Nicola Crockford: Lockdown discovery – experiences of snorkelling the local rivers of Brecks and Fens

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

A talk for Bury Water Meadows Group on April 23rd 2021.

Nicola Crockford’s day job is RSPB’s Principle Policy Officer and policy lead for the BirdLife International Global Flyways Programme. In normal times this involves a heavy schedule of travel most months, all over the world – to negotiate with governments to get the best deal for migratory birds, as well as commuting to offices in Sandy and the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge from her home (since 1995) in Tuddenham, West Suffolk.

Since March 2020, she has had a much better work-life balance. This has enabled more exploration of her local countryside in the Brecks, Fens and other parts of Suffolk. In recent years her favourite pastime has been snorkelling to watch and photograph fish and other marine wildlife (usually in tropical, Mediterranean waters or the English South Coast). It was only during the hot spell in August 2020 that she suddenly realised it was possible to snorkel and observe nature in the local rivers. It was a revelation! In this talk she shares her experiences to date, including some conservation issues which this new interest has brought to her attention.