RSPB's Emily Williamson: Festival to celebrate legacy

Emily Williamson started the Society for the Protection of Birds in 1889

A festival is to celebrate the legacy of RSPB founder Emily Williamson with a series of talks about conservation.

Mrs Williamson established the charity in 1889 after she invited women to her home in Manchester and asked them to sign a pledge to 'Wear No Feathers'.

The event, held at Manchester Art Gallery, follows the UN's COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.

Founder Tessa Boase said the festival "showcases exceptional women fighting for nature in Manchester today".

Activist Mrs Williamson set up the Society for the Protection of Birds, later known as the RSPB, after being appalled by the slaughter of birds for fashion in the 19th Century.

On 1 July 1921, the Importation of Plumage (Prohibition) Act was passed, banning the importation of exotic feathers and saving many species from extinction.

Social historian Tessa Boase, whose research helped uncover the story of Mrs Williamson, said she wanted to create a festival to "celebrate her achievement and remarkable legacy".

The Emily Williamson Festival will host 24 speakers including British Ornithologists' Union President Juliet Vickery, Springwatch presenter Megan McCubbin and Emily Williamson's descendent, Prof Melissa Bateson.

The event, which runs from 12 to 14 November, will finish with the announcement of a winning design for a statue of Mrs Williamson, which was commissioned in July.

The sculpture is to stand in Didsbury's Fletcher Moss Park - the gardens of her former home.

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