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- Output 1 Making room for new beginnings; creating conscious space for good design>
- Output 2 Beginning the Design Process; Observing and interacting>
- Output 3 Stacking functions>
- Our current living space; Alex`s house and garden>
- Pete`s house; Turning a monster into an ally!
- Integrating permaculture design into my work place>
- Forest gardening at Margam Park...
- Raising Seth - supporting my son`s journey>
- Extracts from learning journal
- Process reflection
- Appendix
- Appendix ll. Tutor & Peer review
- Output 4 Small and slow solutions>
- Our current living space; Alex`s house and garden>
- Pete`s house; turning a monster into an ally!
- Integrating Permaculture design into my work place
- Forest gardening at Margam Park
- Raising Seth; Supporting our son`s journey.
- Getting to grips with technology!
- Extracts from learning Journal
- Process reflection
- Output 5, Accept and respond to feedback>
- Output 6
- Output 7
- Output 8
- Output 9
- Output 10
- Completed Designs>
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Letters of support and references
To: Helen Wraight, The Herpetological Conservation Trust, 655a Christchurch Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 4AP
Please excuse the delay in getting this reference prepared, but I have been away till this weekend and therefore not able to respond earlier to Peter’s request.
I have known Peter Hill for about a year now, working with him in training people about Odonata and on pond/wetland project work, visiting Nature Reserves and generally discussing wildlife, ecology and ‘Herps’ in particular.
In that short time, I have already found him committed to nature conservation, having an infectious enthusiasm for his work, an ability to network, manage and promote projects, and most importantly motivate people and take the initiative in all these respects.
Peter exhibits the essential people skills for this post. He also successfully works within communities and with individuals that I would not previously have immediately associated with being active in wildlife conservation. I also consider he has the ability to deliver on equalities legislation that many others have yet to recognise, let alone deliver. Peter is most definitely not a nine to five man. He appears to work whenever the day and time requires and you will find others working with him with the same dedication.
Needless to say, he is very much a ‘Herps’ man, seeking to bring others into an active involvement with both the species and habitats, but still having the much wider vision on our environment that can often be found lacking in many wildlife specialists.
After 30 years working with councils, landowners, community groups and managing volunteer networks, including within the Wye Valley AONB, I believe I know what this type of role involves and how challenging it will be for anyone. I feel sure that Peter would rise to that challenge and ask that you very seriously consider him for this post.
I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to phone or write.
Yours sincerely,
Ian Smith
Consultant
1 Hook Close,
Osbaston,
MONMOUTH,
NP25 3BD
Tel: 01600 713561
Member of the Dragonfly Conservation Group for the UK (British Dragonfly Society),
Please excuse the delay in getting this reference prepared, but I have been away till this weekend and therefore not able to respond earlier to Peter’s request.
I have known Peter Hill for about a year now, working with him in training people about Odonata and on pond/wetland project work, visiting Nature Reserves and generally discussing wildlife, ecology and ‘Herps’ in particular.
In that short time, I have already found him committed to nature conservation, having an infectious enthusiasm for his work, an ability to network, manage and promote projects, and most importantly motivate people and take the initiative in all these respects.
Peter exhibits the essential people skills for this post. He also successfully works within communities and with individuals that I would not previously have immediately associated with being active in wildlife conservation. I also consider he has the ability to deliver on equalities legislation that many others have yet to recognise, let alone deliver. Peter is most definitely not a nine to five man. He appears to work whenever the day and time requires and you will find others working with him with the same dedication.
Needless to say, he is very much a ‘Herps’ man, seeking to bring others into an active involvement with both the species and habitats, but still having the much wider vision on our environment that can often be found lacking in many wildlife specialists.
After 30 years working with councils, landowners, community groups and managing volunteer networks, including within the Wye Valley AONB, I believe I know what this type of role involves and how challenging it will be for anyone. I feel sure that Peter would rise to that challenge and ask that you very seriously consider him for this post.
I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to phone or write.
Yours sincerely,
Ian Smith
Consultant
1 Hook Close,
Osbaston,
MONMOUTH,
NP25 3BD
Tel: 01600 713561
Member of the Dragonfly Conservation Group for the UK (British Dragonfly Society),
26th October 2008
To whom it may concern.
Re: Peter Hill
Peter is currently employed as Mentro Allan Development Officer within Neath Port Talbot County Council and in this role has worked closely with me at Margam Country Park.
He has led and carried out many practical conservation projects here in the park, including for example the maintenance and creation of habitat for grass snakes and adders. In doing so he has worked with a wide range of volunteer groups including potentially challenging people such as youth offenders. Peter has great enthusiasm for his subject and has a gift for motivating and enthusing others. I have been grateful to him recently for his help in providing conservation volunteering opportunities for the Friends of Margam volunteer group. He certainly leads from the front when carrying out projects, has a range of practical skills and is not afraid to get his hands dirty.
I have found Peter to be an excellent communicator with people from all walks of life and with varying degrees of knowledge. He quickly develops a good rapport with everyone and seems to be as comfortable talking to groups of young people as he is when communicating with experts. In his work at Margam, he has worked closely with practitioners from the Council’s Biodiversity Unit and with our park staff. He has also organised and run training courses some of which have taken place in the park, for example a course on Dragonflies which took place this summer. He has also been heavily involved in organising a training day in January 2009 for local authority workers on amphibians and reptiles.
Peter has advised me formally and informally on a range of conservation management issues (whether these are related to his job or not) relating to the park and has done a great deal to raise awareness of nature conservation issues amongst our staff. He has always kept me in the loop and can be relied upon not to undertake tasks or projects without appropriate consultation.
He has recently been working with us on a habitat and pond creation opportunity with amphibians and reptiles very much in mind. This project will help us to deliver the park’s educational programme for general visitors as well as the thousands of primary school children who attend residential environmental education courses run here in partnership with the Field Studies Council.
I have always found Peter very flexible in his approach and know that he regularly works weekends and evenings. His flexibility extends also to the range of tasks that he is willing to undertake.
Working with Peter has been a real pleasure, and whilst I wish him well in his career development, there is no doubt that he will be sorely missed at Margam.
Michael Wynne
Park Manager
Margam Country Park
Port Talbot
SA13 2TJ
Tel: 01639 881635
Email: [email protected]
To whom it may concern.
Re: Peter Hill
Peter is currently employed as Mentro Allan Development Officer within Neath Port Talbot County Council and in this role has worked closely with me at Margam Country Park.
He has led and carried out many practical conservation projects here in the park, including for example the maintenance and creation of habitat for grass snakes and adders. In doing so he has worked with a wide range of volunteer groups including potentially challenging people such as youth offenders. Peter has great enthusiasm for his subject and has a gift for motivating and enthusing others. I have been grateful to him recently for his help in providing conservation volunteering opportunities for the Friends of Margam volunteer group. He certainly leads from the front when carrying out projects, has a range of practical skills and is not afraid to get his hands dirty.
I have found Peter to be an excellent communicator with people from all walks of life and with varying degrees of knowledge. He quickly develops a good rapport with everyone and seems to be as comfortable talking to groups of young people as he is when communicating with experts. In his work at Margam, he has worked closely with practitioners from the Council’s Biodiversity Unit and with our park staff. He has also organised and run training courses some of which have taken place in the park, for example a course on Dragonflies which took place this summer. He has also been heavily involved in organising a training day in January 2009 for local authority workers on amphibians and reptiles.
Peter has advised me formally and informally on a range of conservation management issues (whether these are related to his job or not) relating to the park and has done a great deal to raise awareness of nature conservation issues amongst our staff. He has always kept me in the loop and can be relied upon not to undertake tasks or projects without appropriate consultation.
He has recently been working with us on a habitat and pond creation opportunity with amphibians and reptiles very much in mind. This project will help us to deliver the park’s educational programme for general visitors as well as the thousands of primary school children who attend residential environmental education courses run here in partnership with the Field Studies Council.
I have always found Peter very flexible in his approach and know that he regularly works weekends and evenings. His flexibility extends also to the range of tasks that he is willing to undertake.
Working with Peter has been a real pleasure, and whilst I wish him well in his career development, there is no doubt that he will be sorely missed at Margam.
Michael Wynne
Park Manager
Margam Country Park
Port Talbot
SA13 2TJ
Tel: 01639 881635
Email: [email protected]
Conservation Ecology Research Team
Institute of Environmental Sustainability
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP
Tel: (+44) 01792 295445
Email: [email protected]
To whom-it-may-concern,
Re: reference for Mr Peter Hill
I have known Peter Hill for over one year in my capacity as an academic and head ecologist of the Conservation Ecology Research Team based in the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University. I have worked extremely closely with Peter over this time on a number of research and biological monitoring initiatives and locally based projects including initiating small mammal surveys in a local deer park and commencing the important task of recording amphibian and reptile distribution data across Glamorgan. Peter has also donated a significant amount of his own free time (and expertise!) to help my students and interns with research that we are currently conducting on grass snakes. This has involved Peter organising students, arranging permission to access private and council owned land and providing invaluable logistical support in the live handling of these animals. He is extremely hard working, often putting in additional hours to ensure that targets are met and goals achieved.
Peter is an extremely knowledgeable and “hands-on” naturalist with a passion for communicating the value and importance of wildlife, in particular herpetology. He has excellent people skills and is able to effectively communicate with a variety of different user groups including children, young adults and mature volunteers. He has a significant amount of patience and is very easy to approach and talk to, a great advantage for someone whose aims are to encourage individuals to get involved with nature conservation. He has excellent time keeping skills and has demonstrated a high proficiency in his organisational skills such as arranging workshops, training days and attending scheduled research meetings at the University.
I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending Peter and have no doubt that he would prove to be an extremely hard working and diligent employee,
Yours sincerely
Dr Dan Forman CBiol.MI.Biol.EurProBiol
Institute of Environmental Sustainability
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP
Tel: (+44) 01792 295445
Email: [email protected]
To whom-it-may-concern,
Re: reference for Mr Peter Hill
I have known Peter Hill for over one year in my capacity as an academic and head ecologist of the Conservation Ecology Research Team based in the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea University. I have worked extremely closely with Peter over this time on a number of research and biological monitoring initiatives and locally based projects including initiating small mammal surveys in a local deer park and commencing the important task of recording amphibian and reptile distribution data across Glamorgan. Peter has also donated a significant amount of his own free time (and expertise!) to help my students and interns with research that we are currently conducting on grass snakes. This has involved Peter organising students, arranging permission to access private and council owned land and providing invaluable logistical support in the live handling of these animals. He is extremely hard working, often putting in additional hours to ensure that targets are met and goals achieved.
Peter is an extremely knowledgeable and “hands-on” naturalist with a passion for communicating the value and importance of wildlife, in particular herpetology. He has excellent people skills and is able to effectively communicate with a variety of different user groups including children, young adults and mature volunteers. He has a significant amount of patience and is very easy to approach and talk to, a great advantage for someone whose aims are to encourage individuals to get involved with nature conservation. He has excellent time keeping skills and has demonstrated a high proficiency in his organisational skills such as arranging workshops, training days and attending scheduled research meetings at the University.
I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending Peter and have no doubt that he would prove to be an extremely hard working and diligent employee,
Yours sincerely
Dr Dan Forman CBiol.MI.Biol.EurProBiol
08 September 2011
01639 686056
[email protected]
Catrin Evans
To Whom It May Concern:
Dear Sir / Madam
Re: BTCV OCN Training
As the Countryside and Wildlife Team Leader for Neath Port Talbot Council, I would like to provide
my support for the proposal for Peter Hill to deliver training in pond and habitat creation for
participants with BTCV Cymru.
Peter has worked closely with members of our Biodiversity Team and Biodiversity Forum over
the last few years and has made a positive contribution to the delivery of Neath Port Talbot’s
Biodiversity Action Plan. Of particular note, he has:
• Effectively delivered training on amphibians & reptiles, habitat manipulation and survey
techniques
• Created ponds at Margam Park, Gnoll Country Park, various schools and allotments, working
with both contractors and volunteers
• Ensured educational and inclusive engagement of volunteers with habitat creation; habitat box
construction, heathland reclamation and creation of hibernacula and ovipositing sites.
I consider Peter to be sufficiently experienced in these areas of work to effectively pass on his
knowledge to participants in your training schemes. Furthermore, I welcome the proposal of engaging
local residents and volunteers in conservation related training which will undoubtedly have a positive
impact on our local biodiversity, and would be keen to continue the working relationship developed
with Peter in his previous role.
Yours faithfully
Catrin Evans
Countryside and Wildlife Team Leader
Conservation Ecology Research Team Swansea University
Department of Biological Sciences
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP
Tel: 01792 295445
Email: [email protected]
14th September 2011
To Whom It May Concern,
I have known Mr Peter Hill in his capacity as an officer for Mentro Allan (MA) and in his role of the conservation officer for the South West Wales Amphibian and Reptile Group (SWWARG). Mr Hill has a wide range of ecological skills which include species surveying, habitat creation and monitoring. Mr Hill is indeed a specialist in the field of aquatic ecology and conservation and has a proven track record of constructing small scale wetland systems and ponds to a very high standard. Moreover, he has been highly successful in gaining funding from the Million Ponds Project which has led to the construction of over 30 ponds in the local area over the last few years. I have no hesitation in declaring that Mr Hill is more than qualified to run courses and provide instruction with regard to pond and habitat creation/manipulation and wildlife gardening, and that such activities are a vital element of both the biodiversity targets for the Welsh Assembly, but also are critical for the National Health Services Wellbeing agenda (public engagement in physical activity outside).
If I can be of any further assistance on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me,
Yours sincerely
Dan Forman CBiol. MIBiol. EurProBiol.
Biosciences Programme Director
Rebecca Good
Pond Conservation
CCW North Region Office
Glan y Nant
Unit 19
Mold Business Park
MOLD
Flintshire
CH7 1XP
13th October 2011
Dear Sir or Madam,
Re: Wildlife Pond Creation Peter Hill
Pond Conservation would like to show its support for the work of Peter Hill in designing and implementing pond creation for wildlife.
I have been to see a pond complex he has created in Margam Park and the project has fulfilled the Million Ponds Project criteria in creating ponds of a good desgin for wildlife and BAP associated pond species. Including suitable surrounding terrestrial habitat.
We can continue to support pond creation work and will provide guidance where necessary on the pond management, invasive species removal from ponds and survey work on the pond associated species.
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Good
Million Ponds Project Wales Officer
Back to top of page or go to Appendix lll of my Diploma portfolio.
Pond Conservation
CCW North Region Office
Glan y Nant
Unit 19
Mold Business Park
MOLD
Flintshire
CH7 1XP
13th October 2011
Dear Sir or Madam,
Re: Wildlife Pond Creation Peter Hill
Pond Conservation would like to show its support for the work of Peter Hill in designing and implementing pond creation for wildlife.
I have been to see a pond complex he has created in Margam Park and the project has fulfilled the Million Ponds Project criteria in creating ponds of a good desgin for wildlife and BAP associated pond species. Including suitable surrounding terrestrial habitat.
We can continue to support pond creation work and will provide guidance where necessary on the pond management, invasive species removal from ponds and survey work on the pond associated species.
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Good
Million Ponds Project Wales Officer
Back to top of page or go to Appendix lll of my Diploma portfolio.