Meet the BWWC Wildlife team at The Grant Arms hotel
Nick Baker - Wildlife Guide
Nick is a naturalist, ecologist, broadcaster, cyclist and harmonica player. It is the naturalist bit that defines him and his love of the natural world.
The hotel has has asked Nick to be their ambassador for wildlife and in that role he will be visible at events and within the hotel, both leading and guiding events and tours.
John Poyner – Wildlife Guide
John works as a professional Wildlife Tour Guide and he has been running his own guiding company, Highland Nature since 2013. Previously he spent twelve years guiding tours for two of Scotland’s leading Wildlife Holiday companies based here in Strathspey…. throughout the Highlands and Islands as well as abroad.
John is our wildlife expert and guide, doing briefings, walks, field trips and special events for us. Highland Nature is one of our recommended tour guides for hire.
Simon Pawsey – Wildlife Guide
Simon moved to Strathspey with his family when he retired.
He is now a very experienced and professional wildlife guide leading groups throughout the Highlands and Islands. Simon operates the acclaimed School of Birding with Mark Pearson from the Grant Arms and leads on the hotel’s very popular ‘Loaded’ series of holidays with Richard Thaxton.
David Slater - Wildlife Guide
David has been leading his renowned bird tours for as long as anyone can remember. A favourite with hotel guests, he also has his own company Birding Ecosse.
Richard Thaxton – Wildlife Guide
Richard, who has a 40 years association with the area, is a graduate ecologist, who spent 35 years in nature reserve management for RSPB, for most of that time based here as the site manager at the Abernethy-Loch Garten reserve.
He is an experienced life-long birder, has travelled extensively in pursuit of his passion for birds and other wildlife and alongside his RSPB career he led wildlife tours abroad for 20 years for Limosa Holidays, leading 50+ tours worldwide, principally to South American, South East Asia and throughout much of Europe.
He has been guiding guests at Grant Arms Hotel for the past six years, leading guided walks and field outings and he likes nothing more than showing and sharing his passion for wildlife with others.
Anyone who has accompanied Richard on one of his woodland walks will have heard him wax lyrical on the importance of deadwood to forest ecology, earning him the nickname Deadwood Richard, which he takes as a positive!
Sue Sykes – Wildlife Guide
Sue Sykes has a professional background in education. A teacher, deputy head, examiner and advisory teacher for many years she escaped the classroom to volunteer for the RSPB as a county youth officer across two counties and on a major education project for use in after school clubs.
Then in the year 2000 she celebrated the millennium by getting a post with the Devon Wildlife Trust where she worked with “people and wildlife” in her dream job and with the whole of the county to play in!
Now retired and living with her husband in Grantown at the edge of Anagach Woods, she very much enjoys the company of hotel guests on walks, field trips and morning and evening sessions in the hotel.
She has two adult sons and commitments to Grantown u3a and to Fair Trade. Her spare time, when she has any, will always be spent birding.
Jane Pearson – Wildlife Administrator
Many of our customers will know super-efficient Jane from our reception desk. Jane has now joined the wildlife team on a part-time basis to help manage event and speaker bookings.