The Royal Parks Charity has enlisted the help of The Urban Birder, David Lindo, to inspire a new generation of bird watches across London's eight royal parks, including Teddington's Bushy Park.

The charity will be running free two hour sessions for bird novices as part of their mission to #KeepWildlifeWild, in a bid to help nature thrive. It encourages visitors to observe wildlife in its natural habitat, rather than touching or feeding animals.

David Lindo, who grew up in Wembley, has been birdwatching since he was a child. His love for nature has stayed close to him and is now a successful author, TV naturalist and travels the globe spreading the urban birding word.

As well as Lindo, some of the free bird watching sessions will be delivered by local bird enthusiast Julia Holland and The Royal Park's Conservation Officer, Tony Duckett, whose passion for birdwatching spans six decades.

Discussing the vast accessibility to nature in the capital city and the benefits the birdwatching sessions can have on newcomers, The Royal Park's Biodiversity Manager, Peter Lawrence said: "Many people growing up in a city will not have had the opportunity, the equipment or the know-how to take up this activity.

"These free sessions aim to make bird watching more accessible, and if they prove popular, we hope to improve them in future years.

He added: "There are numerous case studies showing that learning about nature is the first step in caring about it and wanting to protect it and that showing an immersion in nature is good for people's mental wellbeing."

The Bushy Park birdwatching sessions will be led by Tony Duckett on Monday 20 June 11am-12.30pm and Tuesday 21 June 12-1.30pm.

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A full timetable and information on how to book or visit can be found here.

The charity will also be hosting a bird watching photography competition with a top prize of binoculars worth £400. To be in with a chance of winning, entrants need to take a photo of one of the birds included on the parks' bird spotter sheets and send it to [email protected] or submit via The Royal Parks' social media channels.

More details about the competition can be found here.