Talk Catalogue

Ascension Island is a remote military base in the tropical Atlantic. On this island, the seabirds are magical with little fear of people. With the aid of stunning images, Dr John Hughes tell stories of the island’s history, its seabirds, the introduced land birds, and the marine environment.
Talk length - 42 minutes.

As a land surveyor and professional soldier, John has travelled the world. He has a passion for birds, lifelong learning and was a teacher. He achieved a PhD aged 69 and his research topic was the Breeding Ecology of Seabirds on Ascension Island. John is married with 5 children and lives in Hampshire.

Melanie Gibson-Barton brings to life the well known and certainly the less well known First World War sites in a themed way that will appeal to all elements of the audience.

Talk length - 41 minutes.

From being an enjoyable part-time ‘hobby’ the repeat bookings for Melanie Gibson-Barton's talks grew to such an extent that she gave up her 'day job' to become a full-time speaker. Many of her talks have been commissioned by previous audiences for commemorative occasions. You can be confident of a high quality presentation. Melanie's website features just some of the lovely testimonials that she has gratefully received - www.toonstelling.com

This talk describes the 22 year development of Cascades Gardens, a beautiful four acre garden in Bonsall, Derbyshire. Inspired by Japanese gardens, Alan Clements discusses the construction and planting of the garden in his attempt to create a natural garden for peace and relaxation. Photos of the wild landscape 40 years ago and other before and after pictures are shown. Gardening issues are discussed and there are pictures of the cascades, the nursery and flowers throughout the seasons.

Talk length - 47 minutes.

Alan Clements - A speaker on gardening subjects and travels in Tibet. Vice President of the Tibet Society and Relief Fund working on charity projects in India. Always a keen gardener having developed Cascades Gardens, the Meditation garden in Bonsall, Matlock,Derbyshire. Open to the public see www.cascadesgardens.com and blog www.gardenforwellbeing.com

A wide-ranging talk appealing to garden lovers and walkers - and arm-chair gardeners! See the distinctive style of Flemish gardening - and lots more - in this colourfully illustrated talk.

Talk length - 34 minutes.

From being an enjoyable part-time ‘hobby’ the repeat bookings for Melanie Gibson-Barton's talks grew to such an extent that she gave up her 'day job' to become a full-time speaker. Many of her talks have been commissioned by previous audiences for commemorative occasions. You can be confident of a high quality presentation. Melanie's website features just some of the lovely testimonials that she has gratefully received - www.toonstelling.com

Seabird populations on the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Ascension Island have declined dramatically. With the aid of stunning images, Dr John Hughes reveals how a team of citizen scientists have discovered some of the causes of the decline and ways of restoring the seabird population.

Talk length - 49 minutes.

As a land surveyor and professional soldier, John has travelled the world. He has a passion for birds, lifelong learning and was a teacher. He achieved a PhD aged 69 and his research topic was the Breeding Ecology of Seabirds on Ascension Island. John is married with 5 children and lives in Hampshire.

This is a general otter talk covering (amongst other things) their design features, their behaviour, signs to look out for and their population crash plus subsequent recovery.  With incredible footage and photography shot by Stephen himself, enter the world of these semiaquatic mammals! Hopefully you will be inspired to "check-out" your local otters!

Talk length - 47 minutes.

Formerly a vet, Stephen changed career to pursue a lifelong passion for wildlife, wildlife photography, filming and conservation. Stephen’s material has made a number of TV appearances, featured in the national press and won major awards. His photography concentrates on interesting and challenging wildlife subjects, many of which are in and close to his home.

Mt Elgon is an extinct volcano in East Africa, straddling the Kenya-Uganda. It is home to a fascinating herd of elephants who travel deep (up to 200m) into the mountain's caves to mine salt. As well as the elephants themselves, this talk will explore the rich biodiversity on the mountain and a little of its cultural heritage. With Mt Elgon's natural and cultural heritage under threat, an insight into some of the conservation initiatives will also be included in the presentation.

Formerly a vet, Stephen changed career to pursue a lifelong passion for wildlife, wildlife photography, filming and conservation. Stephen’s material has made a number of TV appearances, featured in the national press and won major awards. His photography concentrates on interesting and challenging wildlife subjects, many of which are in and close to his home.

A talk about big cats, endangered wildlife and conservation issues. 

Shelley is passionate about big cats and wildlife and talks about a number of endangered species, along with some interesting animal facts. 

Illustrated with beautiful photographs she’s taken on her travels around the world, this is an interesting, informative and educational talk that raises awareness about some of the world’s most endangered wildlife and the threats they face. 

Shelley shares her journey and experiences, photos and unique video clips of some of the animals she has encountered, rescue shelters she has visited, and projects she has been involved with over the years in her effort to raise awareness and funds for various wildlife charities.

Talk length -  44 minutes.

Shelley Lozano has worked professionally as a cabaret artiste and entertainer for over 30 years which has taken her as far afield as Europe, Kathmandu, India and the Middle East. She is now an author and radio presenter with a weekly wildlife show and through her work, helps raise awareness and funds for endangered wildlife and offers fun and entertaining talks for a variety of functions and events to suit audiences of all ages.