Pickie Finders

Pickie Finders, in collaboration with Papay Ranger Jonathan Ford, was created during lockdown, specifically looking at Arctic terns diminishing in numbers as indicators of change. ‘Pickie’ is the local dialect name for an Arctic tern. We recruited the islanders as ‘Pickie spotters’, recording the first arrivals of the migrating Arctic terns from Antarctica. The project provided a view from the local out into the global world - connecting with the South Orkney island in Antarctica. The sightings were sent to us via a WhatsApp group and a Look-Out hut was erected on the South coast where they would arrive from Antarctica. Sketches of islanders Pickies were collected and printed onto a special ‘Pickie Finders’ tea cloth and bag, now for sale in the island shop. The project was not just about sightings of Arctic terns, as we collected folklore and anecdotal tales from islanders highlighting our relations with these wonderful birds.

In collaboration with UK Antarctica Heritage Trust and funded by British Science Association