Birdsong helps Let Nature Sing this Thursday

If you happen to be at a train station anywhere in Northern Ireland this Thursday and you think you hear birdsong, we can tell you now what that’s all about!

Rather than a stray pigeon or gull accidentally winging its way into a station and having a wee explore, the birdsong this Thursday is a ‘Sound Takeover’ as part of our Let Nature Sing campaign, writes Brian Campbell - RSPB NI Communications and Events Officer.

The campaign sets out to raise awareness of the decline of the bird population across the United Kingdom.

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So the RSPB as a whole will bring birdsong to over five million people by linking up with businesses and supporters to play birdsong on Thursday, October 17.

Thanks to Translink getting ‘on board’ with us, they will be playing birdsong in all of their train stations and there will be an information stall at Lanyon Place Station in Belfast. You’ll also be able to see posters asking, “Can you hear birdsong?”

Among the other businesses to be embracing birdsong and the Sound Takeover are Lush in Belfast’s Castle Lane.

Lush will host a ‘birdsong bingo’ at 2.30pm on Thursday, when customers will have the chance to win some Lush goodies.

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The Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy will also play birdsong in the centre, while chain stores including Co-Op and Cotswold Outdoor are also taking part.

Keep an eye on RSPB NI’s Twitter and Facebook for updates and use the hashtag #LetNatureSing on Twitter to join in the conversation!

Earlier this year our ‘Let Nature Sing’ campaign saw the RSPB get a surprise top 20 hit in the singles charts with a song of pure birdsong, while we also launched a free birdsong radio app.

‘Let Nature Sing’ highlighting the declines in UK wildlife coincides with calls from the public for governments to address climate change and the environment as its legacy for future generations.

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New survey figures reveal that for UK adults aged 18-44 addressing climate change and the environment was the number one issue (43%) for today’s politicians looking to secure the long-term legacy of their government, ahead of our future relationship with the EU.

When asked how they would describe the health of nature in the United Kingdom, almost six out of 10 (59 per cent) adults felt nature was not doing well or in crisis in the UK, with less than a quarter (24 per cent) believing nature was doing well or thriving.

* For more information, visit www.rspb.org.uk/letnaturesing