The Zeiss Yorkshire Terriers
Champions of the Flyway is all about teamwork, and we’re proud to be a new team on the block! We’re committed to raising as much as we possibly can to help save and protect birds on their epic journeys, but we’re relying on you – our friends and our wider community – to make a genuine, collective difference. Everything counts, and every one of you who contributes something, however small or large, is a Champion of the Flyway.
Champions brings together teams and causes from across geographical, religious and cultural divides and unites them under the banner of one-the-ground wildlife conservation – through direct action, education and culture change. This year, Birdlife Serbia and Birdlife Croatia are the joint beneficiaries – a perfect example of how the cause unites those committed to stopping the illegal killing of migrating birds.
In these dark days of a Yorkshire notorious for its persecution of wild birds, the Zeiss Yorkshire Terriers are here to represent the true Yorkshire spirit – tenacity, passion, inclusivity, and a healthy dose of sheer bloody-mindedness. In the name of international, grass-roots conservation, we’re flying the Yorkshire flag on the global stage, and showing the world what God’s Own County really thinks about illegal wild bird killing. THANK YOU for donating, and thus joining our team!
The Zeiss Yorkshire Terriers are sponsored by:
Meet the Team:
Mark James Pearson
Mark James Pearson
As an ornithologist/ecologist, nature writer, speaker, educator and guide, I’m lucky enough to enjoy birds and wildlife as my bread and butter as well as my drug of choice. I spend much of my time volunteering and cheerleading for conservation causes, which includes juggling various roles at Filey Bird Observatory; situated here on the North Yorkshire coast, it’s presented me with a first for mainland England at the end of my road (Brünnich’s Guillemot) and a first for Britain a few minutes walk away (Spanish Wagtail) among many other great birding experiences.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit five continents in pursuit of birds and wildlife, and have a habit of getting over-excited by migration of any kind, which may be why I’m often asked to bang on about my passions at various events and for TV and radio (including e.g. BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch and as a lead presenter on a BBC Natural World). I also write and make music under the monicker Morning Bride.
Darren Woodhead
Darren is a Yorkshireman who migrated to Scotland, where he lives with his wife Pascale and their three sons. A Royal College of Art graduate, he is an internationally renowned wildlife artist, publishing two acclaimed collections – Up River, The Song of the Esk recently followed his first solo book From Dawn Till Dusk, published in 2005 – and winning the Swarovski / Birdwatch Artist of the Year for the second time in 2009. His work is held in many private collections, including a recent commission for the Duke of Edinburgh’s 90th birthday.
Elected a member of The Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) in 2000, Darren has served on its council and has been an active member of many SWLA projects. He has won many awards which have seen him invited onto expeditions and projects with The Artists for Nature Foundation to the Pyrenees, the Algarve, Peru, Ecuador, Great Fen, Israel and Sark. He lectures widely, teaches at Edinburgh College of Art, The George Watson College, Edinburgh and Loretto’s School, Musselburgh, and has been a tutor on the Seabird Drawing Course held by John Busby in North Berwick since 2004. He is often asked to appear on TV and radio, recently as artist-in-residence on BBC Springwatch.
Darren Woodhead
Richard Baines
Rich Baines
I’m an experienced ornithologist/ecologist and wildlife guide who has worked in wildlife conservation for over 30 years – a highly varied career which has taken me from volunteering for Flamborough Bird Observatory to conducting surveys on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Whilst living at Flamborough for 15 years I got to live the birder’s dream – in my garden by the cliffs I found many rarities including Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Isabelline Shrike and Blyth’s Reed Warbler; my biggest prize was lurking nearby, however – a Brown Flycatcher (the second for Britain). I currently manage to juggle several paid and volunteer roles: I’m the Director of Yorkshire Coast Nature, Turtle Dove Project Officer for the North York Moors National Park and Volunteer Conservation Officer for Filey Bird Observatory. Oh and while I love bird races, I love being part of a cause close to my heart even more!
Jono Leadley
Jono Leadley is likely to be found wandering around Wheldrake Ings near York, looking for migrant birds, trying to identify plants in the meadows, or hanging out at the local landfill site looking at gulls. He has a lifelong interest in wildlife, has worked in nature conservation for 15 years and currently works for regional charity Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, where he heads up the North Yorkshire team (being responsible for nature reserve management and conservation projects). He’s nature-guided at both home and abroad, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Norfolk, the Hebrides and around Yorkshire, and conducted research in Madagascar and Indonesia. Jono has spread his wings in the last couple of decades and is constantly trying to improve his skills, with a current focus on moths and cetaceans. A regular bird racer, Jono was part of a team that held the Cambridgeshire day record and has also raced in Norfolk and Yorkshire.
