Who is it for?

Anyone interested in natural history or the coast.
No skills needed - any level of expertise or none is welcome.

By the end of the course you should have:

*enjoyed the experience

*know more about the plants and other animals ot the coast

*know something of the coastal geological and human history

The course

The course is centred around a selection of Bryan Ashby and Chris Pierce's
beautiful slides with commentary by them and Gordon.
We encourage questions and discussion as we make our imaginary journey.
There will be photocopied hand-outs giving information and books to borrow.
There will be a field day to follow up the course.

Week 1: From Bantham to South Milton

Week 2: From South Milton to Salcombe

Week 3: From East Portlemouth to Prawle Point

Week 4: From Prawle Point to Hallsands

Week 5: From Hallsands to Little Dartmouth

Your Tutors

Bryan Ashby trained as a photographer in London, came down and worked as a mate on 'Hoshi and Provident'
for the Island Cruising Club where he met Jane.
His first visit to the Isles of Scilly was at the wheel of Hoshi, sailing down the narrow channel between Bryer and Tresco.
Together Bryan and Jane have raised a faimly and run a photographic business in Dartmouth
and then Kingsbridge until their retirement.

Bryan has been a natural history photographer for many years and has a wonderful collection of slides.

He and Gordon enjoy giving talks to all types of groups. They also ran a family naturalists course,
for children and adults at Slapton Field Centre.

Chris Pierce trained as a photographer in the RAF.
He came to the South Hams to take charge of an engineering factory in Kingsbridge,
spending his spare time photographing birds and a variety of wildlife.
At Bearscombe he built a hide, with the blessing of farmers Bob and Harry Kerswell.
From this hide he observed and photographed badgers for many years.
He reared a pair of Barn Owls and released them into the wild.
His talks on the Badgers of Bearscombe and other subjects became very popular
and he regularly showed his photographs at Paignton Zoo and around the South Hams.
He and Bryan have enjoyed working together photographing from hides.
After Bryan’s retirement, he took over his photographic business in Kingsbridge.
He will be giving a talk on the funnier side of wildlife in the South Hams to the Kingsbridge Natural History Society next winter.

Gordon Waterhouse was a primary school teacher in the South Hams.
He and Barbara came to Kingsbridge with their young family in 1971.
He has always had a passion for natural history and does a monthly bird count on the Kingsbridge Estuary
and clearance work at Andrew's Wood.

Gordon wrote the Nature Diary column for the Kingsbridge Gazette for 10 years,
he now shares this with a team of writers.
He has written books on the Wildlife of the Kingsbridge Estuary, The Birds and Natural History of the South Hams,
Wildlife Walks, A South Hams Nature Diary and Seashore Life, usually with Bryan supplying the photography.

Since retirement. he has led evening classes on Natural History
with Bryan showing the slides and keeping him in order!

Future Courses:
Up the River Dart from the Sea to the Moor. February - March 2011

To enrol call 01548 854708

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