Office & Journal Manager
BOU
Norfolk, UK

Involved with the BOU as:
Staff member and I attend all committees and Council.

BOU member since: 2008

Most likely to be found . . .
. . . exploring the Norfolk countryside

What is your role on the BOU Council or committee on which you sit?
I am responsible for minuting all the BOU’s Council and committee meetings, and preparing reports for our journal [IBIS] management meetings.

What would you say to anyone who is considering joining (or leaving!) the BOU?
If you are considering leaving I would say DON’T – remember your membership supports all the activities the BOU carries out, from running conferences, to awarding grants and bursaries to members worldwide. Although we are called the British Ornithologists Union, we support ornithologists anywhere in the world! Your membership isn’t just about receiving our journal IBIS – it is also about being part of a community and supporting others.

If you’ve attended a BOU conference, what did you get out of it?
I have attended all the BOU conferences since I began working for the BOU in 2008. Our conferences are always friendly, and this is the feedback I most get from delegates. They enjoy the relaxed friendly atmosphere, but also the packed programmes we deliver, with high quality speakers, and an opportunity for delegates to get involved. As part of the BOU I have a great sense of pride in this feeling that delegates encounter.

When did your interest in ornithology begin?
Although I graduated as a botanist, my interest in ornithology began when I met my husband who worked on Barn Owls, so I was always out in the field as his unpaid field assistant! Although I have never worked as an ornithologist, my interest in natural history has been sustained for over 30 years, first as a biology teacher, and then running my own family businesses (a butterfly house and carnivorous plant nursery, followed by a book shop, specialising in Natural History, to our current business, The Langford Press, publishing natural history related titles).

What is your most memorable bird-y experience?
I have been lucky enough to have had many close encounters with birds through ringing. Perhaps my most memorable would be ringing Puffins, both chicks and adults, on Craig Leith in the Forth Estuary, although closely followed by being hit on the back of the head by a Hen Harrier!

What is your favourite outdoor place and why?
Having just recently moved to Norfolk I am finding new favourite places! The RSPB reserve at Frampton, Lincolnshire was my favourite, for close views of birds, especially Avocets, which are one of my favourites, without the crowds of people you get at some reserves in Norfolk, like Titchwell. Frampton is still within travelling distance so will still be a regular spot for birdwatching. Now my favourite is Narborough disused railway line Norfolk – for the butterflies – well I hope it will be once I have had chance to explore it more, and the sunshine actually comes out!