The Regional Network Committee (RNC)

The Regional Network Committee is responsible for planning and supervising a long-term programme of volunteer surveys, ensuring that the concerns of survey workers are addressed in survey planning and evaluation, and monitoring prompt feedback to them. It appoints Regional Representatives and liaises with the Surveys Team in supervising Regional and Country Representatives. The Chairman of RNC sits on the Board and is supported on the committee by two members of the Board and six other members. It meets twice a year.

Chairman - Dr David Parker

David is an ecologist and environmental manager with a career covering both environmental consultancy and the statutory nature conservation sector. He has a lifelong love of birds and the places where they live, and is particularly interested in the Dee Estuary where he has been a WeBS recorder for almost 40 years.

Evelyn Tigwell

Eve is the BTO Regional Representative, Heronries and WeBC Local Organiser for Somerset. She has been Honorary Secretary and Pension Fund Chairman for the BTO, and was Chairman of Somerset Wildlife Trust. Eve is currently BTO Representative and Treasurer for Somerset Ornithological Society and a Trustee for The British Birds Charitable Trust. Wildlife has always been key to her life; involving everything from surveys and data to writing, painting, photography, and sheer enjoyment. Having trained as a biologist, Eve currently enjoys a career split between ecological and retail consultancies.

Annette Jarratt-Knock

Annette became the Regional Representative for Warwickshire in late 2018.  She has a lifelong interest in natural history and birds in particular which began by feeding and audio recording birds in her childhood garden. In 2010 she embarked on the Birmingham University’s MSc in Ornithology. This re-introduced her to the BTO which she then joined, engaging for the first time in bird surveys. She has worked as a volunteer for the Warwickshire Bio-records Office and is currently employed in the Agricultural sector.

Chris Gunn

Chris is the Regional Representative and WeBS Local Organiser for Lincolnshire North.  She has always been interested in wildlife and was a trustee for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and chair of a Local Group for 10 years.  Following a career in health and education Chris now spends her free time travelling round the country walking and visiting reserves.

Simon Marquis

Simon worked in the advertising and marketing industry. He was the editorial director of a number of marketing magazines and later became CEO of one of the UK’s biggest media agencies before taking on a range of advisory and non-executive roles. He has had an interest in birds since childhood and became a trustee of the RSPB in the 1990’s and chaired its Education and Membership committee. He is involved with the local birdwatching society and edits its quarterly newsletter.

Dr Dave McGarvie

Dave is the BTO regional representative for the Scottish Borders and is a semi-retired volcanologist who undertakes field-based scientific research in Iceland and Chile. He has had a lifelong but casual interest in birds, and at age 13 was submitting records to the Scottish Bird Report (SOC). He is currently exploring the potential benefits of using drones for Wetland Bird Surveys and for the Heronries Census.

Simon Taylor

Simon is the BTO Regional Representative for Cornwall and works in a shipyard. His first interest in wildlife came in the 1970's as a small child accompanying his father John on Citizen Science projects with the Rossendale Ornithologists Club in East Lancs. After a considerable period away from the world of birds and a move to Cornwall, Simon rediscovered wildlife in 2007 and became a BTO Citizen Scientist in 2009 with WeBS. In 2010 Simon discovered nest recording and his main project now is the 150+ nest boxes in his local wood.

Stephen Metcalfe

Stephen is the RR for the Lothians and RO for the BBS and Heronries Census. He has been a birdwatcher since childhood, his early interest being boosted by a couple of residential YOC courses. In his late teens/student years he volunteered as an assistant at both Havergate Island and Minsmere reserves. Although family and work (as a solicitor) responsibilities restricted birding opportunities for many years, since retirement he has taken on 2 BBS squares and a coastal WeBS section, before becoming RR in late 2019. He is also a member of the RSPB and the SOC, attending the Lothian Discussion Group (which plans and carries out many local surveys) of the latter. Apart from birding, he is a keen amateur musician, cyclist and has returned to university, currently working towards a (part time) master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.

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