About Us
Dr Nicholas Fox
Director
BSc Hons Zoology (St Andrews 1968-72)
CEd (Dundee 72-73)
PhD 'The Biology of the New Zealand Falcon' (Canterbury NZ, 74-78)
Previous posts include:
Part-time Wildlife Inspector for DETR for Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Part-time Registered Farrier.
Senior Lecturer in Wildlife.
Nick Fox is a raptor biologist with research on New Zealand Falcons, Australasian Harriers, Northern Goshawks, Mauritius Kestrels, Red Kites, Sakers and Peregrines. He is Director of Falcon Research and Management with the Abu Dhabi Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency, running conservation projects throughout Central Asia (see www.savethesaker.com). He is the founder of the Middle East Falcon Research Group (see here), As a farmer he is interested in rural issues including farmland restoration, re-introductions, animal welfare, access, fieldsports and low impact leisure activities. A falconer all his life, he has run the Northumberland Crow Falcons since 1991. This is the oldest mounted falconry group in UK. He is an Honorary Member of the Raptor Association of New Zealand, the Welsh Hawking Club, the Irish Hawking Club, the Dartmoor Falcons and a Vice-President of the British Falconers’ Club. As a Specialist for the UK Hawk Board he has received the most votes in the last two nationwide elections. He has been Scientific Advisor the to UK All Party Parliamentary Middle Way Group on Hunting for several years. He is the author of the best-selling Understanding the Bird of Prey, and of A Global Strategy for the Conservation of Falcons and Houbara. His latest book is Classical Falconry due out October 2004. He has contributed to many films and documentaries, and produced 16 films on birds of prey and one on animal welfare. He is married with two sons and farms in West Wales, UK.
Mrs Barbro Fox
Co-Director
Bachelor of Arts, University of Stockholm, Sweden
Bachelor of Education, Teacher Training College of Stockholm, Sweden
Certificate of Special Needs Education, Teacher Training College of Stockholm, Sweden
Barbro has been interested in the environment all her life and is a keen country person. Originally a specialist teacher, she has for the last twenty years been heavily involved with the field work and research on birds of prey and management. This had led her to participate on teams in Mauritius, New Zealand, Mongolia, Pakistan, China, Kyrghistan and Nepal. She is Resource Manager for the Falcon Facility and for the overseas projects. As well as hawking on horseback with the Northumberland Crow Falcons she is a keen Endurance rider and breeds Arab horses. Her role in IWC centres on Resource Management and Accounts.
Dr Andrew Dixon
Head of Research
BSc Hons Environmental Biology (Queen Mary College, University of London, 1985-88)
PhD Zoology (University of Leicester, 1990-93)
Previous posts include:
Ecological Consultant
Research Assistant (University of Leicester)
Senior Lecturer in Ecology & Conservation (University of Sunderland)
ResearchAssociate (University of Lancaster)
Andrew Dixon has had a lifelong passion for birds and following graduation from Queen Mary College he worked briefly as a ground engineering consultant before pursuing his ornithological interest by taking up a PhD studentship.His PhD research involved the use of DNA fingerprinting techniques to investigate the evolution of mating and parental behaviours in birds.Follow completion of his PhD he undertook several short-term research assistant posts to carry out both field and laboratory studies before taking up a teaching post at the University of Sunderland in 1995.At Sunderland he taught undergraduate and post-graduate students on Environmental Science and Environmental Biology courses and established research projects on Reed Buntings, Peregrines, Ravens and Lapwings.In 2001 he took up a research associate position at Lancaster University in order to study the impact Peregrine predation on racing pigeons.Subsequently he has worked as an environmental and ecological consultant and has provided advice on issues relating to birds of prey and racing pigeons to the UK and Scottish Parliaments.He is married with two children and lives in South Wales, UK.
Animal Welfare
BA Hons Biology (Oxford 1987-1990)
PhD Animal Behaviour & Welfare (Bristol 1991-1994)
Previous posts include:
Research Associate at Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol.
Cecilia Lindberg has a keen interest in animal behaviour, conservation and the management of captive animals, developed through her involvement with raptor conservation and breeding. Following a degree in biology, she pursued these interests through research into animal welfare, working on welfare-improved management systems, preference testing, learning behaviour, abnormal and stereotypic behaviours in poultry, equines and pigs. Most recently, her research has involved the development of a welfare assessment protocol for working equines, based on information gathered during a worldwide expert consultation exercise and field testing the protocol in developing countries. She has participated on teams visiting New Zealand, Mauritius, Mongolia, Egypt and India. She is a competitive Endurance rider and horse owner, taking a particular interest in ethologically sound horsemanship.
Nick Kester
Sales, Marketing and Public Relations
Nick Kester has made his career in the media, marketing and commerce. He started work with the BBC's publishing division, then moved to Fleet Street, where he worked for the national news agency, the Press Association, during a period of tumultuous change in technology. After which a directorship with one of the world's first satellite television stations (specialising in the global distribution of live horseracing as a gaming opportunity) led him to form his own design and marketing consultancy before moving to West Wales. In addition to working for International Wildlife Consultants, Nick is a freelance journalist specialising in falconry and rural issues, and a retained communications consultant to the Hawk Board (the representative body for falconry and bird of prey keepers in the UK).
Martyn Paterson
Senior Aviculturalist
Martyn started working in our falcon breeding programme in 1993 after leaving a career in the Royal Marines. He has developed specialisms in artifical insemination and in incubation and you will see him featuring widely in our films on captive breeding.
Diana Durman-WaltersSenior Aviculturalist
CEd. Durham.(1968-1971)
Previous Posts include:
Part time Wildlife Inspector for DETR re: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Full time teacher in England and Scotland.
Director of Scottish Academy of Falconry.
Falconry Representative for Scotland British Field Sports Society/CA
Diana has pursued a life long interest in falconry and rural affairs. With her professional teaching background she has been committed to falconry education and its further development involving all age groups. It was her successful breeding of falcons in the early 80’s that became an all-absorbing occupation that she still pursues today. She is an Honorary Member of the Welsh Hawking Club and Editor of “The Austringer.” President of the German Wirehaired Pointer Club and Member of The Kennel Club.