Bill Makin

Bill’s interest in conservation was sparked during his teenage years, when birdwatching around Epping Forest and Rainham Marsh allowed him to escape the urban sprawl of east London, where he was born and raised.

His conservation career began at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory in Kent, monitoring migrant birds and lepidoptera. This was followed by two seasons on the Farne Islands with its magnificent seabird and Grey Seal colonies. Relocating to Cumbria, he then held the position of Head Warden at South Walney Nature Reserve and Bird Observatory for five years, undertaking habitat management and bird monitoring, including ringing migrant birds as part of the BTO’s monitoring scheme.

Bill relocated to Cornwall in the late 1990s where he settled to raise a family while working for the National Trust as Lead Ranger and subsequently Countryside Manager. He has been responsible for managing and protecting a large part of Cornwall’s coast for close to 30 years, specialising in heathland and coastal grassland management, and monitoring and protecting nesting seabirds and Grey Seals.

A highly experienced birder, Bill has travelled widely in search of birds throughout the UK and worldwide including North America, Iceland, Norway, Spain, Portugal, The Gambia, Israel and New Zealand. An expert on the UK’s birds and knowledgeable general naturalist, he is also an enthusiastic wildlife photographer. Outside of wildlife interests he keeps fit by rowing traditional Cornish Pilot Gigs – an activity that often brings him even closer to the seabirds he is so passionate about!