By their nature, natural historians often tend to like the peace and quiet of their own company out and about in the countryside. There is nothing I like more than to potter off on my own with an insect net, GPS, notepad and a few specimen tubes – and do my own thing. However, I also think that to repay the naturalists who have patiently given me time explaining how to identify something, I should pass on what little knowledge I have gleaned to another generation too, and hopefully inspire in them a passion for the natural environment.

So, whilst it is not every naturalist’s idea of fun, concocting ways of studying wildlife and identifying difficult groups in an accessible way for children is something I have been trying to do for several years now – in schools, on our farm and with our Milden Hall Watch group (supported by Suffolk Wildlife Trust). And I have discovered that inspiring a passion in children, especially my own, for wild things is as rewarding as pottering on my own. The excited phone call from a child who has just seen a sparrow hawk take a blackbird from the bird table after spending a session on birds of prey, the post card from a child who spent a night badgerwatching, the prize won by a child for a painting of a moth after a morning’s mothing – these make me feel good and, who knows, one of these children may be a great naturalist of the future. They may not, of course, but I suspect that every child who has been exposed to wildlife in close up will grow into an adult who cares about our natural environment and all the wildlife in it, and will work hard to protect it. So, go on, inspire a child. Share a tip or two.

The Watch / SNS event in this section of the website is an example of activities planned specifically for budding young naturalists.