I’m a zoologist by education, a parks and countryside manager by profession but a naturalist at heart.

Early years

I’ve had a passion for the natural world since an early age. It was sparked in my childhood by the animals I found near my home. I remember those species that are now considered rare, endangeredy or specially protected. A degree in zoology from the University of Leeds followed. After graduating I spent time living at the Spurn Point National Nature Reserve continuing research and gaining valuable field experience.

Experience

I specialise in managing land for wildlife. However, as a senior local authority officer I was involved in many other work areas, both policy and operational. I have worked in the private, charitable, financial services, heritage, health and retail sectors. Those posts complemented my local authority work and I found myself using many of my transferable skills. As a park and countryside manager I added formal parks and recreation grounds to my portfolio, managing a team responsible for over 2000 acres of open space on the fringes of London. I have managed almost every natural open space habitat within lowland Britain. I have a thorough working knowledge of our native plants, animals and habitats. At a national policy level I was part of the government’s Urban Green Spaces Taskforce in the early 2000s.

In summary my career has covered being a:

• Curator in a natural history museum
• Habitat Surveyor for a wildlife trust
• Manager of an urban nature conservation project
• Parks and Countryside Manager for a local authority
• Environmental Policy Officer for a local authority
• Recreational Planning Consultant in the private sector
• Community Development Officer for a charity
• Wildlife and Educational Ranger for a local authority
• Plus various other short term roles in many sectors

Hobbies and interests

It is not all work for me. I am a keen supporter of the arts and a musician. I have volunteered on things as varied as being a Green Flag Award scheme judge to leading historic tours.