mark avery
Hi! I am the RSPB's Conservation Director based at The Lodge. I've worked for the RSPB since 1986 - first as a scientist but since 1998 as Conservation Director.
I grew up in Bristol where, at Bristol Grammar School, two teachers (Derek Lucas and Tony Warren) were incredibly influential in helping me (and lots of other spotty boys) gain an early interest in the natural world. And, of course, I was a member of the RSPB's youth wing - at that time the Young Ornithologists' Club.
My parents were interested in the countryside and walking, and a general interest in the wildlife around us was taken for granted as a natural part of life.