Jenny Gill
Professor of Applied Ecology
University of East Anglia
Norwich, UK
Follow Jenny on Twitter @jengill3
Most likely to be found…
…In front of a computer, wishing I was on an estuary looking for colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits
Involved with the BOU as:
Ordinary member
Previously: Council member, Chair of Ibis Committee, Vice-President and President
BOU member since: Early 2000s
Why are you a member of the BOU?
The BOU plays an incredibly important role in ornithology, bringing scientists together at conferences, in committees and in contributing to Ibis, the society journal. The BOU community includes ornithologists from academia, government, NGOs, consultancies and beyond, and the opportunities that this provides for our science to progress are fantastic. I am a member of BOU because I want to benefit from the opportunities that the BOU can provide and because I want to support future generations of ornithologists in having access to such a fantastic organisation and the community that it supports.
What do you enjoy most about your involvement with the BOU?
The people involved in BOU make it an exceptionally friendly and fun organisation, and what I most enjoy is the opportunity to meet and work with these wonderful colleagues. As a member of BOU Council and Ibis Committee, I had great fun learning a huge amount about publishing, conference delivery and many other things about which I was previously woefully ignorant. The opportunities that BOU provides to get involved in science delivery and communication are both incredibly important and a huge amount of fun.
What would you say to anyone who is considering joining (or leaving!) the BOU?
Definitely join and definitely don’t leave! Be part of this supportive, hard-working and passionate community, and help to ensure that it continues to support ornithology and ornithologists for at least another 150 years.
When did your interest in ornithology begin?
At University in Edinburgh, when I was lucky enough to meet a gang of student bird-ringers who introduced me to the amazing (despite the early mornings) world of ornithology, and welcomed me into their bird-ringing group.
What is your favourite outdoor place and why?
A tiny estuary called Grafarvogur on the edge of Reykjavík, Iceland, where we spend many happy hours every spring searching for colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits. The combination of the extraordinary Icelandic landscape, seeing old friends (Godwits and human) and having no email is heaven.
What would you say to anyone considering research in ornithology?
The magical things about ornithology are that birds are endlessly fascinating and the ornithological community is full of people who are passionate, supportive and slightly mad (in a good way).