I heard yesterday that the decision not to continue BirdFair was made.
BirdFair was an annual festival of all things bird and animal related held each year in August at Rutland Water, affectionately known as the ‘Glastonbury of birdwatching’.
I first went in 2015 and have memories of being challenged by Ben Hoare from BBC Wildlife Magazine to see how many celebrities I could get my photo taken with.
Here’s a few of the photos I could find
Over the years BirdFair was a great place to meet up with people that I’d had chatted with on social media throughout the year and listen to some amazing talks.
Just visiting for one day was never enough chance to go to all the talks, catch up with people and look around the stalls, so after the first year we started staying nearby and going for the whole weekend.
It was important how in the last couple of years of BirdFair running, groups like AFON and people like Dominic Dyer really pushed to get more young people involved.
In the final years, I got a chance to talk there myself on various panels and do a book signing of my book Get Your Boots On.
In the current climate crisis, having a festival mainly based on advertising birdwatching holidays doesn’t seem right but I hope the gathering of wildlife enthusiasts will continue in some form or other.
Appleton Wildlife Diary by Alex White 
Bristol and Bath have the Festival of Nature, I have never been, but no doubt that will evolve now. Birmingham was doing a Wildlife Festival until COVID, it is possible that will revive and evolve too 🤞🏻
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It’s always sad when a beloved event stops running. I hope something else will take its place.
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