, They Call her Birdgirl.

What are your three favourite birdwatching spots in the Bristol area? My favourite places around Bristol are Brandon Hill, Chew Valley Lake and WWT Slimbridge.

For the uninitiated, tell us a little about twitching. What’s your most memorable twitching moment? Birding is when you go out and look at the birds you find.

Twitching is when you get news of a specific rare bird and travel to see it. One of my most memorable twitches was to see an eastern crowned warbler. I happened to have an inset day so we could go. It was exciting because there were a lot of people; everyone who was there saw it and there was a BBC camera crew there with us.

Can you give us some tips for attracting different species of birds into our garden? If you want to attract birds into your garden, it’s important to make it safe from cats. Then, have a bird bath and break the ice in bad weather. A turnedover bin lid will do. It’s good to have different types of food – for instance, sunflowers hearts and Niger seeds, two types of feeders for tits and finches and seeds and maggots on the ground for robins and song thrushes.

How does it feel to be the youngest person to receive an honorary doctorate from Bristol University? It’s absolutely incredible to be recognised for my work, and I feel enormously proud, as well as wanting to use the honour to promote my work with Black2Nature and my camps and conferences.

TV presenter and nature enthusiast Bill Oddie described you as a superhero – and rightly so. What super powers would Birdgirl have? Ah, I love Bill, he has been incredibly supportive and kind. There is actually a little-known DC female superhero called Birdgirl who can fly as well as communicate with birds. That would be pretty cool.

Even superheroes have their flaws. What’s your most regrettable habit? I am very harsh on myself and am quite a perfectionist. It often leads me to have a lot of selfdoubt. I think that’s why trolls get to me so much, and why I need reassurance that I’m doing ok.

What advice would you give to young people who want to make a difference but don’t know where to start? I think it’s key to find something you feel passionately about, read and find out as much as you can, work out your thoughts and then speak up.

What challenges have you come up against so far? As a visible minority ethnic and young Muslim girl, the biggest challenge I face are from racist, sexist and plain nasty birders and so-called environments who troll me. They will dress it up with some kind of ‘legitimate’ issue but that’s just cover.

You’ve already met the likes of Sir David Attenborough and shared the stage with Greta Thunberg. Who would you like to meet next? It was lovely to meet Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg, but I think it would be fascinating to meet Al Gore or Kofi Annan. Both have achieved a huge amount in their different ways. Another person that I’d love to meet is Autumn Peltier, the Canadian indigenous girl who campaigns for water rights.

Have you got anything exciting lined up this year? I want speak at the UN Convention on Biodiversity in China in October 2020, by the TransSiberian Train. I plan to write, give talks and do media work.