Birdland

Australia's bird populations are under threat, as even such iconic and common birds as the Kookaburra are diminishing in numbers. The Birdland project (2014) asked Radio National listeners to tell us what birds really mean to them. Responses ranged from audio to text, and images. The best contributions are a part of and have informed the direction of the radio documentary. The result is a special exploration of what birds mean to Australians... and how we'd feel if they were gone. As well as the radio broadcast, Birdland also became a slideshow, at Federation Square, Melbourne. Music on the show by Gretchen Miller, Russell Stapleton, Boyd, Stephen Adams, Bree Van Reyk, Alex Anderson, Rose Lang, Sean Scott, Al Kash, Terry Plunkett and Ashley Holmes. Poems and writing by Anne M Carson, Catherine Evans, Judy Fander, Maya Ward, Willow, Marian Waller, Carolyn Leach Paholski, Rebecca Newman, Belinda Hansen and Barbara Henery. Guests: Jane Ulman,Broadcaster and sound recordist,Turner, Birds Australia volunteer, Ian Patterson, coordinator, Birds Australia Capertee Valley replanting project, Michael Shiels, Supervisor at the Australian fauna precinct at Taronga Zoo. Dr Joan Bentrupperbaumer, Lecturer, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Alison Clouston, Visual artist, Boyd, composer and performer. Sound engineer Russell Stapleton.