WinterborneWildlife.

Wednesday, 22 August 2018

John Elliott: I have been interested in the natural world since early childhood in North Lincolnshire in the 1930s. A much richer world then before the arrival of intensive, industrial agriculture started the loss of species which has continued to the present day. Later, in Yorkshire, I was able to study the wild life of the Pennine moorlands and the Yorkshire Dales. At the start of my working life I spent several years abroad, seeing the Jerboas and Vultures of the Empty Quarter of Arabia, and perhaps the highlight of my career, meeting two Tigers face to face in the bamboo jungle of what was then Bengal. After that West Wales provided many delights, among them sailing in Cardigan Bay with a Bottle Nosed Dolphin alongside. Then came Dorset, where I have helped monitor the Butterfly Transect on the Tadnoll Nature Reserve for twenty seven years, and more recently have helped to develop butterfly recording in the Weymouth Relief Road cutting. From bare chalk this has now developed into chalk downland with a total of 31 species of butterfly counted in the last two years, and the amazing total of 144 vascular plants, including Bee Orchids, having arrived..

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