When I read that Earthwatch was going to create a group for volunteers to help environmental research I decided to take part. I liked the idea of becoming an Earthwatcher, and waited eagerly for 1 February when more information would be forthcoming.

Having read the different options I elected to do the tree survey. I chose a beautiful big oak tree not that far from home which is situated on the edge of a park beside a residential cul-de-sac. I often walk my dog in the area, and my sister lives nearby so I know the tree well.

Neville Shulman CBE is an established conservationist and explorer. 

He has been on expeditions to many remote parts of the world; an experienced mountaineer, Neville has traversed the Arctic to the North Pole, and crossed the Antarctic to stand at the South Pole. Many of his expeditions have raised considerable funds for a number of charities. Neville is also a writer of both fiction and nonfiction books. His most recent novel, You Are What You Are, was published earlier this year. This is a novel that will uplift readers through a story that perfectly captures life’s unpredictability as well as its very strange quirkiness.  Singer and musician Annie Lennox stated of Neville, “You never cease to amaze”.

If you’re not already familiar with the term ‘citizen science’, it essentially refers to projects where members of the public, who don’t necessarily have specialist training, help gather and analyse scientific data. At Earthwatch we champion its use and conduct our own research into the practice, helping us stay at the forefront of the global citizen science movement. 

Most of our supporters have engaged in scientific activity with Earthwatch in one capacity or another. And our latest programme, Earthwatchers, is an exciting new development which takes in-the-field citizen science to a new level.

12.07.1904 - 26.04.2003

You may not know the name, but you will almost certainly be familiar with his work. Max Nicholson spent his life working to protect the natural world, and was instrumental in founding organisations including the WWF, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)...and Earthwatch Europe.

Max in his garden in Chelsea