I am an ecologist specialising in aquatic environments. I retired from ecological consultancy in 2020 after 35 years and I am now undertaking unpaid work for my professional institute and in my community.

My Fellowship was in South America for a 12-month period during 1991 and 1992. The main issues were ecology, conservation and the environment. The purpose was to find out how habitats and species were managed in a number of different countries and what conflicts there were between wildlife and people. I was drawn to this area of work from a professional interest and also because my partner at the time lived in Chile. We travelled together after my Fellowship finished and then returned to the UK in 1992. Later that year I was part of a team studying high altitude river plants in the Himalayas, which drew on my experience in the Andes. Since then I have continued to work in riverine and mountain environments in conservation and ecology.

The Fellowship was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn about other cultures and ecosystems, understand the constraints and many benefits of conservation work, and broaden my horizons when dealing with consultancy projects in the UK.