Meet Henry Jones, a young naturalist from the heart of Devon
Henry is a 14-year-old writer with a huge passion for the natural world and conserving it. He has been an avid birder since a young age and has written his own blog since the Covid-19 Lockdown, The Bovey Birder. He aims to use his writing to tell stories about conservation and science, and to inspire people to action over important issues with the natural world.
The writing
His passion for writing and ornithology led him to winning the Zeiss Young Birders Award in 2023, and since then he has had his writing featured in several publications, such as The Guardian, Birdwatching Magazine, the IUCN website, and the Art and Energy Collective. He is a regular writer for RSPB Wingbeat magazine.
Off on a birding adventure
Henry is based in Devon, in the southwest of England, and lives on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. The cuckoo is the bird that captures his heart, which Dartmoor is a particular stronghold for, and he loves being out and about in the National Park. One of his favourite places to go birding is Emsworthy Mire, a Devon Wildlife Trust Reserve. He is also a competitive swimmer.
PRACTICAL CONSERVATION
He also enjoys getting his hands dirty with projects that will help and is both a Dartmoor and Pebblebed Heaths Youth Ranger.
With this volunteer work, he has experience in things like Himalayan Balsam Removal, Harvest Mouse Surveys, Peat Bog Restoration, Nightjar surveys and Boardwalk building, to name a few.
Nature on the page
There are many nature writers who inspire Henry to forge his own path in the writing world; Roger Morgan-Grenville being one of them. Henry was lucky enough to meet him at a Nature Writing Retreat last year, where he shared lessons on how powerful a story can be, and that often anecdotes can be just as persuasive as hard facts and statistics.
He also admires Sophie Pavelle’s ability to make complicated topics accessible, which he discovered through her book Forget Me Not and so, with his own writing, combines a conversational and friendly tone with vital facts, even with concerning or frustrating topics. People won’t help if there isn’t hope, after all.
A voice for the birds (and everything else too)
Henry writes pieces that educate people about the amazing planet we call home, particularly its avian inhabitants, using his writing to encourage everyone to take action and make a difference.
If you have a project you think he could help with, get in touch!
Henry Jones - Young Nature Writer 