Becky Johnson - Trustee
As a self-professed bird nerd I was grateful to find Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory back in 2013 after a colleague mentioned that they stayed in the Field Centre accommodation. I couldn't believe I had found such a gem of a nature reserve right on my doorstep!
I have been a volunteer for SBBO on my days off ever since, first as part of the bird ringing team, becoming a Trustee shortly afterwards. My main responsibilities as a Trustee are to keep the SBBOT website ticking over and to look after the Observatory's Facebook and Instagram pages. I'm also a member of the fundraising and education & outreach committees and more recently helped organise the online ZOOM winter programme of events. It always surprises me how few people know about the Obs locally, so engagement with our local community is one of the reasons I find my role as a Trustee so rewarding.
I had a lot of fun organising this event to raise funds for the Restharrow Scrape project.
I've always had an interest in animals as growing up my as mum seemed to attract injured wildlife and I have fond memories of crows running around the house before they were well enough to fly away again. I think this probably kicked off my love for birds. Since spending time at SBBO I've developed a passion for all aspects of Natural History, there's just so much to discover at the Obs! I enjoy trying to take photos and videos of wildlife with my phone, which I also use through my telescope, and often find myself drawn to Restharrow Scrape in particular. As well as digi-scoping I also enjoy drawing the wildlife and nature that I see. I often upload my work to my Instagram page @Becky_Birds_.
I really wish I had found the Observatory when I was a lot younger and I think the recent outreach work with young people is fantastic. The Observatory really is a special place to learn, meet like-minded people and just to enjoy what nature has to offer.
