My story is somewhat different to that of other SBBOT trustees in that I have only lived locally for the past twelve months. Peter (husband) and I decided to make SE Kent our home, having lived for the past 55 years in the West Midlands. We now live in Canterbury to be nearer our grand daughter, who has complex physical needs. For 12 years, until July 2022, I was Chair of Trustees of the West Midland Bird Club, but stepped down finally in 2024 at the cessation of my term of office. I would describe myself as a keen birder regularly joining residential bird watching tours and field trips. Previously I contributed to trip reports for the WM bird club’s magazine and data set. However, as a Trustee, I am now the Honorary Secretary, with over sight of legal matters such as governance.
As a city dweller I am predominantly an urban birder, formerly visiting the West Midland reserves as often as I was able and, when in Kent, visiting the Observatory. That has now changed with the wealth of birding sites in the county. I have brought our Deaf granddaughter along to some of the Observatory nature days, together with her Interpreter, although I am a confident user of British Sign Language. Pre-Covid Peter and I regularly enjoyed organised bird watching tours in Wales, Scotland, Northumberland and Norfolk, as well as various parts of Europe. We were able to visit North Ronaldsay and Shetland in autumn 2022 and, now we have moved, hope to join more adventurous overseas birding tours and engage in more local events.
As a keen allotment gardener I have organised dawn chorus walks for plot holders and their families, followed by breakfast in the allotment Pavilion: I should explain that until recently I managed the largest allotment site in Birmingham (c250 plots/300 tenants), encouraging plot holders to learn more about, understand and enjoy urban birdlife. Working with local park rangers I introduced plot holders to a small RSPB reserve adjacent to the allotment site and have planted wild flower meadows on the allotment site to attract birds, bees and other wildlife. As a former teacher my absolute passion is to enable children and young people to better understand and appreciate the nature on their door step and to take positive steps towards local conservation.