Mya-Rose Craig

Mya-Rose Craig
Mya-Rose Craig, in 2022
Alma mater	Chew Valley School
Occupation	School student, ornithologist, activist, ecologist
Awards	honorary doctorate (Bristol University)
Website	http://www.birdgirluk.com/

Mya-Rose Craig (born 7 May 2002), also known as Birdgirl, is a British ornithologist, environmentalist, activist, and author. She gained international recognition for her birding achievements, including setting records by observing over 5,000 species worldwide and becoming the youngest female to birdwatch on all continents. Her interest in ornithology began during family trips and led to numerous TV appearances and the founding of her popular blog, Birdgirl.

Craig is an environmental activist and advocate for diversity in conservation. At the age of 14, she founded Black2Nature to engage minority ethnic youth in nature activities. Her activism extends to climate change advocacy, where she has organized and participated in high-profile events, including a solitary climate strike on sea ice in the Arctic. Craig's contributions to conservation and environmentalism have earned her accolades. In February 2020, she received an honorary doctorate in science (DSc hc) from the University of Bristol, and is said to be the youngest British person to receive such an award. She is also a best-selling author, with her memoir Birdgirl published in 2022.

Early life and education

Craig is from Compton Martin. Her mother, Helena, is a retired lawyer of Bangladeshi descent and her father, Chris has an engineering background. Her mother's family is from northern Bangladesh, while her father is from Liverpool. She has a sister who is 12 years her senior.

Craig attended Chew Valley School. In June 2024, she graduated with a degree in Human, Social and Political Sciences from St John's College, Cambridge.

Birding

Throughout nearly her entire life, Craig has pursued ornithology. Her birdwatching was cultivated in childhood after her parents took family trips throughout her youth. She went on her first birdwatching trip at just nine days old. In 2012, when Craig was 10, her parents decided to take her out of school for six months and homeschool her themselves, to take her on an extensive trip. The family traveled for six weeks in Colombia, followed by six weeks in Bolivia, and concluded with nine weeks in Peru, returning home for two weeks between each trip to allow her to reconnect with friends. In 2009, at the age of seven, she undertook a "big year," aiming to observe the maximum number of bird species within a specific geographical area over a calendar year. She successfully identified 325 bird species in the UK, making her the youngest individual worldwide to accomplish this challenge.

Craig initially gained recognition as a birder following her appearance on the 2010 BBC Four documentary "Twitchers: A Very British Obsession." Since then, she has made appearances on popular television programs such as Springwatch, Countryfile, and The One Show. Her first newspaper column, “Birding Tales”, was published in the Chew Valley Gazette when she was 12.

In 2015, after reaching Brown Bluff on the Antarctic Peninsula, Craig achieved a Guinness World Record for being the youngest female to birdwatch on all continents. She is dedicated to observing every bird species in their natural habitats and, by age 17, had recorded sightings of 5,000 species, approximately half of all known species, earning recognition as the youngest individual to reach this milestone. She achieved her 5,000th sighting, a rock bunting, at Castle of Loarre in northern Spain. By 2019, her global birding expeditions had taken her to 38 countries across all seven continents, including Australia, Egypt, and multiple trips to the Amazon, in pursuit of expanding her birdwatching achievements. Craig's has said that her favorite sighting was of a Southern cassowary, which she described as resembling more of a dinosaur than a bird.

At age 11, she started her blog, Birdgirl, to share her passion for birds. The following year, she campaigned to raise $35,000 for a Bangladeshi charity to deal with the 2014 Sundarbans oil spill. As her platform grew, she found herself wanting to explore topics beyond birds. By June 2022, the blog had attracted 6 million views.

In June 2018, Craig obtained her C-permit from the British Trust for Ornithology, allowing her to independently record birds without parental supervision. She is a bird ringer.

In 2024, Craig hosted the third series of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew podcast, Unearthed.

Activism

Craig is an advocate for increased equality in environmentalism and nature-related causes and has campaigned to improve diversity in conservation work. Reflecting on her childhood experiences with birdwatching, Craig recalls the predominantly white and male demographic of the community. Initially feeling comfortable due to her long-standing involvement, around the age of 13 or 14, she began to perceive the lack of diversity within the birdwatching community as unusual. People questioned her interest in the hobby, prompting her to ponder why certain demographics were more prevalent in such pursuits. This realization sparked her curiosity about inclusivity and diversity in nature-related activities prompting her to advocate for inclusivity in outdoor activities.

Craig created her first nature conference, attended by naturalists including Bill Oddie, at the age of 13. Her older sister's reduced birding time after having a baby spurred Craig to seek out other young naturalists. Discovering the American Birding Association's teen summer camps online, her parents proposed organizing similar camps herself. Identifying a lack of diversity in birding communities, particularly among British Bangladeshi backgrounds, she founded Black2Nature in 2015 at 14 to run nature camps for minority ethnic children. The initiative addresses the underrepresentation of these communities in environmental fields by offering urban youth opportunities to explore and engage with nature, aiming to prompt change and promote equity within the environmental sector.

Having traveled during her upbringing, Craig says she has “seen first-hand a lot of the impacts of climate change, deforestation and discrimination,” experiences which sparked her interest in conservation and advocacy for indigenous communities. She campaigns against climate change and biodiversity loss, advocating for the prioritization of human rights for Indigenous peoples in her role as a Survival International Ambassador.

Craig was a "Bristol 2015 Ambassador" during the city's year as European Green Capital. In 2018, she contributed to Chris Packham's A People’s Manifesto for Wildlife and was enlisted as the manifesto’s "minister of diversity". Craig campaigned with Greta Thunberg at the Youth Strike 4 Climate event in Bristol in February 2020. She has organized conferences featuring celebrity nature enthusiasts such as Bill Oddie, Chris Packham, and RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight.

In September 20, 2020, in collaboration with Greenpeace, Craig organized a solitary climate strike on a piece of sea ice in the Arctic, situated at a latitude of 82.4°N, standing on an ice floe with a "Youth Strike for Climate" message. This protest marked the northernmost climate-change demonstration to date. That same month, she joined the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' (RSPB) advisory committee, becoming its youngest member.

In May 2021, Craig was appointed to the joint board of the Creative Industries Federation and Creative England (now Creative UK).

In November 2021, during COP26 in Glasgow, Craig gave speeches alongside Emma Watson, Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. In August 2022, she was announced as an Oxfam Ambassador and spoke on their stage at Glastonbury Festival. Craig is also an ambassador for Greenpeace and The Wildlife Trusts.

Writing

In 2021, Craig published We Have a Dream. The book profiles 30 young global environmentalists of color, exploring their backgrounds, aspirations for the future, and the pivotal moments that sparked their commitment to environmental activism.

In June 2022, Craig published the UK edition of her autobiography, Birdgirl, which was published in the US in March 2023. It became a bestseller. The book has been described as "covering a lot of ground," ranging from Craig's environmental activism to her mother’s bipolar disorder. In its review of Birdgirl, The Guardian notes Craig's decision to publish a memoir at a young age and acknowledges her passion for birdwatching and environmental activism. While recognizing repetitive elements in Craig's bird sightings, it praises the vivid depiction of her connection to birds and familial experiences. The Independent described the book as "part memoir, part travelogue, part homage to the bird kingdom."

In June 2023, Craig published children's book Flight. The book follows seven bird species as they migrate to different countries. A review by The Telegraph praises the book for its engaging blend of captivating bird facts, personal anecdotes, and Craig's skillful portrayal of birds as protagonists, all complemented by Lynn Scurfield's "sumptuous illustrations," and ensures it will succeed in inspiring young readers with "a little of Craig’s zeal."

Awards and recognitions

In 2018, Craig won the National Biodiversity Network's Gilbert White Youth Award for recording terrestrial and freshwater wildlife.

In February 2020, Craig received an honorary doctorate in science (DSc hc) from the University of Bristol, and is said to be the youngest British person to receive such an award. She was nominated for the degree by Dr. Rich Pancost, head of earth sciences at the university, who cited her exceptional leadership in special, transformative projects. He praised Craig for her impactful work in the environmental sector, particularly championing diversity and equity through initiatives like Black2Nature.

Craig's first book, We Have a Dream, was nominated for Discover Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2022. In March 2023, she was longlisted for the 2023 Jhalak Prize for her memoir, Birdgirl. The book was a winner of the 2023 Somerset Maugham Award. Her third book, Flight, won the 2024 Edward Stanford Children’s Travel Book of the Year.

Craig has been listed as one of Bristol’s most influential young people. In May 2023, she was named as one of the National Geographic Society’s 2023 Young Explorers. In April 2024, she made The Sunday Times' Young Power list.

Bibliography

• Craig, Mya-Rose (January 2021). We Have a Dream. Magic Cat Publishing. ISBN 9781913520205
• Craig, Mya-Rose (June 2022). Birdgirl: Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Future. Penguin Random House. ISBN 9781787333208
• Craig, Mya-Rose (June 2023). Flight. Puffin Books. ISBN 9780241597927

External links

• Official website
• 2019 interview from Bird Watching magazine