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Working in partnership with national bodies (Mayflower 400 and the National Trust), the museum and heritage sector in Plymouth, the city-wide volunteer programme, independent artists, as well as the city’s sport sector, Gray’s research has informed and shaped new ways to decolonise cultural heritage and transform narratives of remembering as they relate to the Mayflower anniversary (1620-2020).

Anniversary programmes from Plymouth (UK) in 1920 and 1970 demonstrate that when the Mayflower sailing was marked in the past, the celebratory Anglo-centric narrative of heroic nationalism dominated, with little or no attempt to understand or accommodate the consequences of colonisation on indigenous people. In collaboration with national and international partners, Gray’s research has ensured a different approach for the 2020 anniversary in the following four ways:

1. Strategic vision and operational delivery: the national Mayflower 400 (M400) programme

2. Exhibitions and curation: The Box (Plymouth City Council’s new Museum, Art Gallery and Archive) and the National Trust

3. Civic engagement and local participation: a city-wide volunteer programme, Plymouth Argyle Community Trust (PACT) education programme

4. Collaborative research and creativity: influencing research-led visual arts projects and musical performances.

5. Strategic vision and operational delivery for the national Mayflower 400 programme

Mayflower 400 (M400) is the UK strand of an international partnership with Plymouth 400 (Massachusetts), Mayflower 400 Leiden, and the Wampanoag Advisory Council. Based in Plymouth (UK), M400 also links 12 towns and cities in the UK, all of which have a historic connection to the Mayflower ship and its passengers. As part of this national and international partnership, Gray’s research and methodology facilitated strategic and operational decision-making for this year-long programme of events and activities (end date adjusted into 2021 for COVID-19). One seemingly simple but powerful change was to establish, early on, the language of commemoration, as opposed to celebration. This change in discourse was a powerful cultural marker and became a central feature of the advertising and branding of the M400 programme. The CEO of M400 states that when the commemorative programme was first envisaged ‘ the leaders had a sense of the importance of that anniversary but not a developed sense of the nature of that importance….Through the direct application of her research to those leaders and directly to their outputs and project, Kathryn Gray ensured an early shift of perspective to a wider one on the nature of this history and the fact that it is a complex, shared and contested one.’ Further , ‘Dr Gray has applied her research-based knowledge and expertise to the programme’s overall narrative and to the implementation of that narrative” [5.1]. This anniversary is the first in Plymouth’s civic history to acknowledge fully and respond directly to the realities of this colonial past. Media coverage of the anniversary, and the programme of events is extensive: M400 calculate that press coverage, from Sept 2019-Sept 2020, has included over 500 written media items, reaching over 100m people, and worth £18,135,390 (calculated using advertising value equivalent, AVE). On the date of the anniversary, 16^th Sept 2020, M400 media calculated over 900 pieces of national and international coverage, [text removed for publication] [5.2]. M400 has concluded that this media profile, positioning Plymouth as a cultural destination, exploring its history and heritage, has led Conde Nast to identify Plymouth as the second best international holiday destination for 2021 [5.2]. While some large-scale public events were delayed until summer 2021, the M400 team sustained public engagement through increased online and digital programming. Gray contributed to national TV and Radio coverage via appearances on BBC 1’s Songs of Praise, Radio 3’s Free Thinking, Radio 4’s Beyond Belief and Sunday Worship, and featured in news coverage on September 16^th 2020, including BBC Spotlight, ITV Westcountry, Global News, Radio Devon, Radio Plymouth, Times Radio and The Telegraph. Gray’s contributions to new M400 digital programming, which replaced the in-person events planned for September 2020, highlighted the themes of colonisation and colonial legacies. Gray contributed to: Dan Snow’s History Hit: The Mayflower: 400th Anniversary Special (combined views 614,000+; podcast 70,000); Dan Snow’s History Hit Live, Thanksgiving (16,000 views; podcast, 60,000); and a Mayflower400 hosted ‘Live Q&A: Jo Loosemore and Dr Kathryn Gray’ (205,000 viewers) [5.2 & 5.3].

1. Exhibitions and curation:

Significant investments in cultural heritage, both financial and intellectual, have supported the curation of three separate exhibitions, each of which has benefited from Gray’s research and participation. The overall impact of this curatorial work and related learning packages has been to create spaces for indigenous voices as they appear in the past and as they are part of the present. This work has changed the way that Plymouth remembers its part in colonial history and enabled Wampanoag and other indigenous voices to participate fully in this retelling.

• Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy, an international loans exhibition, running from September 2020 for 12 months, and located in Plymouth’s new Art Gallery and Museum, The Box. This exhibition is the designated UK national Mayflower exhibition and has been funded, in large part, by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is the flagship opening exhibition for The Box, a capital project that has attracted £45million of investment in the cultural sector.

• Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America, a touring exhibition in the UK, running from August 2020 to July 2021 in London, Southampton and Plymouth. This exhibition was created and curated by the Wampanoag people, funded by ACE, and facilitated by The Box.

• Mayflower 400: Tide and Time, an online curation by the National Trust in the South West, exploring the connections of South West National Trust properties to North America, from colonial times and beyond.

The **Legend and Legacy exhibition deploys Gray’s research and methodology, bringing together Puritan and Indigenous narratives of a shared past; her detailed knowledge of 17^th century New England enabled the creation of a new and challenging re-telling of the stories of people and ideas that shaped, or were shaped by, the forces of the colonial Atlantic world. This loans exhibition is a unique collection of objects, books and images, from the UK (e.g. British Museum), US (e.g. Smithsonian, National Museum for the American Indian) and The Netherlands (Lakenhal), many of them acquired as a result of Gray’s research. The curator of Legend and Legacy notes that without Gray’s knowledge of historic sources, the radical way in which the story is newly retold would not have been possible: “ Traditionally told from the Separatist standpoint, the story most people think they know is one of an escape west to religious freedom and new beginnings. This exhibition dramatically reframes the Mayflower story. This is as a direct result of the research methodology, the use of sources before and after the 1620 voyage, and an understanding of the power of print propaganda………..Kathryn’s knowledge of these 17^th century sources has also enabled original copies of the texts to come to Plymouth from the British Library, Kings College Library and Wellcome Collection for the first time” [5.4]. This exhibition is radical and unique in its decision to present colonial and indigenous perspectives together. With indigenous cultural leaders, the Wampanoag (descendants of the tribe who first met the Mayflower passengers in 1620), as co-curators, we can say with certainty that this historical moment has never been presented in the UK in this way before. Wampanoag contributors to the exhibition are quoted within the exhibit: ‘Our history was literally stolen from us. The way the Wampanoag have been portrayed by the white man is shameful. I am grateful to have played a part in recovering the truth about our history’ [5.5].

The curator of Legend and Legacy acknowledges the role of Gray’s academic practice for contextualising a lasting legacy: the commission of a ceramic pot by a contemporary Wampanoag artist, which is now part of the gallery’s permanent collection and a lasting reminder of the relationship between Plymouth, UK, and the indigenous people of North America [5.4]. In the first three weeks of opening, The Box recorded: 17,000 visitors (a maximum number, due to social distancing); revenue for the sale of tickets to Legend and Legacy to paying visitors (outside of Plymouth) at £5,000; [text removed for publication]  [5.2]. National and international reviews of Legend and Legacy were universally positive, commenting on the nuanced articulation of a complex colonial legacy [3.5], with The Times awarding it a 4* review, The Guardian naming it exhibition of the week, and Rachel Campbell Johnston ( The Times) noting that it should not be dismantled when the exhibition closes but be moved ‘ to the permanent display space of the Mayflower Museum in Plymouth to add its thought-provoking addenda to an all too familiar tale' [5.6].

The success of the research partnership and curatorial collaboration that underpinned Legend and Legacy, has had resulted in two further direct impacts: i) the creation of a touring exhibition, Wampum, and ii) the creation and delivery of culturally informed inclusive learning packages.

i) Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America is a first in the UK. Curated exclusively by Wampanoag cultural leaders and for a UK audience, it presents the culture and heritage of Wampanoag people through the creation of a new Wampum belt, by traditional methods, in reference to a belt stolen from them as a trophy of war in 1675/6 and taken to England. The curator notes: “It’s not just a treasure, it’s our story. It could be in England still, perhaps in a private collection. It may be pie in the sky but we hope the tour of our new belt may jog someone’s memory. That’s a tangible thing that could come out of all this” [5.6]. Interviews with Wampanoag cultural leaders note the significance of creating a new belt, commenting that they, as a community, have a new opportunity to reclaim their cultural heritage and share it with other cultures in the UK. The Curator of Legend and Legacy, and UK facilitator of Wampum, comments that Gray’s subject knowledge in this area, specifically research on the 1675/6 war, the printing of indigenous language texts in 17^th century New England, especially the Algonquian bible, as well as colonial accounts of wampum and its changing significance pre and post contact, has given her the specialist knowledge required to support delivery of this exhibition, in three cities in the UK [5.4].

ii) Inclusive learning materials for Legend and Legacy were created, for the benefit of teachers and KS2 school pupils in the Plymouth-city area but also available online: these include four PDF teachers’ resources, an 8-minute animation and a glossary of terms, ‘The Words we choose to Use’, serving as reference point for teachers unfamiliar with the politics and language of colonial heritage, as well as an in-situ schools workshop. The Learning Officer at The Box notes that in relation to practice in the museum sector, this project stands out as a case study of good practice: “The model of working that was undertaken with Kathryn on this project – of combining academic consultation, with museum practice and community consultation with the Wampanoag Advisory Council – has been shown in this case to have a great impact in enabling The Box as a cultural institution (and my work with schools and young people in particular) to engage with a sensitive, complex history that has ramifications today…” [5.7] (Delivery rescheduled, Spring 2021).

Mayflower 400: Tide and Time (delivery postponed due to COVID-19), focuses on the re-framing of National Trust properties and sites in the South West as part of an initiative to uncover transatlantic connections and colonial heritage, fulfilling the aims of the NT’s newly gained Independent Research Organisation (IRO) status. The Curator of Tamar Valley notes that Gray’s research, especially as it relates to Transatlantic and Native American culture, has resulted in a series of research articles, as well as programmes of interpretation for staff and volunteers useful beyond this anniversary [5.8].

1. 3. Civic engagement and local participation:

2. i) As part of the city’s cultural renewal over this year-long programme of events, M400 developed a volunteering programme, Mayflower Makers. Mayflower Makers are trained to engage local people and tourists in the commemorations; they are ambassadors who attend and promote events and help visitors understand the broader context of this anniversary. The programme has trained 319 individuals and 172 of them have registered on the ‘Our Plymouth’ volunteer platform. 309 event applications have led to 1774 hours of volunteering and 1596 hours of formal training, which equates to a value of approximately £50K (using average weekly earnings in the SW region) [5.2]. Intended benefits to the volunteers include free training and personal development opportunities, awareness of other training opportunities (many Makers signed up to the Council’s ‘Good Neighbour Scheme’ during the pandemic), as well mental health and wellbeing benefits through community engagement [5.2]. The Volunteer Manager states that the training offered by Gray enabled and supported their work to ‘showcase Plymouth, UK, in its best possible light leading to greater civic pride and a positive tourist experience” [5.9].

ii) Plymouth Argyle Community Trust (PACT), a leading educational and sports outreach provider in the city, commissioned Gray to record a short film about the Mayflower journey to support their cross-curricular educational, sports and wellbeing programme for KS2 pupils, targeting schools in Plymouth, especially in areas of high social deprivation, which have some of the highest indices across the UK. Via the Mayflower story, pupils learned about Plymouth’s past, and participated in sports and cross-curricular activities. 2859 school pupils in Plymouth participated in the programme before the March 2020 lockdown; 100% of teachers stated that the pupils received a positive experience, the programme captured the story of the Mayflower, and that the content related to the curriculum (crossing religion, history, English, Creative Writing, Maths). Teachers said: “ The workshops themselves linked perfectly with our geography curriculum….” and , “The children learnt some important historical information using resources they could relate to. This was then linked to American sports which they enjoyed very much. [5.10]. The Social Inclusion officer for PACT states: “ Kathryn's support and expertise have enabled us to provide young children in over thirty primary schools across Plymouth with correct and factual information on their city’s history” [5.10].

4. Collaborative research and creativity:

Gray’s research about language, discourse and the changing ecological environments of colonial New England informed three separate arts projects: StillMoving’s Speedwell, a public art work that opened the M400 programme, receiving extensive international coverage [5.2]; ‘Some Call it Home’, an original multi-media musical composition [5.11]; and an interactive storytelling performance, ‘Mayflower,’ by professional storyteller Katy Cawkwell, reaching 3000 children and 500 adults through online and in-person performances [5.11].

4.1 Changing attitudes and behaviours towards the natural world

The reach of Darlington’s research provides opportunities to evaluate changes in attitudes and behaviours. International sales figures Owl Sense across print and digital platforms are 11,618; the Times ‘Nature Notebooks’ column has an average monthly circulation, across print and digital platforms, national and international figures combined, of 11,503,000. During 2018 Owl Sense became a broadcast topic for three BBC Radio 4 programmes: on publication it was serialised as the ‘Book of the Week’ (February 2018), typically reaching an audience of 4.5 million listeners between January and March in 2018 [5.1]. This led to Darlington curating ‘Tweet of the Day’ (29th April and 6th May 2018) typically reaching 1.04 million listeners between January and March in 2018 [5.1], and appearing on Libby Purves’ ‘Something of the Night’ programme (12th March 2018).

Thematic analysis of media reviews and reader reviews of Owl Sense (n=97) evidence changes in attitudes and behaviours. The accessibility of the book to a wide readership has enabled Darlington’s work to reach an audience beyond those who already have a keen interest in nature, vital in increasing the general public’s engagement in the pressing environmental challenges that we face. The Guardian noted, “ Owl Sense bulges with alarming facts and figures – thanks largely to changes in habitats, there are now fewer than 5,000 pairs of barn owls in the UK…”, and the Sunday Times “ You learn a great deal about owls from Darlington’s book, almost without noticing it. Her skill is to make it seem she is learning too” [5.3]. Readers identified how Owl Sense reframed their engagement with nature in relational terms, with The Baptist Times noting: “I find myself standing on the edge with them [owls], sensing their vulnerability to our mindless trampling of their home… As my eyes are opened, I begin to care for these creatures” [5.3]. Increased awareness of, and changing attitudes towards, owls and the wider natural world, emerged as a key aspect of the thematic analysis of reader reviews: “I think more carefully about the inter-connectedness of all creatures - how we need to be very careful about how we affect the environment for all our creatures” [5.3].

Between February and November 2018 Darlington contributed to 12 literary festivals (total audience numbers over 2000), and 11 other community-based literary and creative arts events (total audience numbers over 900; average audience 82), speaking about Owl Sense and her contribution to the new nature writing genre. A qualitative thematic analysis of audience feedback of sixty-four postcards (which simply asked the question ‘this event has inspired me to…’) from across these events indicates the significance of this activity and of Owl Sense more generally, in reinforcing and extending the impact of Darlington’s knowledge, research and research practice in supporting attendees’ relational engagement with the natural world. It inspired them to engage in pro-environmental behaviours in support of owls, other birds, and wider nature, specifically in four areas: (i) joining local and national wildlife charities (e.g. The Barn Owl Trust and RSPB) (25% of responses), (ii) volunteering for a wildlife conservation charity (10% of responses) - “I joined the Barn Owl Trust! I know so much about owls and go volunteering now” [5.3]; (iii) inspiring new creative writing practices as an expression of the reader’s developing connection with nature - “I joined a poetry group and always write about nature now” [5.3]; and (iv) going bird watching or listening, and being outside engaging with wildlife (50% of responses), and taking others with them, including those with dementia, disabilities, and children. Women, in particular, highlighted how Darlington has acted as a role model, encouraging and giving them the confidence to experience nature first-hand, on their own and with others: “ Reading about her bold quest to see owls in the wild inspired me to start being more adventurous and begin regularly exploring a local bird sanctuary. I’ve also started inviting others in my community to join me, young women who like me sometimes don’t feel like we are ‘allowed’ to take up space or make time for ourselves” [5.3]. These behaviour changes are also echoed in online reader reviews of Owl Sense, with one reader commenting ‘ Now I listen and look [for owls] wherever I go’ (Facebook Review – 5.3) , and another ‘ I now feel ready to make my own journey to discover a new depth of understanding for our natural world’ (Amazon Reviewer, 5.3).

Owl Sense was also used by two nature campaigns i) ‘ Owl Watch’ used the research to support the launch of a major campaign in March 2018. Local news coverage ( Harrowgate Advertiser, 16/03/18) details the ways that Darlington’s work engaged the public in helping to detect and safeguard four of the owl species explored in Owl Sense, living within Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Between March and October 2018, 380 records were submitted by the general public, with 405 owls recorded in total (https://nidderdaleaonb.org.uk/owl\-watch/owl\-watch\-results\-so\-far/\). ii) Herefordshire Wildlife Trust invited Darlington to disseminate her research, through a public reading, as part of a fundraising event for conservation projects in the local area (2018, raised £1,900) [5.4].

4.2 Embedding creative methodologies in charitable and environmental organisations Charitable and environmental organisations sought Darlington’s research and practice to develop bespoke creative methodologies to further their own aims and objectives. Some of the most profound changes that this case study demonstrates include working with partners who specialise in (i) social inclusion and (ii) nature conservation and behaviour change for sustainability. The following charitable and community organisations have benefited most from Darlington’s research in the development of new models of engagement with children, predicated on principles of co-creation and creative relational engagement.

4.2.1 Social Inclusion- Effervescent: Based on her own research regarding the therapeutic benefits of time spent with owls (R1, R3), Darlington was the catalyst for, and led the development of, a unique, pilot partnership project with: (i) Effervescent, a creative, community-based, social change collective and (ii) Hack Back CIC, a social enterprise based in Cheshire, which uses animals to help people to lead more fulfilled lives. This pilot was part funded by Plymouth City Council (£1,000), Barnardos (£2,500), Children in Need (£9,640) and Arts Council England (£5,376). These financial resources were to the direct benefit of Effervescent and its local, social development work.

The pilot was a creative and progressive intervention, for children (9-10 years) displaying indicators of socio-emotional vulnerability to exploitation. Through twenty days of intensive work, delivered between May and September 2016, the intervention built empathy, understanding and trust between these vulnerable children, mediated by the presence of owls. As a result, the social isolation and conduct problems in the participating children were reduced by 28-30% - considering that most of these children face structural disadvantage and repeated trauma throughout their lives, this improvement in just 20 days contact was an important finding for the pilot project and its regional and national partners. Barnardos stated: “this completely inspired us to rethink the way we approach social care…I was challenged to think differently about how we [at Barnardos] approach social care projects going forward. We believe that we put children at the centre of the work we do; Effervescent challenged us to rethink that and to do that more” (E5).

Effervescent and Hack Back note changes in their practice and expansion of their business as a result of this pilot project.

1. For Effervescent, this work led directly to further investment of £120k from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation to extend research into how creative practices can support young people with their mental wellbeing and social relationships. Working with a further 60 young people, this enabled the methodology co-created with Darlington to be fine-tuned, and “resulted in many of these young people reporting not only that it made a significant difference to their wellbeing, but that this intervention was the only intervention that they believed had had a significant positive effect” [5.7].

2. Hack Back CIC noted significant changes and refinements in working practices as a result of this project, as well as an expansion of their business into new sectors: Hack Back developed further collaborative creative projects with a local school for austistic young people in partnership with Wigan Council; in the business sector, Hack Back worked with KPMG in the City of London to improve mental health and wellbeing for their employees [5.6].

**4.2.2 Wildlife conservation – The Wild Planet Trust @Paignton Zoo: Darlington’s research methods and research practice have instigated a change in the methodological approach underpinning The Wild Planet Trust’s schools-based conservation education programme. Previously this programme was (i) grounded in a knowledge-based, rather than a relational approach to the natural world; (ii) did not include bird life; and (iii) did not provide opportunities for the children to have first-hand encounters with animals or birds. In 2018 the Trust developed a new Interpretation and Education Strategy: ‘ Love, Care, Protect Together’, based on a relational approach to engaging people with animals. Darlington’s expertise was sought to co-create a new educational experience, with creative practice at its centre, to showcase this new strategy in action. Over a period of ten months from July 2018 to May 2019, Darlington led a three-way collaboration between herself, the Wild Planet Trust’s Education Team based at Paignton Zoo, Devon, and a storyteller, to co-create a new creative learning experience. The target audience was Key Stage 2 pupils (7-9 years). From this process a ‘Birds and Literacy Education Pack’ was developed for delivery at the Zoo, which: (i) develops a relational engagement between children and birds; (ii) develops confidence and curiosity in working with creativity as a way of exploring birds and nature; (iii) uses language and development of literacy (written and spoken); and (iv) enhances learning and understanding about bird ecology, adaptation and conservation. To reinforce and develop emotional connection and literacy skills, a follow-up writing pack was also co-created, centred on creative writing activities, to be used by school teachers involved in the programme as a follow-up to the day spent at the Zoo. While the project could not be launched in Spring 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, testimonials from the remaining Education Development Co-ordinator at the Zoo and a KS2 teacher set out the ways in which adopting a creative approach would enable the anticipated change [5.7].

4.2.3 Wildlife conservation – British Trust for Ornithology (BTO): In March 2020 Darlington worked with the BTO’s Communications team to co-create a ‘Connecting with Birds of Conservation Concern Education and Literary Pack’, aimed at extending the reach of their Red Sixty Seven project to Year 6 pupils (aged 10-11 years) in all of the 16,769 primary schools in England. This education pack builds on Darlington’s work with The Wild Planet Trust, and was adapted to focus on UK birds of conservation concern, and to fit with the curriculum post SATS. The education pack: (i) raises awareness of the threats to UK bird species from human activities; (ii) develops a relational engagement between children and birds; (iii) increases understanding of bird ecology and conservation work; (iv) builds confidence and curiosity in working with creativity as a way of exploring; and (v) enhances the use of language and development of literacy (written and spoken). Adopting this creative practice though this resource is a major step change in the BTO’s work, enabling the Trust to implement a key goal of its new public engagement strategy ‘An Agenda for Change’ (2019) (delivery and implementation, delayed due to COVID) (E8).

1. Empowering women: female voices and participation

Embodied experience is understood as an important element in supporting the development of a more relational engagement with nature. For women, the issue is further exacerbated, as scholarship has identified the gendered aspect of access to the natural world, as women encounter far more constraints to participating in outdoor leisure pursuits. Therefore, mechanisms and approaches, such Darlington’s first-hand research and writing, which support and enable women to explore and enjoy time in the natural world, are of particular significance.

4.3.1. Enabling female experiences of nature: Darlington’s research and practice has enabled a shift in the ways that women’s voices are perceived within the field of nature writing, in terms of (i) engendering a relational engagement between humans and nature, and (ii) providing a role model for other women writers. Leading critics in this field note: i) “ Darlington’s work has been a significant contribution towards altering this [male] narrative to shift the gaze from the inward self-centred, often oppositional proving ground in which the male writer assumed central and commanding role in his relationship with the place and species,” and ii) “In a field dominated by able-bodied white men, both past and present, Darlington is an important role model for emerging female writers” [5.2]. This important shift in perspective, and the relative absence of female voices in this field, led The Times editor to re-evaluate their ‘Nature Notebooks’ column, with Darlington becoming one of the first women to contribute to the column. Previously this column had only male authors [5.9]. Six years on, Darlington still holds this position and has produced over 70 individual pieces. Appreciating the value of these contributions, and the importance of amplifying female voices in trade and media publications, a publisher in this area notes, in relation of Darlington’s work, that the more “ examples we have of women going fearlessly out, and ways that women can do it…. are illuminating light for other women who might want to also have access to the wild and encounter the wild around them in different ways" [5.2].

4.3.2: Barn Owl Trust: Written feedback on Owl Sense demonstrates that it motivated readers to join the RSPB, the Barn Owl Trust and other environmental charities (as above, 4.1, 5.3). Darlington worked in partnership with the Barn Owl Trust (BOT) to develop a new approach to the Trust’s public engagement practice, centred on encouraging women to participate in bird watching.

Darlington trained and supported a female member of the Trust’s staff to become the first woman from the BOT to be a leader of a series of women-only bird watching events. The first event, held on 9^th March 2020 at a BOT reserve in South Devon, involved women aged40-70 years. A post-activity questionnaire identified that: 100% of participants valued the experience of birdwatching with other women, as it provided a social, supportive and encouraging environment; 82% of participants felt more confident about going birdwatching in the future; 73% reported an increase in feelings of care towards birds; 82% reported an increased interest in caring for birds; 100% of participants increased their knowledge and awareness of birds and their conservation challenges; and 100% of participants expressed a desire to participate in similar events in the future. The results from this questionnaire are indicative of the significance of this gendered approach in supporting women’s engagement in bird watching and bird conservation [5.10].

The BOT confirm that they plan to continue the intervention post-Covid-19 restrictions [5.10].