Anguillan Conservation Officer Giovanni Hughes experiences work at RSPB Otmoor nature reserve
Senior Conservation Scientist Louise Soanes reports on the experiences of Giovanni Hughes, Conservation Officer with the Anguilla National Trust in the Caribbean. Thanks to a Darwin Plus Fellowship, Giovanni had the opportunity to work alongside the team at RSPB Otmoor nature reserve in Oxfordshire.
Giovanni’s journey into conservation began shortly after high school. He knew he didn’t want to pursue a career in tourism – the dominant industry in Anguilla – but he had no formal training or experience in environmental management. Drawn to the natural world, Giovanni, who also fishes part-time and raises goats, joined the Anguilla National Trust.
Over the past 12 years, he has become a key member of the team, involved in island restoration, implementing conservation action plans, and delivering community outreach and education programs.
While Giovanni has gained extensive on-the-ground experience, opportunities for formal training abroad have been limited, until now. The Darwin Plus Fellowship enabled him to expand his skills and see conservation in a different context. The Fellowship is part of the wider Darwin Plus scheme that has awarded over £44 million of vital funding since 2012 to support biodiversity conservation and climate change resilience in the UK Overseas Territories.
Giovanni spent several weeks immersed in the work of the team at the RSPB’s Otmoor reserve. Although Otmoor and Anguilla seem worlds apart, Giovanni quickly saw the similarities in their approach. Wetland management, species monitoring, and community engagement are just as vital in the UK as they are in the Caribbean.
He joined in practical habitat management activities, supported by Otmoor’s volunteer teams, and participated in biodiversity surveys, tracking otters and herons instead of his more familiar iguanas and sea turtles. He gained insight into water quality monitoring and bird population counts, learning techniques that could be adapted back home.
Giovanni also shared his own experiences, including the Anguilla National Trust’s work on the "mainland island" project, a predator-proof fenced area designed to protect endangered native species.
Giovanni then travelled to the Channel Island of Alderney to work with the Alderney Wildlife Trust (AWT). Here, he learned about drone-based seabird surveys, including counts of gannets, and habitat management strategies such as using conservation grazing herds to maintain biodiversity.
With one more placement left, at Antigua’s Environmental Awareness Group, Giovanni’s fellowship so far has been a reminder of how conservation transcends borders. Whether on a Caribbean Island or a misty English wetland, the core principles remain the same: protect biodiversity, engage communities, and adapt to local challenges. Giovanni returns to Anguilla with fresh insights, new skills, and a strengthened network of conservation professionals, ready to apply what he’s learned to continue protecting the island’s natural heritage.
“Spending time in the UK has been a great experience! I’ve learned so much, met some really nice people, and it’s made me even more inspired to keep working in conservation back home in the Caribbean” - Giovanni Hughes
The RSPB Otmoor team, especially Site Manager David Wilding, Assistant Warden Andrew Martin, Warden Fergus Mosey, and Reserve Administrator Jennifer Henderson, for their warm welcome and commitment to providing Giovanni with a valuable and engaging placement.
Roland Gauvain, Lindsay Pyne, and the entire team at the Alderney Wildlife Trust for their generous hospitality and sharing their time, knowledge, and experience throughout Giovanni’s visit.
The Environmental Awareness Group for their willingness to share their knowledge and expertise and for creating a valuable and rewarding experience, highlighting the impactful work that they do on Antigua.
This opportunity would not have been possible without the support of the Darwin Plus Fellowship, recently renamed to Darwin Plus People & Skills, funded through the UK’s Biodiversity Programme.
