James Anderson-Barr

James Anderson-Barr is a Dorset Field Officer for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) and has been with the organisation since 2013.

His responsibilities include co-leading the habitat management winter work programme, public engagement, conducting wildlife surveys and tree assessment surveys across ARC-Trust’s suite of Dorset nature reserves.

Since graduating in 2010 he has had previous stints working for RSPB, Natural England and Dorset Wildlife Trust developing a real passion for all things heathland related and gaining sound knowledge of the flora and fauna that rely upon it.

As a keen traveller and naturalist he has ventured through South East Asia, Cuba, inter-railed Southern Europe and spent two summers working on projects in Ecuador. Some of his greatest wildlife experiences found outside of the UK have been watching Spectacled Bears in the cloud forest, seeing Lammergeier’s soaring low overhead in the Pyrenees and had a memorable experience sunbathing alongside Marine Iguanas on Galápagos islands.

Having always loved being outdoors in the countryside, it wasn’t until he moved to Dorset from the Midlands that he was surprised to be able to see such a vast array of wildlife on his doorstep, amazed to find snakes and lizards in such great numbers remaining in what are small fragmented urban wild spaces. He enjoys protecting and showcasing these extremely rare habitats to audiences.