Rutland Water Birdfair Cancelled

Message from the Birdfair Team;

It is with heavy hearts that after 31 successful years during which over £5million for nature conservation has been raised, we have made the difficult decision not to hold Birdfair 2020.

This iconic event, which was the first of its kind and the largest internationally, raises funds and awareness for international nature conservation from the creation of new national parks to saving species from the threat of extinction.

Even if public gatherings were to be given permission to go ahead later in the summer, we do not feel we could maintain our duty of care during this COVID-19 crisis, and delaying our decision further would only increase costs which would be difficult for Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust to bear.

But we are determined that we will be back for Birdfair 2021! We are already planning a new direction for the event, offering the 24,000 people who visit each year different ways of exploring how they can engage with wildlife and nature conservation, both within the UK and worldwide. We'll be sharing how these ideas are developing over the course of the year. In the meantime, we are exploring the possibility of holding a 'Digital Birdfair' – a chance to showcase speakers and discussions online; we hope to engage our existing supporters and find new audiences through this innovative communication channel this summer.

This will be a disappointment for Bird Club members who've visited and volunteered at the Birdfair over the years but I'm sure it will come as no surprise given the current uncertainty regarding travel etc.

A scene from a wet and muddy Birdfair 2019