NEWS COPY – WITH PICTURES – by Izzy Ferris
A protester in Bristol has built and is now living up a tree in a homemade — BIRD BOX.
Dav Kahyk, 35, and a team of campaigners have built a camp in trees due to be felled to make way for a new Metrobus scheme.
Many of the protesters have set up netted hammocks between the trees at risk of being axed, but Dav decided to build a warmer structure for the eco-warriors.
Dav, who ironically is a tree surgeon, built the 6ft by 3ft plywood box, complete with a perch and circular entrance – to replicate a real-life bird box.
The campaigners are currently occupying trees in the path of a controversial MetroBus route in Stapleton, Bristol.
Dav, who is sleeping in the giant birdbox with a female friend, said they decided to build it as it is symbolic of their campaign.
He said: “I’ve been climbing and rigging all day to get everything into place for another evening here.
“It is a 6ft by 3ft platform and on top there is a bird box about 6ft high on top of it.
“We decided to build the bird box as we thought it would prove why we are here – we are trying to prove that chopping down trees will take away wildlife’s homes.
“We’re all living things, so if they decide to chop the trees down they will have to take the home with it.
“There are two of us in there at the moment, but we’ve decided we’re going to start taking it in turns.
“Everyone else is just sleeping in nets in the trees so this is much more luxurious – it’s like a Hilton Hotel.
“It took us about a day to build. It is made completely of recyclable items. Plywood, carpet and lino.
“It took us an evening to build the platform and then it took us a day to build the building around it.”
Protesters moved on to the allotments on February 1 against plans to fell trees on the green belt land.
A number of trees are set to be chopped down to make way for the MetroBus route through Bristol.
A High Court Judge has now ruled that the group can be evicted from the land and bailiffs are set to move in over the weekend.
Dav, from Bristol, added: “It’s been us for five nights now. Maybe six actually, the days are all kind of merging into one.
“We will be staying here until we are physically removed by baliffs or they listen to us and decide against the scheme.
“We’re keeping warm in the box with hot water bottles and extra jumpers, we’re all huddled around like penguins.
“The bird box is much warmer than the outdoor nets, we’ve had a cold few nights so everyone wants the bird box.”
ENDS
