I began writing in the marketing and business fields before moving into wildlife conservation, earning an MSc and gaining broad professional experience in the non-profit sector.

Key Skills

Through my varied career I have built up a versatile toolkit of writing skills. I can handle anything from word-play headlines to academic dissertations, from entirely original writing to minor or major editing, from children's factsheets to United Nations reports.  I have worked for commercial companies, voluntary sector organisations and international governmental agencies. This means that I can adapt my style and approach to your specific needs. You can read about how I came to this point below, and if you want any more detail or a full CV just drop me a line.

Writing Experience
My most recent work has included factsheets, briefings and reports on various wildlife conservation issues aimed at a range of audiences, from the public and media to politicians and decision makers. However, my career began in a very different subject area. My first degree (for which I received a 2:1) was from the University of Leeds in Philosophy, a subject that is based upon the clear structuring and presentation of arguments (a good grounding for any writer). Following this I worked in market research for several years, designing and conducting research projects and writing up reports on them. Other early writing projects included business analysis and report preparation, and authoring the first edition of the Essential Personnel Sourcebook (essentially a series of facts and figures for which I provided clear presentation and interpretation). I also helped develop two educational computer programmes for which I co-wrote scripts and support materials. My first role in wildlife conservation was writing funding applications for UK wildlife projects, and this quickly expanded into producing donor reports and public facing articles. I then took an MSc course which required a range of written submissions, including an academic thesis. Following that, working for an international wildlife conservation charity, I have produced numerous articles for the general public, all sorts of campaign and information materials, fundraising documents including project proposals and reports, policy briefings and much more.

Technical Expertise
I have an MSc (with Distinction) in Conservation Biology from the University of Kent at Canterbury (the Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology) - a programme that included modules on topics from ecology to conservation education as well as a thesis, which I wrote on the Mallorcan Midwife Toad. However, much of my knowledge of wildlife and conservation comes from professional experience and personal interest. Having worked for several international conservation organisations over the last twenty years I have been exposed to a wide range of issues, from international policy to local community engagement. My focus has been on international field conservation, especially relating to elephants and great apes, encompassing subjects from the illegal trade in chimpanzee meat to preventing elephants from raiding rice fields. I have also taken an interest in UK environmental issues, at one time being co-ordinator of my local Friends of the Earth group. Naturally my academic and professional experiences have honed my skills in researching new topics quickly and reliably – whether from media sources, policy documents or academic papers - and as a committed conservationist and wildlife enthusiast I am always keen to learn more!

Short Biography
After completing my BA in Philosophy with a 2:1 in 1991, I began working in market research, also taking work in business analysis and writing, including compiling and writing The Essential Personnel Sourcebook for Pitman Publishing. I was also closely involved in a project to develop early years educational software, for which I worked on the initial research, educational design, interactive design and scriptwriting. In my late twenties I decided to pursue my personal interest in wildlife conservation, firstly by volunteering in the fundraising section of an international conservation charity and later by taking an MSc in Conservation Biology (half taught, half thesis) which I passed with distinction. In 2001 I took a junior post at the Born Free Foundation, working alongside the UN Environment Programme amongst other roles, and I finally left as a Senior Programmes Officer in September 2012. After spending some time looking after my young family I spent 2015 working on several small writing projects, and with the children now in school I am taking on projects of all sizes.