Nic joined Land and Heritage as an ecologist in 2020.
He began his career working for the World Wide Fund for Nature funded European Habitats Directive, mapping habitats and species of principal importance across Cornwall. He spent two decades as the at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust providing ecological information and advice as their terrestrial expert, becoming their Wildlife Information Manager. Nic also has 20 years’ experience advising and preparing reports for landowners, businesses and community groups on how to sustainably manage their resources with wildlife and landscape in mind and in particular - how to enhance their natural capital, well-being and finances.
In 1999 he helped set up ERCCIS, the nationally accredited Local Environmental Records centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and managed a team bridging the records centre with the county Wildlife Trusts and their partner organisations as well as himself managing and delivering projects including the Defra ELMS trails, the Mapping Cornwall’s Hedges project and the Cornwall Biodiversity Initiative. Having been a key contact to provide information and expert advice on behalf of specialist groups such as the Japanese Knotweed Forum, The Cornish Hedge Group, the Cornwall Orchard Project, and to provide a key contact for the Cornwall Mammal Group, Cornwall Bat Group, Cornwall Reptile and Amphibian Group amongst many others, Nic especially enjoys working with people and businesses to help them deliver their vision with the natural world in mind.
His background in running ecological projects and managing a professional advisory service has meant his wildlife specialisms have needed to remain broad and have been constantly added to, but Nic has particular interest in mammalogy, entomology and habitat ecology as well as green infrastructure for growth.
Nic single-handedly set up the county Wildlife Information Service across Cornwall, where his skills were constantly built on in dealing with a vast range of questions about nature conservation and planning issues. As the first point of contact for any question about natural history or biological recording in Cornwall, Nic has a knack of listening to people, organisations and businesses and helping them get the answers and help they need.
Nic was born in Cyprus and then lived most of his childhood in Africa before coming to the UK as a teenager to learn his alphabet. Having spent his adult career as a naturalist working in the beautiful South-west, Nic now lives on Bodmin Moor with his partner and is a proud father of two, working together to manage his family farm for its nature conservation and landscape interests. He is active every day in practical tasks managing the farm or sharing his enthusiasm for wildlife with others but when time allows, Nic also likes to scuba dive and parachute - to add perspective to his passions as a terrestrial ecologist.
He has a Dip HE in Biological Sciences, an HND in Environmental Monitoring and says his favourite wildlife are the UK native Salticus jumping spiders, for their fascinating ecology but also as they always look so surprised and happy to meet you.
Salticus scenicus - Zebra Jumping Spider