Andy Patmore

From an early age, the forest has always drawn Andy's interest. He grew up on the outskirts of East London and was lucky enough to have Epping Forest on his doorstep. Andy's understanding of woodland and deer increased as he got older and was allowed to wander further into the woods, and he decided to follow a career in forestry, leaving school and joining the Forestry Commission in 1974. Though Andy trained to be a forester, his real interest was in the ecology of ancient woodland and managing the deer. With further training in ecological studies and habitat management he became the conservation ranger at Salcey Forest, a remnant of the once vast royal hunting forests of Northamptonshire, living in a thatched cottage in the heart of the forest with his wife Ingrid and their son and daughter.Andy's wildlife interests include butterflies, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians and, of course, woodland plants and trees. Today his expertise is used to assist in the reverting of conifer plantations back to natural vegetation on ancient woodland sites and monitoring the recovery. Andy has over 30 years of experience leading guided walks in the woods and delivering illustrated lectures on deer, forestry, butterflies, and the history and natural history of Salcey. He and Ingrid have been married for 32 years and share an interest in natural history which has been instilled in their children - naturally, because they live in the forest! Holidays were nearly always spent in Germany, especially Bavaria, and over the past 25 years they have built up an intimate knowledge of the mountains and forests of Berchtesgaden National Park and surrounding mountains. They fell in love with the area and bought an apartment there eight years ago so that they could spend as much free time there as possible, and they are aiming to retire there one day. Andy and his wife have an extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna, quiet tracks and trails, and the history and culture of Berchtesgadenerland.