Our future? It's in your hands

Why are the younger generation so important to our mission?

As we get older we find ourselves much more aware of, and often surprised by, the pace of change of the world around us. This is probably true now more than ever. With biodiversity in catastrophic decline and climate change already wreaking havoc around the world, the need to engage young people in our work is urgent. Finding and connecting with the surveyors of tomorrow will put us in a much stronger position to meet these global challenges by growing the number of people who, like us, are inspired by birds and informed by science. But we need your help. To ensure the long-term survival of BTO, and of the UK’s birds and the habitats in which they live, we need a step change in our efforts to find and connect with younger people.

We’re passionate about helping BTO reach more young people, will you help us? Connor, 25, BTO Youth Advisory Panel member 

Our BTO Youth Advisory Panel

To engage young people, we need to listen to young people. We need to understand the barriers they face and hear their ideas about what they think will encourage more young people to become interested and engaged with BTO. Our Youth Advisory Panel was set up to help BTO get better at connecting with younger supporters. Over the course of 2020, our 10 panellists have been working with staff and the BTO Board on an exciting and inclusive Youth Engagement Strategy. They have provided personal insights, conducted market research, and raised the profile of our work, laying the groundwork for plans which will help BTO inspire the next generation of birdwatchers. The vision that the panel has developed for BTO’s engagement with young people is: “A diverse, vibrant community of young birders supported by the BTO, with accessible, youth-led opportunities inspiring young people to engage with nature and science.”