Observatory appeal
Cash being raised to help rebuild bird observatory devastated by fire
The independent charity that runs Fair Isle Bird Observatory has vowed to rebuild it, after it was destroyed by fire on 10 March. Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust (FIBOT) said that it was working through the insurance process, and would be working closely with Shetland Islands Council, the Fair Isle community and other agencies to plan the rebuild. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined; warden David Parnaby and his wife Susannah and two daughters were living there, but thankfully, nobody was in the building at the time of the fire. Bird census data collected by the Observatory since 1948 had been digitised and backed up safely, but the fire destroyed original artwork by Richard Richardson, George Waterson’s hand-written diaries, and several donated private libraries. The Fair Isle fire crew were joined by colleagues from Lerwick and Sandwick in
Shetland, and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency Rescue helicopter and RNLI lifeboat helped transport fire crews and equipment to the island. A statement from FIBOT added: “We are indebted to the Fair Isle community for their continued support of FIBO and particularly for taking care of David, Susannah, Grace and Freyja at this time of need. “We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from across the globe, with many folk asking for details of how they can donate. We have comprehensive insurance, but there will inevitably be elements where the full cost of the disaster will not be fully covered by insurance, and once the situation becomes clearer, we may launch future appeals for help to replace specific items.” If you would like to make a donation to help support the key work of FIBO while the clear-up and rebuilding is taking place, go to: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/ donations.html The observatory will not be able to honour bookings for 2019 or 2020, and all deposits will be refunded. There is a small amount of accommodation available elsewhere on the islands, which has a population of around 60, but the fire is inevitably likely to mean that Fair Isle, a renowned rarity hotspot, is birded less than usual over the next couple of years.