Biography

By 16 years of age

• Surveying local Badger, Water Vole, bird and Owl populations              
• Public talks, lectures and led walks; educating local people about wildlife subjects, including Owls, Birds of Prey, Badgers, Water Voles and general wildlife issues
• Self-publicised media work (both local and national) including regular articles in newspapers as well as appearances on television and radio as both interviewee and presenter.

First joined the Hawk and Owl Trust in 1973

1975-1990                                      

Established reputation as naturalist 

• Continued to survey local badger and owl populations and published survey results and findings
• Became active Hawk and Owl Trust volunteer
• Extensive talks, walks and lectures for the general public and local Natural History groups and societies
• Became involved in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation
• Began intensive study of successful Barn Owl nest site on the Somerset Levels; using data gathered to create habitat management plans for Barn Owls
• Increased media work including regular appearances on local and national television and radio and articles in local and national newspapers
• Began forging close working relationships with other Conservation bodies including Bristol Zoo Gardens

Initiated habitat creation project at Royal Portbury Dock (using knowledge gained from studying Barn Owls on the Somerset Levels) with the aim of attracting this species to breed in the county of Avon for the first time in 6 years – this was the first Hawk and Owl Trust habitat creation scheme

1990-present                              

Conservation Officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust

Many successful projects have been undertaken since joining the Hawk and Owl Trust as full-time Conservation Officer, some of these are listed below:

• Initially Barn Owl Conservation Officer; many successes including the habitat project at Portbury Dock encouraging Barn Owls to breed in the county of Avon in 1992 (after a 6 year absence), hatching a record 8 owlets in their first year
• In 1992 launched the first local survey of the rare Long-eared Owl on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, with the aim of gathering data about this elusive species as well as raising public awareness of its existence and plight.  Although starting with a small team of dedicated volunteers this idea grew to become a national survey, and continues every year.
• Launched ‘Operation Raptor Link’ in 1994 when role within the Hawk and Owl Trust was expanded to include all owls and birds of prey.  As with barn owls, main focus on habitat creation and advising landowners, erecting nesting boxes, monitoring and surveying
• Initiated a local biodiversity initiative called ‘Two Hoots’ in 1997 focusing on educating and including the local community in their wildlife, working closely with other community and conservation groups
• Directed the Millennium Awards for Conservation from 2000-2002, working with Bristol Zoo Gardens.  This scheme provided 40 local people with the means to create and implement their own local conservation projects with experienced support and Lottery funding. 
• The surveying and monitoring of local Water Vole populations, as well as instigating a successful release scheme with Bristol Zoo Gardens
• Instigated a county-wide survey of Somerset’s owls with The Somerset Wildlife Trust; raising awareness and data for all five species
• Instigated and directed the Hawk and Owl Trust’s Nestboxes into Schools Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.  This hands-on scheme enables children to build nestboxes for their school using waste wood; the boxes can then be monitored and studied with the help of internal cameras linking live images directly to the classroom.  With the added advantages of in-school talks, website and education pack this project combines education, conservation and recycling in a way that is greatly enjoyed by all who take part
• Formed close working relationship with the World Owl Trust in Cumbria, and with the Barn Owl Trust in Devon
• From 2005 to 2008 created and Directed the highly sucsessful Communtiy Owls Project putting ordinary members of the public in the driving seat for real creative conservation within thier own community.
• 2008 Created and directed the Long-eared owl Bio diveristy action plan in Somerset with 2 successful public projects in Quantock and Mendip.

Main activities involve monitoring all wildlife, surveying and habitat creation through advice to landowners including farming, forestry and conservation bodies.  All projects concentrate on involving the community and volunteers and using a ‘ground-up’ approach; making wildlife and conservation accessible to everyone. 

Other Interests:

• Have been a Licensed BTO Ringer since 1994
• Received MBE in 2001 for services to Nature Conservation and the Millennium Awards for Conservation - and walked the 140 miles to Buckingham palace to raise money for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) as this was Foot & Mouth year Chris wanted to say a big thank you to the farmers that had been so supportive over the years
• Regular media appearances including local and national TV and radio (both as interviewee and presenter) and local and national press
• Provides regular articles for local publications
• Trustee of Somerset Wildlife Trust
• Council member and press consultant for the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (BWRC)
• Patron of Secret World Wildlife Rescue
• Serves on the North Somerset Bio diversity Committee and the Avon Bio diversity Partnership
• Hawk and Owl Trust representative for the PAW (Police and NGO’s working together against wildlife crime)
• Keen amateur photographer
• Self-taught musician, playing guitar and writing music
• Keen astronomer
• Lecturer to public, school, university and college groups

Me auditioning for the new James Bond film

Education day at Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton