Ornithologist joins RSPCA to help kids enjoy nature

Mya-Rose Craig, 23, founded charity Black2Nature at the age of 13

A young ornithologist known for her mission to help children from ethnic minority backgrounds connect with nature has become an RSPCA ambassador.

Mya-Rose Craig, 23, who is of British-Bangladeshi origin, has amassed a huge following on social media with her posts about birdwatching, and founded charity Black2Nature at the age of 13.

Last week she led a scavenger hunt and litter pick for children at Bristol's Brandon Hill, organised by the RSPCA.

"One of the lovely things about the work we do is that it's not about teaching them they have to go out into the country to enjoy nature, but rather that building that connection with nature means they can spot it wherever they go," said Ms Craig.

Ms Craig, who is from the Chew Valley in Somerset, added: "One of my favourite things about doing this is watching kids getting really excited about just being outside and over things that we could even think of as quite mundane.

"It's just all very fun and it's nice to have excitement and enthusiasm about being outdoors."

(From left) Makkah, Hannah, Amira and Malik enjoyed the litter pick at Brandon Hill

She was announced as an RSPCA ambassador at the event, and said she was excited about working with the animal charity.

"One of the reasons this work is so important to me is making people care about nature and absolutely that goes hand in hand with looking after nature.

"So I'm really excited to see what we are going to be doing going forward."

According to the RSPCA, people from ethnic minorities have an average of 11 times less access to green space than others in society.

It is promoting different ways for children and families to enjoy nature and get involved with conservation campaigns, including litter picking.

Last year, the RSPCA said it had received 2,199 reports about animals affected by litter, including 27 from the Bristol area.