Matt Collis

Born and raised in his beloved Devon, Matt is an ecologist and naturalist with a special interest in birds and protected UK mammals including Hazel Dormice and Otter. He studied Zoology at the University of Reading and completed a Masters in Ecology before going on to a career as an ecological consultant based in Bristol, a role which saw him counting Red-breasted Geese in Bulgaria and Egyptian Vultures in Azerbaijan. He later worked for Avon Wildlife Trust establishing the 'My Wild City' project whose vision of nature-rich cities involved converting nature-devoid spaces into wildlife havens. Matt is now a full time freelance ecologist and wildlife educator, running wildlife identification training courses across the southern counties for the British Trust for Ornithology, RSPB and the Wildlife Trust. He also leads guided nature walks in his home county of Devon and completes protected species surveys for various infrastructure projects. When not working he enjoys spending time on his bike training for triathlons and has a particular passion/obsession for all things Swifts - you have been warned!