A campaign to create a statue of RSPB founder and eco pioneer Emily Williamson will stop off in Kinross as part of a countrywide tour.
Four sculptors have each created a beautiful design of a statue for Emily and the maquettes (miniature statues) will be on display at RSPB Loch Leven from 10am until 4pm today (October 8).
Visitors will be able to find out more about the Emily Williamson Statue Campaign project and vote for their favourite.
Emily’s campaigning began with her horror at the fashion for using feathers in the creation of hats, which peaked in Victorian times where whole birds were used for ostentatious outfits.
Emily’s campaign began with a meeting over tea and cakes in 1889 and would ultimately lead to a change in legislation (not until 1921 with the Plumage Act) and the founding of the Society for the Protection of Birds, which in 1904 would receive royal ascent to be come the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
To garner more recognition for her achievements, a statue for Emily will stand in the grounds of the home from where her work began: Didsbury’s Fletcher Moss Park in Manchester.
Visitors to RSPB Loch Leven will be able to find out more about Emily’s story and meet chair of the Emily Williamson Statue Committee Andrew Simcock.
Andrew previously led a public engagement exercise with the campaign for a statue of the suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst.
This was unveiled in Manchester during the centenary of Votes for Women in 2018.
Andrew said: “We want Emily’s statue to be representative of the people that it seeks to inspire and our tour of RSPB reserves will be a wonderful way of reaching and engaging with people to share her incredible story.
“I’m looking forward to visiting picturesque Loch Leven, a vitally important site for wildlife which also attracts thousands of visitors each year from across the world.”
To vote for a statue go to www.emilywilliamsonstatue.com and a Crowdfunder for the campaign can be found at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/emilywilliamson
