BTO Youth Representatives

Alice M, Youth Representative

Alice, 21, Essex

Alice is a Zoology graduate from the University of Exeter in Cornwall. She has volunteered for a range of different UK wildlife charities in Cornwall and Essex, with a special interest in cetaceans and bats. She has been privileged to travel the world with her family which she believes has given her first-hand insight into the numerous environmental issues we face as a planet. As an aspiring conservationist, she has always been particularly drawn to birds. She started bird ringing in the summer of 2020 and is now working towards her C permit. One of her favourite UK bird species has to be the Crow – their intelligence gives them a comical attribute as they work out different situations.

Belinda B, Youth Representative

Belinda, 25, Norfolk

Belinda is a graduate of Bangor University, having completed a 4-year degree in Environmental Conservation. She spent her second year studying in Bergen, Norway and also completed a placement year at Blakeney Point and Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk as well as in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica. She is now a teacher and within her role hopes to engage more children with nature both inside and outside of the classroom. Her interest and enthusiasm for the natural environment have stemmed from being raised in rural Herefordshire and spending the majority of her free time surrounded by nature. She can’t wait to work with BTO to enthuse others about wildlife and inspire future generations to get involved with conservation work.

Benjamin, Youth Representative

Benjamin, 22, Northern Ireland

Benjamin is a Zoology with Animal Behaviour graduate from Bangor University who is passionate about birds and how interesting the species in this country are. He's most interested in getting more people involved with nature and expanding the BTO's reach in Northern Ireland by helping young people see the amazing creatures that live on their doorsteps - especially Eider which are his favourite bird!

Carla, Youth Rep

Carla, 23, Cornwall

Carla is a Zoology student at the University of Exeter Penryn Campus in Cornwall and is currently in her final year after completing  a placement year at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory in Kent. She is a keen birder and trainee bird ringer, as well as a big fan of moths and butterflies, and loves nothing more than getting out and about to look for birds and Lepidoptera. Some of her many favourite birds are jays, nuthatches, brambling, puffins and gannets.

David R

David, 20, Cornwall

David is in his final year studying Conservation Biology and Ecology at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall. He is a keen birder and most often found on his local patch looking for birds and other wildlife. He enjoys sharing his passion for the natural world with other young people and has organised a variety of BTO Youth events including bird walks, survey training, a boat trip and a conference.

Emily D

Emily, 22, Yorkshire

Emily is completing her MSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Sheffield, after completing her Ecology and Conservation degree. She is passionate about the natural world and is hoping to have a career in ornithology. As a lifelong bird lover and recent trainee ringer, she wants to share her love for nature with others.

Georgina, Youth Representative

Georgina, 21, Fife / Brighton

Georgina is a 21-year-old Biology Undergraduate studying at the University of St. Andrews and has always had a passion for conservation. She developed a love for birding after watching her first bird ringing demonstration at the Knepp Estate. She is now a ringing trainee working towards achieving her C-permit and expanding her knowledge of birds. As a BTO Youth Representative she aims to engage young individuals with wildlife and develop their appreciation for the natural world. She believes providing sources of inspiration for young people through activities such as bird ringing demonstrations and nature-oriented talks are extremely important as they can shape their futures.

Gethin J, Youth Representative

Gethin, 24, Cardiff

Gethin is a 24-year-old nature enthusiast from Cardiff and a recent graduate of 'Conservation Biology and Ecology' at Exeter University. Always keen to share his passion for wildlife with others, at university he wrote regular articles for the student nature magazine 'Life', and also regularly engaged with school classes with the nature-focused society 'Generation Wild'. A keen birder since childhood, he is excited to inspire young people to get stuck into surveys and to expand the BTO community in the region of South Wales.

Hannah C, Youth Representative

Hannah, 18, Lothian

Hannah is 18 years old and has long had a passion for wildlife and birds. She volunteers with a children's wildlife club and loves taking part in RSPB and BTO surveys, as well as making feeders for the birds in her garden from recycled materials. She also enjoys getting muddy and going for rambles in the countryside. Hannah would love to study zoology and conservation when she is older and is particularly interested in animal behaviour, especially in mammals and birds. An experience that inspired her was visiting the Farne Islands where she saw her favourite birds (puffins and baby pufflings!) nesting right up close! As a Youth Representative, Hannah would like to help inspire the next generation of birders and conservationists and help to bridge the gap between city life and nature.

Hannah, Youth Rep

Hannah, 24, Dorset

Hannah has recently graduated from the University of South Wales with a BSc(Hons) in Natural History, a combination of biology, ecology and wildlife photography and film making. During her time at university, she started the USW Nature and Ornithology Society to engage as many students as possible in nature from all backgrounds, especially during these times of anxiety and unknown. Nature has the immense potential to help people appreciate the present moment and find respect for our environment, which has inspired Hannah's passion for learning, foraging and teaching others about the power of the natural world. She hopes to continue this as a BTO Youth Rep. You can follow Hannah on Instagram.

Jasmine, Youth Representative

Jasmine, 21, Bangor

Jasmine (she/her) is a second-year Environmental Conservation student at Bangor University. She loves volunteering and getting stuck into hands-on activities, previously as a Young Wardens leader with Suffolk Wildlife Trust and currently as a Visitor Engagement volunteer at RSPB Conwy. As well as being a Youth Rep, she has done some volunteer fieldwork for the BTO and has spent many hot summer days chasing curlew round Norfolk with a radio antennae for a headstarting project. She loves all aspects of nature and has a particular interest in spreading that love to as many people as possible, as well as raising awareness about becoming more sustainable. She's thrilled to be a part of the Youth Rep team and has had an amazing experience so far. If she was a bird she would be a teal as ducks always look so chilled out.

Josh H, Youth Representative

Josh, 19, Shropshire

Josh is 19 years old and the BTO Youth Representative for Shropshire. As Youth Representative he aims to inspire and engage a new generation of nature enthusiasts both inside and outside of the region.

Kate F, Youth Representative

Kate, 23, Dorset

Kate has been fascinated by the natural world for as long as she can remember, and is working towards a career in conservation. She is a Zoology graduate from the University of Exeter and has done a placement year with the Reserve Team at WWT Slimbridge. She is also a C Permit Bird Ringer and has been ringing for four years. She has a soft spot for seabirds, and her favourite bird is a Storm Petrel! She started working with BTO as a Training Officer in 2023. 

Keir,Youth Rep

Keir, 21, London

Keir is a second-year History undergraduate at UCL and loves to explore London’s green spaces while remaining loyal to his local patch. He previously for Heath Hands as a Sessions Leader and is now keen to get more young people involved in birding and conservation. He wants to expand the youth birding community by helping people to connect with other young birders in their local area and getting more people to go on birding trips. He is passionate about aiding the personal development of young birders by providing a place where people can be supported and interested in exploring the different careers available in the field. He also wants to provide more events that get diverse audiences engaged as well as looking at green ways of birding in the city.

Lucy, Youth Representative

Lucy, 22, Oxfordshire 

Lucy is a 22-year-old graduate from the University of Sheffield where she studied Biology with a particular focus on ecology and conservation. She was lucky enough to spend a year studying abroad in Australia where her love for birds (and travel) was really stimulated. Lucy now works as a research assistant at Wytham Woods, focusing on the ecology of wood mice, but she enjoys generally being able to spend time outdoors and in nature as part of her job. She is passionate about all wildlife, whether that is birds, bats or moths, and is super excited to join the BTO as a Youth Representative to share this passion with others. 

Luke M, Youth Representative

Luke, 18, Oxfordshire

Luke is 18 and from Oxfordshire. He’ll be covering the Bucks and Oxon area and is looking forward to working as a Youth Rep because he wants to meet other young wildlife enthusiasts. He hopes to show lots of young people how wonderful wildlife is.

Maria S, Youth Representative

Maria, 25, Nottinghamshire

Maria is a 25-year-old nature lover from North Yorkshire, now based in Nottinghamshire. She finished her BSc in Animal Science at the University of Nottingham in 2020 where she also spent a year working at WWT Martin Mere as a placement student. She is a keen birder, moth-er, trainee bird ringer and WeBS counter. She is especially passionate about making nature accessible for all and inclusive of everyone, regardless of their background and hopes to share this passion with everyone. 

Mya, Youth Representative

Mya, 20, Dorset

Mya is a 20-year-old birder, wildlife photographer, naturalist, and vlogger. She is currently studying an ecology and wildlife conservation degree at Bournemouth University. Having had a passion for wildlife since the age of 8, she is now hoping to encourage the next generation to take up an interest in the natural world. Alongside her studies, she is an ambassador for the Cameron Bespolka Trust, Leica Sport Optics, and a council member for the Sussex Ornithological Society. 

Sian M, Youth Representative

Sian, 18, Shropshire

Sian is a 18-year-old birder from Shropshire who is a passionate photographer and budding conservationist. She is also interested in other flora and fauna such as dragonflies and butterflies, especially on her local patch.