Elliot Montieth
Stepping up for Steppe Eagles' COTF 2020
Fundraising for BirdLife International
Story
On the 31st of March 2020, the UK's first youth team for 4 years will be competing in the prestigious Champions Of The Flyway in Eilat, Israel in order to raise funds for Birdlife International to support their efforts to conserve the endangered Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis). From Cheshire in the north, to Hampshire in the south and Norfolk of the east, the team is comprised of young birders from across the breath and stretch of the United Kingdom.
We think it's just in the UK where we are seeing a drastic declines in raptors, but we're seeing a wave of population crashes in these magnificent beasts across the planet. One species that's been hit especially hard is the Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) with now only around 50,000 mature adults left in the wild. It's classed by the IUCN as an endangered species with factors for its tragic decline ranging from annual and perennial non-timber crops, to agricultural effluents and service powerlines.
This year, in the first COTF of the new decade, the money each team raises will go directly to Birdlife International to support their Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan partners where 80% of the remaining population breed. As it also happens, 80% of remaining population migrate through Israel each Spring; so there is a real chance that those competing in Eilat this Spring will encounter this recherché eagle, the very creature they endeavor to save.
We all believe in being the change that we wish to see in the World and that all it takes for the rise of evil is for good people to do nothing; the Bespolka Zeiss Shrikes are young and ambitous but with limited resources. We ask for your urgent to support to help save the Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) from extinction. Every penny we raise goes directly to Birdlife International and we hope you will join us to reaching our goal.
We would like to say a very big thank you to our corporate sponsors Carl Zeiss AG and the Cameron Bespolka Trust, for aiding us in trying to help save one of the World's rarest eagles. Follow us on Twitter (@ZeissShikes) and Instagram (Zeiss_Shrikes) to keep up to date on our work and see how we're fairing throughout the event!
Many thanks for reading from the Team.