Guest speakers

Hear from a range of guest speakers that have a passion or nature. We’ll be joined by Nick Baker, Gillian Burke, and George McGavin and more.

Full schedule to be announced, come back later for more details.

Saturday 19 October

Captivated by Wildlife

Time: 11.00am - 12pm

: Roy Atkins, holiday guide for Speyside Wildlife, talks about how he became captivated by birds as a child and how this led to his current wonderful job leading wildlife tours round the world.

After a brief look at how his interest all started and developed, we’ll be treated to some of Roy’s highlight wildlife sightings from his career, from Pine Martens to Jaguars, Polar Bears to King Penguins, Resplendent Quetzals, Snow Leopards, and from mighty whales to tiny hummingbirds.

We’ll finish with some personal thoughts on how things have changed, the future of wildlife watching and why he is now running a wildlife identification course.

Wildlife Spectacles of Japan

Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm

: Nick Brooks, WWT Martin Mere’s General Manager, reports on his fascinating trip this winter. See his travels across Japan taking in what are probably the best winter wildlife spectacles in the whole of Asia.

It's a Wild Life: Tales from Television

Time: 2.00pm - 2.30pm

: Why, after twenty-five years in academia, would someone want to give it all up for the altogether more unpredictable life of a broadcaster? George decided that he'd had enough of 'preaching the to the converted' and thought that it was time to reach a much wider audience. Today, when the natural world is under threat like never before, it is vital that people learn the consequences of declining biodiversity and habitat loss and do something about it before it's too late.

George McGavin studied Zoology at Edinburgh University, followed by a PhD in entomology at Imperial College and the Natural History Museum in London. After 25 years as an academic at Oxford University he became an award-winning television presenter. George is an Honorary Research Associate of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and an Honorary Principal Research Fellow at Imperial College.

Saving Wetlands for people and wildlife

Time: 3.30pm - 4.30pm

: Jackie will talk about some of the National and International projects, delivered by WWT, to save wetland species and the habitats they depend on. From "headstarting" curlew, working across international boundaries to protect Bewick's swans and saving the Madagascar pochard (once thought to be extinct), WWT works tirelessly to make sure that wetland wildlife still has a place it can call home. And those same Wetlands have super-powers to support human life too.

Check back soon for further details

Time: 11.00am - 12.00pm

Check back soon for further details

Time: 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Check back soon for further details

Time: 2pm – 3pm

Attracting wildlife to gardens

Time: 3.30 - 4.30pm

: George Pilkington has successfully integrated being an ecologist, environmental educationist, researcher and inventor. He is the designer of award-winning products such as the Nurturing Nature Bumblebee Nest Box and Solitary Bee Observation Nest Box. George, his garden, and solitary bee nest boxes were seen on the very popular BBC2 TV programme, The Wild Gardener, presented by Colin Stafford-Johnson.

In light of the dramatic decline in wild bee populations, George has concentrated on researching the nesting behaviour of wild bumblebees and wild cavity nesting solitary bees, gaining insights into increasing the wild bee populations and species in his garden and the wider countryside.

Action to arrest this decline has led to the delivery of inspiring talks, using his wildlife and organic garden as a case study, to a wide range of professional audiences and the enthusiastic public of all ages.

Chat to a whole host of exhibitors specialising in everything from artwork and books to wildlife holidays.

Enjoy bird ringing and photography workshops or witness up to 20,000 pink-footed geese on the mere.

We’ve pulled together this handy schedule of each day so you can see at a glance what’s on and when.