Wildlife is Fun!

Meet Duncan

So, when did you first get interested in Wildlife? I got my first pair of binoculars for my 7th birthday. They immediately saw heavy use... and because I have done some quite adventurous Wildlife-watching over the years I have managed to break/wear out 5 pairs. I currently have two pairs: a pocket pair for regular use and a giant pair for getting great views of Wildlife that is a bit further away.

What is your PhD and does it make you a better Wildlife Guide? My PhD was from the world-leading Environmental Science department at the University of East Anglia. Obviously a PhD is very specific and does not on its own qualify you to be a Wildlife Guide. In fact, my PhD was heavily biased towards Mathematics and Physics. I went on to work as a Civil Servant for an Environmental Science research laboratory on a project advising on fish populations in the Irish Sea. Then I worked as a Senior Research Associate back at the University of East Anglia on a project that followed on from my PhD. I believe that during this time I gained enough experience to add interesting scientific content to my Wildlife Walks and Activities. However, my life-long interest in Wildlife is also essential in making me a good Wildlife Guide.

Where have you worked as a Wildlife Guide? I have spent two summer running Wildlife walks and activities on the French side of the Pyrenees. I also spent a summer doing the same in the Gorges du Tarn area in the Massif Central area of France. Highlights of my French Wildlife-Watching include watching colonies of hundreds of Vultures, seeing massive migrations of Birds of Prey through the Col d'Organbidexka (including a single flock of 998 Black Kites), fields full of amazing Orchids and seeing Golden Eagles hunting Rabbits over a Mountain Plateau. I have also spent a summer working at a Conservation Centre doing teaching and a winter season running guided walks for the Forestry Commission in and around the Loch Lomond area.

What can we expect on an Activity/Walk with you? Well, mainly identification. interesting discussions and games. Identification cannot be avoided... if you can start recognising what you see then you can start spotting patterns in nature... you can make observations such as "the Chaffinch is more common near picnic sites", "the Sparrowhawks often hunt over the same places", "the lizards are easier to see in places of lower disturbance", etc. Discussions are so important... a good Wildlife Guide should start discussions off, contribute knowledge and act as an informal "chairperson" to ensure everyone who wants to can join in and share their thoughts. Finally, I love games and no walk is complete without some playing around. These are generally educational and people often say that the things they learnt with my games were easiest to remember afterwards.