Wildlife Rangers

Richard Willis
Senior Wildlife Ranger

Richard says, “I grew up in Sunderland next to it’s coastline where I enjoyed kayaking every weekend in the waves and exploring the shore. I always loved being outdoors, but as I got older and more interested in wildlife I came to appreciate that the coast supports important birdlife which should be respected even when we’re just having fun at the beach.

In my previous role I’ve been lucky enough to have been one of the County Council’s ecologists. It has given me a great grounding in the conservation issues that specifically affect our area.

I’ve been closely involved in habitat restoration in the County for 15 years now which has established some brilliant areas of wetland and grassland for birds and wildlife. Some of the restored land supports wader species such as curlew, oystercatcher and lapwing. For me there is no greater thrill than seeing wildlife move into an area that you’ve helped to restore and bring back to life.

I’ve been a volunteer bird surveyor for the British Trust for Ornithology and Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership for many years, and have also volunteered for the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and National Trust.

I’ve been a dog owner for the last twenty years – I love dogs!! Roxy, our German Shepherd Dog, is a huge part of our family, she loves the beach but I am careful that we don’t get too close and disturb the birds, and certainly bird chasing is not allowed! I really hope to meet you and your dog out enjoying the coast.

I’m very keen that people see the Wildlife Rangers as part of the coastal community, so if you see me on a windswept headland one morning do stop me for a chat! Let me know what wildlife you’ve seen along the coast and where. Drop me an email, text or say hello through social media.

Katherine Dunsford
Wildlife Ranger

Katherine says, “I am lucky enough to have spent the majority of my childhood exploring the Northumberland coast. Going to the beach every holiday and weekend in a wetsuit with a bucket for rockpooling sparked a passion for the sea and wanting to do all I can to help protect it.

Over the past four years, I have spent the majority of my career working at Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve. This stunning part of north Northumberland is an internationally important site for breeding and overwintering birds, so there was never a dull moment! During the summer breeding season, my main focus was on enhancing and protecting sites for nesting shorebirds, including little terns and ringed plovers. Winter saw the arrival of tens of thousands of waterfowl which use the site as an overwintering ground, feeding on seagrass and tiny marine creatures on the mud flats.

I absolutely love being outdoors and experiencing all that Northumberland has to offer. I regularly partake in monthly Wetland Bird Surveys (WeBS), which is a county-wide initiative organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to monitor bird numbers in wetland areas throughout the UK.

I am very excited about starting my new role as Wildlife Ranger as part of the Space for Shorebirds scheme. I am extremely passionate about the Northumberland Coast and all the animals that call it home. If you see me out and about, please do stop for a chat! Talking to people and raising awareness of coastal wildlife is what we are all about.”

Ben Arthur
Wildlife Ranger

Having recently joined Richard and Katherine, I am looking forward to getting out and about on our beautiful Northumberland coastline and chatting with you all about the amazing species that call this area home.   

My background is in marine science, and from this, I have developed a fascination with the coastal environment. It can be dynamic and extreme like no other, yet also tranquil and full of beauty, and the creatures that live there are amongst the most ingenious and resilient on the planet. This fascination led me to study for a postgraduate degree in marine ecosystems at Newcastle University, through which I had the opportunity to undertake a research project investigating how people are interacting with breeding ringed plovers on the shores of Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve. It was then, on these rugged Northumberland shores, that I fell in admiration of the courage and tenacity of our many shorebird species.  

Since then, I have worked with the RSPB on the vast and ecologically rich coast of the Norfolk Wash, as part of a project tasked with conserving endangered breeding shorebird populations. Recent years have seen sharp declines in the numbers of some species coupled with relatively low breeding success, so action was needed to protect important nesting sites in an effort to halt and hopefully reverse these worrying trends. Working with passionate local communities we were able to spread awareness about these important birds as well as protect nest locations with cordons and were rewarded with witnessing more than double the number of fledged chicks than previous years! And now that summer has come to a close, I have flown in the face of conventional wisdom and migrated back up North to begin what I expect will be an exciting new chapter with Space for Shorebirds.  

Tara Watson
Wildlife Ranger

I am delighted to be joining the Space for Shorebirds Wildlife Ranger team. As a lifelong lover of the Northumberland coast, I am really looking forward to meeting everyone who calls this special place home and all those visiting, including the fabulous birds.

My background is in conservation and education, a meandering career taking me across the country. I moved from Northumberland to London after finishing school to study geography at university. After my degree, I hopped between the north and south, working as a teaching assistant in a London school and volunteering with conservation charities such as the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts. Getting involved in community-centred projects, I became especially interested in access to nature for young people and people with diverse learning needs and disabilities. These are passions I’m excited to bring into my work with Space for Shorebirds, and I’m keen to collaborate with others on making wildlife education accessible to all.

I decided working with birds on the coast was the place to be after joining the RSPB on species recovery projects in Dorset and Norfolk. These projects were all about protecting nests throughout the breeding season for some our most threatened shorebird species, with the ultimate goal of increasing populations to ensure their survival.

Not long into the job with Space for Shorebirds, I’m already seeing real enthusiasm for birdlife across the diverse bunch of people making up our coastal communities. No wonder, given this is one of the best places in the country for breeding, migratory and wintering species! One of the biggest challenges to the survival of shorebirds being human disturbance, I think in Northumberland there is huge potential to turn this around by protecting what we have and giving birds the space they need.