Nigel, a life scientist by training, has had a career with the Royal Geographical Society and Earthwatch Europe designing and developing interdisciplinary field research and learning programmes in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, to support global conservation and sustainable development priorities.
Nigel joined the RGS in 1976 as a field director for the Society’s 15-month survey of the Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak. On return was appointed Expedition Officer to help establish the Expedition Advisory Centre with the Young Explorers Trust and oversee the Society’s international geographical surveys in Pakistan, Kenya, Oman, Western Australia, Brunei, Jordan, Tanzania and the Indian ocean. This included the Oman Sharqiya (Wahiba) Sands Project 1985-1987 which he co-led with Dr. Roderic Dutton from Durham University.
In 2005 Nigel joined Earthwatch Europe as its Director, heading their ‘citizen science’ fieldwork and international programmes in Africa, India and the Middle East. This included the HSBC Climate Partnership and working with the Oman Government to establish their National Field Research Centre for Environmental Conservation and the Oman Earthwatch Programme that continues to this day.
Nigel is now advising the next generation of field researchers in Oman, Sarawak and East Africa, with close links with Kew, the Natural History Museum, Fauna & Flora, the Whitley Awards, the East African Wildlife Society, Earthwatch Europe and the Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak. Nigel is an advocate for inclusive long-term geographical surveys based at the growing network of field centres, notably in Borneo, the Middle East and East Africa.
