School librarian and ex student contribute to amazing new book to save Britain’s birds

An author and an artist from John O’Gaunt School in Hungerford are among top nature writers and wildlife artists to collaborate on a beautiful new book to save the nation’s birds. 

Jonathan Pomroy, former JOG student and one of the best wildlife and landscape artists in the country, and Nicola Chester, Newbury Weekly News columnist and Librarian at John O’ Gaunt School, appear alongside a stellar cast of artists and writers in the book entitled Red Sixty-Seven.

The coffee-table style book is an illustrated ‘love letter’ to the 67 UK ‘red listed’ birds, most likely to go extinct. 

It includes the shock of familiar and once common birds such as sparrows, song thrushes and starlings, as well as other song and farmland birds such as lapwing and curlew. 

Nicola, who contributed a piece of writing on the Woodcock, said: “This beautiful book needs to be BIG. All works have been donated to fund research into saving these very special birds. We can’t afford to lose them!” 

Jonathan contributed a stunning piece of artwork on the now rare spotted flycatcher, that was abundant in his time in Hungerford, with nests opposite the school. 

He is now a full-time artist, author and naturalist working from his studio in Yorkshire.

Other authors include BBC Springwatch stars Chris Packham and Iolo Williams, and The Urban Birder, David Lindo.

It also includes inspirational 16 year old author Dara McAnulty and 18 year old Mya Rose-Craig, who founded Black2Nature. Mya is the youngest person, alongside Malala Yousafzai to be awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science.

The book sold out in one day on its first print run, but is now available from bookshops and bto.org 

JOG has an inspirational amazing £1.5 million school library.