My formative years were spent in Carnegie, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where my father served in the US Air Force and my mother worked as a paediatric nurse. Our family moved widely across the US and Europe, experiences that sparked a deep fascination with the natural world. Family fishing trips in the Allegheny Mountains and at Lake Erie ignited a lifelong passion for wildlife, from Bald Eagles and Moose to Hummingbirds, Warblers, and Woodpeckers.
We relocated to my mother’s village of St Lawrence in the mid-1970s for what was meant to be a brief stay, but it soon became home. The change in wildlife was stark, Herring Gulls and Hedgehogs replaced the technicolour fauna of my childhood, but a schoolfriend introduced me to birding, and I was soon exploring Pegwell and Sandwich Bays. Early encounters with Little Terns and Nightjars forged a lasting connection to Kent’s natural heritage.
Alongside a 28-year career in orthopaedics, currently as Director, Founder, and clinician in an orthopaedic medical company, I’ve remained actively involved in conservation. I’ve volunteered with Kent Wildlife Trust since the early 2000s, led guided walks, and served a full nine-year term on its Board of Trustees from 2012, supporting projects such as the reintroduction of Beavers, Sand Lizards, and Choughs. I also spent time as Biodiversity Warden at Pegwell & Sandwich Bay, and Ham Fen, leading habitat work and volunteer coordination.
Since 2012, I’ve chaired the Pegwell & District Association and continue to support local wildlife initiatives, planning matters, and heritage projects, including the recent installation of a wildlife interpretation sign in Pegwell village in 2025. I also work closely with Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory, contributing to WeBS counts and guided walks. In 2024, I was honoured to be made a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the world’s oldest active biological society, in recognition of my conservation work.
I live in Kent with my wife, and we are proud parents of two grown children.