As a small child I could often be found in the garden on my hands and knees watching or following some small creature to see what it did, or where it went. The small primary school I attended backed onto a large area of mixed forest and we were often taken for nature walks by the teachers. A joy for me. From an early age I read books about natural history. From insects and spiders to whales and elephants. From bacteria and fungi to birds and reptiles.
This life-long interest in natural history led to a Bachelor of Science degree (majoring in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, minoring in Zoology) from Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia.
Following graduation I worked for several years in the Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratories at Flinders University where the study of palaeo-ecology added another dimension to my natural history interests.
I then developed a passion for writing about the natural world and had some success with publications in Australia, and the USA , and runner up in the Australian National Bragg Prize for Science Writing in 2016 (see ‘Beautiful Contrivances’). (See below).
Personal circumstances led me back to the UK where the idea for this website was born. I love to write about how this wondrous living planet works. I simply want to share my wonder with you.
Selected Publishing History
Articles/Essays:
2017 Feature article: ‘Ghosts of the Nullarbor’ Australian Geographic Magazine (Nov/Dec 2017 Issue 141). Publisher: Bauer Media Ltd, NSW, Australia. http://www.australiangeographic.com.au (contact for back issue: customerservice@australiangeographic.com.au)
2016 Essay: ‘Beautiful Contrivances‘ Best Australian Science Writing 2016. Publisher: NewSouth Publishing, NSW, Australia. (First published in Orchids Australia (Journal of the Australian Orchid Council Inc) February 2016)
2016 Essay: ‘The Salmon Forest‘ Written River (Literary Journal) Publisher: Hiraeth Press, Massachusetts, USA.
Positions held:
2017 – 2019 Editor – Flinders University Palaeontology Society Journal
2016 – 2018 Science Book Reviewer for Adelaide Advertiser (newspaper).
2015 – 2018 Book Reviewer for The Historical Records of Australian Science (peer reviewed journal).
Nature Matters 