The Wader Guru panel
Graham Appleton: UK (England) based – Graham has been studying waders since 1974, when he first joined the Wash Wader Ringing (now Research) Group. Initially a teacher and latterly Director of Communications at BTO, he now writes the popular WaderTales blog, summarising the latest shorebird science papers for a broader ornithological audience.
Keith Betton: UK (England)- Keith is a freelance PR consultant, writer, lecturer and occasional broadcaster. He is a keen world birder having seen over 8650 species in 115 countries. He has a particular passion for Africa and the Middle East, having been Chair of both the African Bird Club and the Ornithological Society of the Middle East. In the UK he is heavily involved in bird monitoring in Hampshire, where he is a past County Recorder and is Chair of the Hampshire Ornithological Society. He has been a Council Member of both the RSPB and BTO (of which he became a Vice President) and also the Cameron Bespolka Trust. Having made over 1000 television appearances (and 5000 on radio) Keith uses his media experience to train people working in conservation, and each year he trains staff around the world for BirdLife International. He lectures widely on To book him for a speaking appearance contact contact him via keithbetton@hotmail.com
Rob Clay: Paraguay based – Rob is the Director of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and has been active in the field of migratory bird conservation based in the Western Hemisphere for more than 20 years.
Josh Jones: UK (England) based – Josh is editor of Birdwatch magazine. He has been an avid birder since a young age, with a particular passion for waders and gulls.
Vojtěch Kubelka: Czech Republic based –
Tony Parker: UK (England) based – ex Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at World Museum Liverpool ex founder member of the Liverpool Bay Wader Study Group. Now spends time watching and recording live waders on the Mersey and Dee estuaries, vice chair of Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society and Mersey Estuary Conservation Group.
Adrian Riegen: New Zealand based – Adrian grew up in England and got interested in waders in 1969. He was briefly involved with Wash Wader Ringing (now Research) Group in 1970. He then spent four years birding around the world from 1972, settled in New Zealand in 1982 and has been involved with Pūkorokoro Miranda Naturalist;s Trust and Shorebird Centre since 1985. He has run the New Zealand Wader Study Group since 1986 banding E7 and other famous godwits. He has led wader expeditions to Yalu Jiang in China from 2004 and surveys of most of the North Korean West Sea (Yellow Sea) coast between 2009-2019. Currently (2021-22) writing daily updates of satellite tagged godwits posted on Pūkorokoro Miranda Facebook page. For twenty years Adrian has compiled the biannual New Zealand national wader censuses for Birds NZ.
Rick Simpson: UK (England) based – Co-founder with Elis Simpson of Wader Quest. Former Executive Committee member of the International Wader Study Group. Passionate about all things to do with waders but with a special interest in the history and culture surrounding them, nomenclature, and taxonomy. Co-author with Elis Simpson of Eury the Spoon-billed Sandpiper; An Inspiration of Waders & A Quest for Waders. Wader Quest links Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter
Humphrey Sitters: UK based –
Andrew Whitelee: UK (Scotland) based. Freelance ecologist and ornithologist (Schedule 1 licence holder). Former Wader Quest trustee and committee member. Working mainly in the Scottish Highlands and Islands carrying out ecological surveys and working to protect wildlife and the environment during large construction infrastructure projects. Interested in the way technology can solve environmental problems rather than add to them. LinkedIn Twitter Instagram.
Wader Guru plover logo designed and drawn by Crowartist
Wader Guru text logo designed by Elis Simpson