You may know Mya-Rose Craig better as ‘Birdgirl’, as she has been publicly sharing her passion for birds, wildlife and nature for the majority of her 18 years, but what may not be so well documented is her love of amphibians. That is, until now! UK amphibian and reptile conservation charity, Froglife are delighted to announce that Mya-Rose will be joining zoologist and author Jules Howard and wildlife gardener and writer Kate Bradbury, by becoming a Patron.
The youngest person to receive an honorary doctorate in science from the University of Bristol AND the youngest to have seen half of the world’s birds (approximately 5,400), Mya-Rose started her blog ‘Birdgirl UK’ aged just 11. She set up the not-for-profit organisation Black2Nature just a few years later, hosting nature camping excursions into the Somerset Countryside for Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) young people, many from inner cities.
Already engaged in similar immersive activities around social inclusion as those employed by Black2Nature, Froglife provides interaction with nature for those with dementia, learning difficulties, inner city schools and prisons through pond creation, reptile and amphibian identification, the creation of wildlife gardens and other habitats including bird-boxes, and both Mya-Rose and Froglife see their partnership as a natural fit.
“I am hugely excited to become a Patron of Froglife and look forward to us working together to create more opportunities to help encourage children and teenagers from minority ethnic backgrounds connect with the natural world. I have been really interested in frogs and amphibians since I visited the Ecuadorian Amazon age eight years old and saw my first poison dart frogs and the hugely dangerous Fer De Lance snake.” said Mya-Rose.
“Mya-Rose’s campaigning and passion for the environment are much to be admired and we know she’ll be an inspiration for all of us at Froglife, as well as all of our supporters. We know how busy she is and we feel honoured and delighted to have her on board,” said Froglife CEO Kathy Wormald.
