Hackney Wildlife Group Mailing list

Hackney Wildlife is the online home of the Hackney Wildlife Group, a non-profit organisation founded by qualified ecologists based in the borough with many years of experience and local knowledge.

In order to promote ecology, biodiversity and conservation throughout Hackney, HWG are developing this website to provide a unique one-stop shop for everyone interested in the Borough's wildlife.

Mark Pearson

Mark is a qualified freelance ecologist who has been a Hackney resident for more than a decade, during which time he has studied the Borough's wildlife extensively. He has many years experience in the field of ecological surveying on behalf of organisations including the RSPB, BTO, Scottish Natural Heritage and various private companies, and has an HND in Ornithology & Countryside Management.

Currently based at the East Reservoir Environmental Classroom, Mark is the London Wildlife Trust's Community Projects Officer for Walthamstow Reservoirs.

Mark's studies have taken him to places as diverse as India, Scandinavia, Africa, the Middle East and North America, while remaining committed to conservation and ecological research at a local level.

He is Middlesex County Recorder for the Ornithological Section of the London Natural History Society, the BTO Atlas Recorder for Stoke Newington, and regularly contributes ornithological features and photographs to local and national publications. He is also a successful songwriter and musician. Mark is the co-founder of the Hackney Wildlife Group & website.

Paul Robinson

Paul Robinson is currently a freelance ecologist resident in London. He has worked for 14 years in wildlife conservation throughout the UK and in Europe and West Africa, most through environmental consultancy, for business and government sectors and non-governmental organisations. He is primarily a botanist and ornithologist, but with a wide professional general knowledge of other faunal groups, particularly protected species. He specialises in projects where wildlife conservation interacts with the planning system and domestic and European wildlife legislation and Directives. The UK work, which accounts for most of his professional career, spans: ecological impact assessment for major projects in the transport, housing, energy and aggregates sectors; forwards planning and wildlife survey and data analysis for statutory agencies and local government; and training in ecological survey and assessment methods. He has experience of all stages of projects, from survey design to project management, monitoring and mitigation and expert witness. He often works in multi-disciplinary teams.  

Urban wildlife projects have included:

• nature conservation audits of Chester District and Kensington and Chelsea;
• ecological impact assessment for the development of London railway land, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Heathrow Terminal 5, Manchester Airport Second Runway, Killingholme port expansion; major housing developments and their effects on the Dorset and Thames Basin Heaths; and many other housing and road projects.

Locally, he has been involved in a voluntary capacity in advising the London Wildlife Trust and GLA on the Woodberry Downs masterplan and in developing the Hackney Wildlife Group.     

Ian Barratt

Ian has built and designed this website and looks after the technical and publishing aspects of the group. He works as a freelance web designer from Lightjuice Web Design.