Tees Valley Arts were delighted to welcome two wildlife experts to its Green Tees Valley Celebration event at the TAD Centre, Middlesbrough on Friday 6th July.
Simon King, esteemed wildlife film maker and broadcaster (Springwatch, Big Cat Diaries) and ‘The Urban Birder’ David Lindo (One Show, Springwatch) both talked at the Green Tees Valley Celebration event.
Green Tees Valley, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), has been an exciting programme of environmental engagement activities over two years, which set artists to work alongside local wildlife organisations and teachers to deliver a diverse range of arts based environmental education activities for primary and secondary school pupils, their families and also the wider community. The overall aim of the project has been to raise awareness of and increase public access to some of the fantastic areas of outstanding natural heritage in the Tees Valley; Green TV has worked with 10 artists, twenty schools, over 600 pupils and many members of the public.
The project has been a huge success; Joe Dunne, Heritage & Environment Officer at Tees Valley Arts and Green TV Project coordinator, commented ”It was fantastic to hear Simon King and David Lindo give their Inspirational talks to an invited audience of artists, teachers and naturalists.”
Speaking at the event, Simon King said:
“It is so important to get out there into green spaces to explore, get muddy, thorns in your hands and grass in your hair, and to realise you can do this almost anywhere. And that is what is superb about Green TV – it graphically illustrates, even in what are relatively challenging circumstances, that you can engage humanity at every stage in the real world – that is really, really thrilling. I applaud it. Green TV is a tremendous initiative and I only hope it is echoed across the nation and through all of our learning facilities.”
David Lindo told the audience
“It is great to mix art and natural history. My love of natural history started when I was about 10, and so I know first-hand how important it is to get kids involved at a young age.”
Speaking on behalf of the Heritage Lottery Fund at the event, Trai Anfield said:
“Green TV is a hugely important project working across the Tees Valley, raising awareness of and making natural heritage available to everyone. It has really sparked people’s imagination with the use of creative approaches, and is a hugely worthwhile and successful project. The HLF are proud to play our part as a funder, and would like to congratulate everyone involved.”
The project partners have been Darlington Borough Council Parks and Countryside Department, RSPB Saltholme, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Teesmouth Field Centreand Tees Archaeology, all of whom have been delighted with the project and hope to see more activities like it in the future.
For further information regarding the project please go here.