The Andalucía Bird Society has named Neil A Hill as its new Conservation Officer. Neil now joins the Committee and will be responsible for managing their ever-growing support for regional conservation projects.
ABS continues to grow, both in terms of its reach and impact, and in the opportunities that it will provide for people to participate in its work. The conservation projects generated by ABS in the future will provide unparalleled opportunities to build independent, impartial evidence needed to inform and guide environmental management and conservation, and to engage across public and policy arenas. Neil joins the organisation at a time when this evidence is becoming even more important, as are the opportunities for people to engage with the natural world through participation in citizen science.
Neil said, “I am a professional wildlife biologist by training, I have worked in nature conservation in the UK and Europe for 25 years. Ten years ago I started leading nature tours and also teach bushcraft too.
“Professional posts have included; Conservation Officer for Greater Manchester and Merseyside, Oxfordshire and Head of Conservation for the New Forest (NCC/English Nature).
“In addition, I have managed landscape-scale habitat restoration projects in the South Downs and Noord Brabant in the Netherlands. Following this I was co-managing a €12million Interreg IIIb project – Lifescapes Your Landscape, with partners from the UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
“Following this I worked as an independent consultant to the EU advising DG Agriculture on policy and wildlife law and helped to create the Rural European Platform with the University of Leiden.
“I worked in Portugal and Spain as Conservation Director of an Iberian Lynx conservation programme – SOS Lynx.
“I have also been Director and Chairman of the Environmental Transport Association in the UK.
“Latterly I work as a nature guide and run my own bushcraft and survival company here in Andalucía”.
Peter Jones ABS President said ‘I am so very pleased and excited that Neil will be our next Conservation Officer. I have got to know him well through various conversations and sharing ideas and ideals, and as an outstanding science communicator. His work on diversity and inclusion ensures that the continuing growth of ABS’s constituency of support is assured.’.