One cloudy autumn day last year, the nature diary contributors gathered together for the first time. We all know each other one way or another, but had never all met up as a team. After some catching up and rota planning, it occurred to us that whilst you, our readers, might know all of our favourite wildlife haunts, you probably don’t know very much about us as people. So instead of a nature diary this week, here is an introduction to each of your nature diary writing team.

Gordon Waterhouse

I caught my love of wildlife from my parents and teachers as I grew up by the Medway Estuary, in Kent. I trained as a teacher in York, from 1960 to 1963 and have always enjoyed being a teacher alongside sharing my love of nature.

In 1971 when I came to teach at Charleton School, my wife Barbara and I, along with our toddlers Robert and Clare, moved to Kingsbridge. At this time, alongside Graham Palmer and Val Mercer I started a natural history club for local children, I took over the monthly estuary bird count with help of Bryan Ashby and I joined the group looking after the nature reserve at Andrew’s Wood. I moved to teach at Modbury School in 1978, where I happily shared the natural world with local children for 20 years.

When I ‘retired’ in 1997 Barbara and I began twenty years of adventure, climbing mountains, walking footpaths and exploring new countries. I soon became a helper with a new children’s nature club led by Julie Bailey and later by Sally Henderson, Fiona van Es and Clare Cremona.

Starting the Gazette’s Nature Diary in the early 90’s, I wrote weekly nature notes year round for ten years. More recently I have shared this enjoyable task with a wonderful band of writers:

Fiona van Es

If a countryside walk simply means getting from A to B then, as a companion, I’m probably your worst nightmare. “Oh no, mum’s peering at the ground again”, has been a regular complaint from my young sons during outings. Now, they sometimes accompany me as ‘minders’ and quite enjoy sharing with friends their knowledge of plants, insects and rockpool wildlife. My long-suffering family has featured in Nature Diaries since my first article in September 2009 along with our steamboat, Clio. As a qualified botanist and marine biologist, there can’t be many places better to work and play than the South Hams.

Nigel Mortimer

I’ve always had a passion for the Ocean and take any excuse to be by, on, in or under it. After studying marine biology and ecology, I worked in countryside conservation and public marine aquarium management in Scotland for some years but always hankered for a marine job back here in the Westcountry.

I have worked across our South Devon estuaries for over 28 years, aiming to help our wider community in joining me to understand and cherish them, so that we are all able to play a part in their care. I am also involved with local native woodland and bat conservation work.

Mike Hitch

My first “birding memory” is when, about eight years old, my father pointed out the song of a yellow hammer; I was hooked. Later memories are the songs of the nightingales in the North Downs and freezing cold school field outings to the North Kent Marshes. I chose however to read a physical science, chemistry, leading to my appointment by a major chemical company as a research scientist.

On our retirement, we decided to move to Slapton, as my wife Elaine’s parents lived in Torcross. A short time later I was invited to a bird count of the Estuary, to which I foolishly took a telescope; which, upon meeting Gordon Waterhouse led to me promptly being enrolled as a British Trust for Ornithology counter, a Devon Wildlife Trust volunteer and a member of Kingsbridge Natural History Society. That was 21 years ago.

Geoff Foale

I attended Kingsbridge Secondary School and aged 17, with just a few O Levels, I became an apprentice printer.

In 1972 I changed to fishing for a living and became interested in the wildlife which was swimming or flying around my boat in Salcombe harbour and beyond.

Increasing age and governmental red tape, eventually persuaded me to take early retirement around 2010. At this time I developed an interest in entomology (the study of insects) because many common species had never been recorded in our area. I found that producing official records at this time was difficult with complicated forms, but eventually, an easy to use internet based national recording scheme called I-Record was created where enthusiasm is more important than qualifications. Since then, I have made many records of local insects.

Alice Henderson

I grew up free range in our large garden and the surrounding farmland in the vicinity of South Milton. I joined the Young Ornithologist club aged 9, where I met Gordon Waterhouse for the first time 29 years ago!

I always knew I would follow an environmental path and aged 15 carried out work experience at Slapton Ley Field Centre. 8 years later I would try and fail to get a job there, which whilst disappointing at the time, led me to have amazing jobs in Torbay and Scotland as well as adventuring all over the world.

I found my way back to Devon though and on a 2nd attempt landed a job at Slapton. 10 years and a few reincarnations of roles later I am still there, co-ordinating volunteers and more recently running mindfulness in nature courses. In my spare time there is nothing I love more than sharing nature adventures with my niece and nephew.