To mark the launch of our inaugural Habitat Series raising money for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, we chatted to some of the UK's top nature photographers, filmmakers and bird experts. They shared their wildlife journeys and told us how getting into nature - wherever you might find it - can change your life and wellbeing for good.
Simon Owen
Filmmaker, photographer, Lancashire Wildlife Trust ambassador
I grew up in Manchester skateboarding, making skate videos and spending most of my time in the city. But my dad was a birdwatcher, so there was always a connection to nature in the background. Years later, I ended up carrying a camera everywhere and realised I was constantly looking for wildlife to point it at.
I've had some difficult years. When life gets tough, nature becomes my escape. I’ll go out with a camera, sit somewhere for hours and just wait. Sometimes nothing will happen. Sometimes a barn owl will ghost across a moor, or a kingfisher will flash by the river. Even if I don’t see anything, I always came back feeling different.
Time in the wild encourages you to slow down and stop thinking about life’s stresses. If you’re patient, you start noticing things. The light between the trees, birdsong, movement in the grass. Somehow your problems feel smaller against the backdrop of the larger world.
I'm not a particularly spiritual person, but there have been times when it’s felt like nature has turned up when I needed it most. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and I find that incredibly depressing. So I want to do something about it. I'm now proud to be an ambassador for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, using filmmaking, photography and storytelling to help get more people connected with the natural world. I also run Wildest Ones, a film series about people whose lives have been changed by nature. The more stories I hear, the more convinced I am that our relationship with nature isn't just about wildlife, it's about us too.
@wildest.ones
JAKE BRASS
Photographer and conservationist
I live near Manchester in the Peak District. After travelling the world backpacking in pursuit of a career as a professional wildlife photographer, coming home was the biggest leap I’d ever taken.
Nestled in the hills, I discovered a seemingly abandoned ruin that was home to a family of barn owls. They became my solitude and inspiration, leading to moments and photographs that reignited my self belief and drove me to pursue wildlife photography full time.
My biggest goal is to shift how people define nature. It is seen by many as something that exists outside of our day to day lives, and for me that makes no sense. Nature exists everywhere. It exists in the plants growing between the cracks in the concrete on the way to work. It supports the insects pollinating our gardens who are themselves a food source for the robin nesting in your driveway hedge.
Even on the greyest day I can pause and notice quieter moments. I can disconnect from my worries and try to work out why the blackbirds are calling. I can get giddy when I see a barn owl on a long drive, and I am even grateful for the long commute because it means I sometimes spot deer in the fields through the train windows.
My biggest piece of advice if you’re living in an urban environment is to change your perspective on what nature is. It doesn’t have to be elephants in Africa. It can be the heron in your pond. You needn’t go looking for nature. Find a nice spot under a tree, on a bench, or go to your bedroom window. Sit and wait, and nature will make itself known to you.
@Jake_brass
Andy Green
Photographer, podcaster, wildlife creative
I’m from Kent and can often be found roaming the grounds of Leeds Castle on the hunt for woodland birds. From an early age I was fascinated by BBC documentaries. I was even on the brink of enrolling on a post grad to study Marine Biology after Blue Planet came out. Then somehow life and work got in the way.
In my thirties I met my wife Ashley; we spent a weekend in the New Forest together where I used a camera to take photos of birds for the first time. It changed everything. The quiet, the stillness and the reflection was so pure and addictive. I just knew it was going to be a lifelong passion.
Somewhere along the way, photography stopped being the only reason for being outdoors. Nature is now my reset button as well as a huge creative outlet. Life can be noisy, busy and complicated, but sitting quietly waiting for a bird to appear has a wonderful way of simplifying everything. You become completely absorbed in what’s happening in front of you. Yes I love coming home with a great photo, but for me the real reward is being in nature in the first place.
@spaceman.pics
Adam Juckes
Photographer, podcaster, adventurer
I was four years old when I discovered wildlife. I remember holding a clutch of tiny blue tits in my hands, and feeling captivated by these fragile, wild creatures. I didn’t know it then, but that moment would stay with me for the rest of my life.
As I grew up and became a photographer, wild places offered me something increasingly precious: perspective. The days move so fast. Our careers bring pressure and there are constant demands on our time. Stepping outdoors we can escape all that. We can slow down and simply be present.
For me, photographing nature has never been about taking a picture. It’s about the experiences behind them, the anticipation and patience. The unexpected encounters and stories that unfold when you spend time in green spaces.
Most importantly, moments outdoors are something I love to share. With my wife, my family, and friends. I lead clients on expeditions, and one of the greatest privileges is watching someone’s face light up as they experience something truly wild for the first time. The reality is that after all these years I’m still that four-year-old boy enchanted by the wild. Only now, I have the privilege of opening that door to other people.
@adamjuckesphoto
David Dinsley
RSPB warden, photographer and filmmaker
A high school visit to the Isle of Mull made me want to live in the wilds of somewhere. I grew up mostly on council estates in the North East UK, and I don’t have a degree or higher education. Thoughts of working and living in the wild felt unrealistic: a daydreamer’s delusion. But these days home is the Isle of Islay in the Inner Hebrides - off the west coast of Scotland. It’s wild and isolated. The weather can strike hard during the winter months, and it can sometimes feel like summer is over moments after it’s arrived. But it’s an incredible place to live and I’ve been lucky enough to experience countless pinch-me moments with the wildlife I share it with.
I’m the warden of a vast nature reserve and working farm owned by the RSPB, with corncrakes, golden eagles and hen harriers for neighbours. I create habitats for declining species; I monitor rare birds and I educate others through photography, videography and storytelling.
I think if more of us developed a genuine curiosity about the natural world, we’d feel more connected to the places we live and the species there, and ultimately ourselves. Perhaps wellbeing isn't about escaping the modern world. It’s about remembering that we’re part of the natural one.
Despite our modern human accomplishments and a seemingly endless access to technology, we ARE nature. We’ve just forgotten our roots. It’s easy to separate ourselves from the wild, but that’s what we are, and that’s where we came from.
Since I began my career in conservation, my life has never felt more fulfilling. Whether I’m supporting or studying birds or educating people, I feel incredibly fortunate to have built a life around something I care deeply about.
@Davidswildlife
To learn more about the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, head to their website or our journal. To shop the city birds capsule and help raise money for the trust, click here.
Habitat Series Volume. 1 — Rare Sightings
To mark the launch of our inaugural Habitat Series raising money for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, we chatted to some of the UK's top nature photographers, filmmakers and bird experts. They shared their wildlife journeys and told us how getting into nature - wherever you might find it - can change your life and wellbeing for good.
Simon Owen
Filmmaker, photographer, Lancashire Wildlife Trust ambassador
I grew up in Manchester skateboarding, making skate videos and spending most of my time in the city. But my dad was a birdwatcher, so there was always a connection to nature in the background. Years later, I ended up carrying a camera everywhere and realised I was constantly looking for wildlife to point it at.
I've had some difficult years. When life gets tough, nature becomes my escape. I’ll go out with a camera, sit somewhere for hours and just wait. Sometimes nothing will happen. Sometimes a barn owl will ghost across a moor, or a kingfisher will flash by the river. Even if I don’t see anything, I always came back feeling different.
Time in the wild encourages you to slow down and stop thinking about life’s stresses. If you’re patient, you start noticing things. The light between the trees, birdsong, movement in the grass. Somehow your problems feel smaller against the backdrop of the larger world.
I'm not a particularly spiritual person, but there have been times when it’s felt like nature has turned up when I needed it most. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and I find that incredibly depressing. So I want to do something about it. I'm now proud to be an ambassador for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, using filmmaking, photography and storytelling to help get more people connected with the natural world. I also run Wildest Ones, a film series about people whose lives have been changed by nature. The more stories I hear, the more convinced I am that our relationship with nature isn't just about wildlife, it's about us too.
@wildest.ones
JAKE BRASS
Photographer and conservationist
I live near Manchester in the Peak District. After travelling the world backpacking in pursuit of a career as a professional wildlife photographer, coming home was the biggest leap I’d ever taken.
Nestled in the hills, I discovered a seemingly abandoned ruin that was home to a family of barn owls. They became my solitude and inspiration, leading to moments and photographs that reignited my self belief and drove me to pursue wildlife photography full time.
My biggest goal is to shift how people define nature. It is seen by many as something that exists outside of our day to day lives, and for me that makes no sense. Nature exists everywhere. It exists in the plants growing between the cracks in the concrete on the way to work. It supports the insects pollinating our gardens who are themselves a food source for the robin nesting in your driveway hedge.
Even on the greyest day I can pause and notice quieter moments. I can disconnect from my worries and try to work out why the blackbirds are calling. I can get giddy when I see a barn owl on a long drive, and I am even grateful for the long commute because it means I sometimes spot deer in the fields through the train windows.
My biggest piece of advice if you’re living in an urban environment is to change your perspective on what nature is. It doesn’t have to be elephants in Africa. It can be the heron in your pond. You needn’t go looking for nature. Find a nice spot under a tree, on a bench, or go to your bedroom window. Sit and wait, and nature will make itself known to you.
@Jake_brass
Andy Green
Photographer, podcaster, wildlife creative
I’m from Kent and can often be found roaming the grounds of Leeds Castle on the hunt for woodland birds. From an early age I was fascinated by BBC documentaries. I was even on the brink of enrolling on a post grad to study Marine Biology after Blue Planet came out. Then somehow life and work got in the way.
In my thirties I met my wife Ashley; we spent a weekend in the New Forest together where I used a camera to take photos of birds for the first time. It changed everything. The quiet, the stillness and the reflection was so pure and addictive. I just knew it was going to be a lifelong passion.
Somewhere along the way, photography stopped being the only reason for being outdoors. Nature is now my reset button as well as a huge creative outlet. Life can be noisy, busy and complicated, but sitting quietly waiting for a bird to appear has a wonderful way of simplifying everything. You become completely absorbed in what’s happening in front of you. Yes I love coming home with a great photo, but for me the real reward is being in nature in the first place.
@spaceman.pics
Adam Juckes
Photographer, podcaster, adventurer
I was four years old when I discovered wildlife. I remember holding a clutch of tiny blue tits in my hands, and feeling captivated by these fragile, wild creatures. I didn’t know it then, but that moment would stay with me for the rest of my life.
As I grew up and became a photographer, wild places offered me something increasingly precious: perspective. The days move so fast. Our careers bring pressure and there are constant demands on our time. Stepping outdoors we can escape all that. We can slow down and simply be present.
For me, photographing nature has never been about taking a picture. It’s about the experiences behind them, the anticipation and patience. The unexpected encounters and stories that unfold when you spend time in green spaces.
Most importantly, moments outdoors are something I love to share. With my wife, my family, and friends. I lead clients on expeditions, and one of the greatest privileges is watching someone’s face light up as they experience something truly wild for the first time. The reality is that after all these years I’m still that four-year-old boy enchanted by the wild. Only now, I have the privilege of opening that door to other people.
@adamjuckesphoto
David Dinsley
RSPB warden, photographer and filmmaker
A high school visit to the Isle of Mull made me want to live in the wilds of somewhere. I grew up mostly on council estates in the North East UK, and I don’t have a degree or higher education. Thoughts of working and living in the wild felt unrealistic: a daydreamer’s delusion. But these days home is the Isle of Islay in the Inner Hebrides - off the west coast of Scotland. It’s wild and isolated. The weather can strike hard during the winter months, and it can sometimes feel like summer is over moments after it’s arrived. But it’s an incredible place to live and I’ve been lucky enough to experience countless pinch-me moments with the wildlife I share it with.
I’m the warden of a vast nature reserve and working farm owned by the RSPB, with corncrakes, golden eagles and hen harriers for neighbours. I create habitats for declining species; I monitor rare birds and I educate others through photography, videography and storytelling.
I think if more of us developed a genuine curiosity about the natural world, we’d feel more connected to the places we live and the species there, and ultimately ourselves. Perhaps wellbeing isn't about escaping the modern world. It’s about remembering that we’re part of the natural one.
Despite our modern human accomplishments and a seemingly endless access to technology, we ARE nature. We’ve just forgotten our roots. It’s easy to separate ourselves from the wild, but that’s what we are, and that’s where we came from.
Since I began my career in conservation, my life has never felt more fulfilling. Whether I’m supporting or studying birds or educating people, I feel incredibly fortunate to have built a life around something I care deeply about.
@Davidswildlife
To learn more about the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, head to their website or our journal. To shop the city birds capsule and help raise money for the trust, click here.