TEENAGE NATURE-LOVER WINS SCHOLARSHIP TO BIRDERS’ CAMP
Seventeen-year-old Essex birdwatcher Max Hellicar has been selected by the Cameron Bespolka Trust to receive a scholarship to Cornell University’s prestigious Young Birders’ Camp. Young birdwatchers were invited to apply for the scholarship in Bird Watching’s February issue, and Max, of Southend, was chosen from a shortlist of three. As well as being a keen patch birder and ring-reader, he is an avid nature photographer and moth-trapper. He said: “The event will be the absolutely ideal environment for me and an opportunity to further open my mind to the many different fields within the scientific ornithological sector. It will be a chance to develop new skills, and I want to say a massive thank-you to the Cameron Bespolka Trust for making it possible.” Max is currently studying for a BTEC Level 3 in Countryside Management, and hopes to make a career in conservation or bird monitoring. He already volunteers at Rainham Marshes RSPB, and has volunteered for the BTO at Birdfair, as well as being an active member of Next Generation Birders (NGB) and A Focus On Nature (AFON). He said: “I’d love to work for a research organisation such as Cornell Lab or the BTO, and to be involved at the heart of understanding our avifauna, but I understand that to reach these goals I will need to be involved in as much varied voluntary work as I can while I am young.” Max’s interest in birds is long-standing – he says that birds “are in his blood”, adding: “I’ve been interested in birds since around the age of four. It started off looking at insects and developed from there. “I got into birds on my own, but I’ve been lucky to be supported by a lot of people, especially my parents. My advice to other young birders would be to do what makes you happy. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and don’t be afraid to ask people.” He says that social media has been a particularly useful tool for young birdwatchers such as himself. “Things like the NGB Facebook page aren’t just online groups – it’s been great to meet up with and go birding with others of a similar age, and after the Cornell camp it will be a great chance to share what I learn.”