Follow the project here: https://soundofsilence.no    

The e-magazine will be published in monthly online editions for 12 months, as a countdown to Bodø2024. The e-magazine contains interviews with birders, including birdwatchers, researchers, media people and artists, as well as activities for children and information about seabirds. https://soundofsilence.no/e-magasin/

This is Bodø 2024. https://www.bodo2024.no

Bodø2024 is the largest cultural project in Northern Norway ever. In 2024, more than 600 events will be held throughout the county of Nordland, with Sound of Silence at Vega being one of them. Bodø2024 has chosen to focus on youth, competence building and sustainability.

Bodø2024 is a community project that aims to make our region an attractive place to live in.

What if the sound of the seabirds disappears? 

Through the Sound of Silence project, we will bring together scientists, managers, artists and local people to give seabirds a voice! Most of the activity will take place in April 2024 under the banner of Spring Optimism, when Sound of Silence, migratory birds and the coast will be on the program for one week. The Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation and Bodø 2024 invite researchers, practitioners, politicians, managers, artists and many other stakeholders to a symposium; from those who live by the bird mountain on Røst to the old downyards south of Bodø, Vegaøyan World Heritage Site, the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands and all other interested parties. Our goal is to give seabirds a voice - give them help!

BUT: In addition to the symposium, seabird exhibition and children's workshops in Bodø, there will also be a similar event on Vega in July 2024 when Vegaøyan World Heritage will celebrate its 20th anniversary! The Vegaøyan World Heritage Foundation is now working to secure funding for the project in Bodø and Vega, and will invite the local community to brainstorm ideas for local activities once the funding is in place.

Background: Since 2005, there has been a 30 percent decline in breeding populations on the Norwegian mainland. As many as 16 of the 28 fully marine seabird species that spend time in Norwegian waters during the year are on the Norwegian Red List. This means that they are considered near threatened, vulnerable, highly threatened or critically endangered.

In Vegaøyan, we have been working for the past 20 years to recruit birdwatchers, pass on the dune tradition and help seabirds. Now we want to put the situation for seabirds on the agenda for everyone in Europe. This is happening through the Sound of Silence project, which will be Vegaøyan World Heritage's part of Bodø as European Capital of Culture in 2024. And we want an important part of Nordland's identity to reach more people: The sound of seabirds.