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Curlew crusader embarks on Three Peaks challenge

Samantha Whelanand
Georgey Spanswick,Yorkshire
News imageClaire Firth A man is dressed in a large speckled brown curlew costume featuring a long beak, with his legs visible underneath. He's wearing navy trousers, grey socks and grey trainers with yellow detailing. Hes's standing on a skateboard, and is on a tarmac path by a grass bank and a lake. There are rolling hills in the background, and the weather is cloudy. There's a second curlew costume sitting on the ground to the right of the picture.Claire Firth
Matt Trevelyan aims to raise £10,000 for curlew conservation

A curlew conservation campaigner will spread his wings across Yorkshire's Three Peaks on Sunday for his latest fundraising challenge.

Matt Trevelyan will attempt to scale Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in under 12 hours - dressed as his feathered friend Cathy the Curlew - a 10ft (3m) long home-made costume.

Trevelyan will be joined by his partner Claire, who will bring a touch of romance to the trek as Cathy's curlew companion Heathcliff.

Trevelyan, who works for Nidderdale National Landscape and hopes to raise £10,000 for the bird's conservation, said: "Curlew are very charismatic and when you realise they are a red-listed bird, their cause might be lost from the wild, it's very sad."

Trevelyan became interested in the bird during his days as a farmer and has continued his passion for them while working at Nidderdale National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"We've helped fund a few curlew projects and I'm now very involved in the curlew world," Mr Trevelyan said.

"Over the last five years my awareness of their plight has been heightened."

According to the RSPB, the curlew is Europe's largest wading bird and was added to the red list in the UK Conservation Status report in 2015.

News imageBBC/Richard Fox A man is in York's Deans Park, dressed in a large speckled brown curlew costume featuring a long beak, with his legs visible underneath. He's wearing navy trousers and brown leather boots. He's standing on the arm of a bench, leaning toward a statue of Paddington Bear eating a sandwich, as if trying to take it.BBC/Richard Fox
The costume was hand-made by Trevelyan out of calico and bamboo

Trevelyan last year completed a similar challenge dressed as Cathy, hiking 53 miles (85km) through Nidderdale.

"I wasn't organised about raising money, we did raise a bit of money but it did wonders for raising awareness last year," he said.

"But this year we thought 'right, let's get organised'."

The challenge comes ahead of World Curlew Day on Tuesday, which was created by Mary Colwell in 2017 to raise awareness of the dangers curlews face due to habitat loss, land-use changes and climate pressures.

To mark the occasion, Trevelyan will also take part in a special event to raise the profile of curlew conservation at the Houses of Parliament.

"Curlew are really on the decline," he said.

"We need 10,000 more chicks every year just to keep the population stable in the UK and they are going locally extinct all over the UK."

'Cathy the curlew' taking on Yorkshire three peaks

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