A virtual event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the rediscovery of the cahow will take place next Thursday.

The celebration, from 1pm to 2pm, will be hosted by Amy Harvey, the Bermuda College head of science, and will run place on Facebook and YouTube.

The cahow was thought to have become extinct in the early 17th century, just after Bermuda was settled.

But It was rediscovered on an islet in Castle Harbour in 1951 by Louis Mowbray, then-Curator of the Bermuda Aquarium, Robert and Grace Murphy of the American Museum of Natural History and 15 year-old David Wingate, who later dedicated his life to the re-establishment of the bird and other environmental causes.

The virtual event will include:

•Clips from Lucinda Spurling’s celebrated, film Rare Bird

•A Q&A session with Dr Wingate

•Insights from Miguel Mejias; a graduate of CedarBridge and Bermuda College – a pupil of Dr Wingate’s who is currently completing a PhD in Canada and

•An overview by Jeremy Madeiros, the Government conservation officer, on the status of the Cahow Project and Nonsuch Island, the home of the scheme.

The event is open to the public, but students and schoolchildren are particularly welcome.

Audience members will be able to post questions in the chat rooms that can be answered in real time by the speakers.

The event was the brainchild of Glenn Fubler of community group Imagine Bermuda and school principals.

It was also supported by the Bermuda Audubon Society, the Bermuda College and the Bermuda Environmental Task Force.

The celebrations can be accessed on YouTube here and on Facebook here