Conservation…Kenyan style!

An inspirational Kenyan, Daniel Letoiye, visited the Earthwatch office in Oxford to give a presentation on his developing career in conservation. From volunteering on a project studying Grevy’s Zebra, Dan is now manager of a community conservancy and has received a small grant to undertake research towards his Master’s degree in Conservation and Rural Development. As Daniel explained, his education began after a childhood accident with fire. He badly burnt his legs and, being unable to join his brothers herding cattle, was sent off to school. The resulting journey – from Samburu, Kenya to Summertown, Oxford – is quite a story!

I visited Kenya in 2004, marvelling at the endless sky and wide open plains of the Masai Mara. It was fantastic to watch thunder storms light up the horizon as our jeep swept through a landscape alive with predator and prey. The picture shown below was taken moments before a swift but unforgettable encounter with a cheetah; the big cat disappearing into long grass as quickly as the golden light faded.

Bee Orchids, Gwent Wildlife Trust

I was on a mission to find, let alone photograph, Bee Orchids last year when Keith Allen, a warden from Gwent Wildlife Trust offered to show me a site where he knew they were flowering. Jumping at the chance I headed over to Monmouthshire, Wales where besides the trail in a tiny nature reserve Keith pointed out several of these small, striking plants. A selection of images from the mornings shoot were donated to the Trust, one of which now illustrates their Reserves Guide.

Mousehole Harbour Lights, Cornwall

This Christmas was spent visiting Cornwall, a beautiful part of the country that I’d only ventured to once before. The rugged Cornish coastline can be very dramatic in winter but the colourful Christmas lights of Mousehole harbour made for a very pretty picture.

Wicker Man, Oxford, 5th November

A giant 42 foot wicker sculpture burned to reveal this inner demon during Bonfire Night celebrations in South Park, Oxford. More than 20,000 people gathered to witness a fantastic firework display before the wicker man went up in flames!

Wicker Man Oxford is a sculpture project run by volunteers, this year raising valuable funds for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres.

Lake District Landscapes

A new gallery of Lake District images can now be seen online.  Stuffed full of the flu, I spent a long weekend sneezing and snapping around Keswick and the shores of Derwent Water. I’d hoped to photograph the nearby Castlerigg Stone Circle last winter but snow-hidden roads made reaching them impossible. Thankfully, this visit was a little more successful, the early autumn sun revealing these ancient stones as morning broke.

Earthwatch Debate, Royal Geographical Society

I was delighted to photograph the Earthwatch Annual Debate held at the Royal Geographical Society, London. Earthwatch is an international environmental charity which engages people worldwide in scientific field research.

Entitled ‘Mission Critical: The number one environmental challenge for the next 40 years’, this event brought together five expert speakers who tackled the big environmental and social challenges that we face today:

• Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at London’s City University put the case for food security.
• Mike Mason, Energy Advisor to the President of the Maldives presented the case for a zero carbon future.
• Jo Royle, environmental campaigner and skipper on board 2010’s Plastiki expedition flew the flag for protection of the oceans.
• Sir Crispin Tickell, academic and environmentalist addressed education and population.
• Daniel Yeo, Water Security and Climate Change Policy Analyst at WaterAid spoke on the subject of water scarcity.

An engaging debate concluded with audience members voting Sir Crispin Tickell as having the strongest argument – with his subject of education and population.

To find out more about Earthwatch, their research expeditions and future events please visit: www.earthwatch.org

Angkor Wat Apsaras, Cambodia

The temples of Angkor in Cambodia are intricately carved with myths and legends, symbols and signs. An apsara is a celestial nymph from Hindu mythology and more than 3,000 are carved into the temple walls of Angkor Wat, each unique. The above image shows two dancing apsaras in bas-relief and has sold to be reproduced as a 2 page spread.

Autumn Arboretum: Japanese Maple

A picture showing the bright orange and red leaves of a Japanese Maple in autumn colour has resold to a travel company in Japan.

Location: Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire

RQ-4 Global Hawk

Continuing the aviation theme, an image taken at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) has sold for textbook use.

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, pictured above, is a high-altitude, unmanned aircraft that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Red Arrows Aerobatic Display Team

Hurray for the Red Arrows! I visited the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta earlier this month hoping to shoot a carnival of airborn colour. The mass launch of hot air balloons was cancelled due to (not-so) high winds but the thousands of people gathered at Ashton Court were treated to a spectacular display by the RAF’s Red Arrows Team. Tragically, just one week later, a Red Arrows pilot died when his Hawk T1 jet crashed following an appearance at the Bournemouth Air Festival.