| A born natural |
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| Written by Penny Kitchen, 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 2 Walking for pleasureWalking is one of life's real pleasures in Kate's book, one that she can enjoy with husband of 16 years Ludo and recently acquired rescue dog Badger. They have moved from London to a farmhouse in a beautiful part of Wales, near Tintern Abbey."We always loved this area and used to go walking in the Beacons and the Black mountains. But it was only when Ludo was offered a job with the BBC in Cardiff that a move here was finally possible." She describes her new home in romantic terms: "Perhaps I sound smug, like at the beginning of a love affair, but I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world! Now that we live in the country I get up early in the morning and gaze out at our beautiful view and I can see the sun coming up a little earlier - there are deer out there, and lots of birds." Springwatch and Autumnwatch programme-makers work very closely with UK nature and conservation organisations such as the RSPB, Natural England and the Woodlands Trust, all of whom have impressed Kate with their dedication and professionalism. "Britain has wonderful nature reserves, run by lots of different organisations, many that are free to go into, or you just buy a year's membership. What a fantastic resource! And then there's our footpath network. If I can get people to get out there and use them I'll be happy." This boundless enthusiasm made Kate a natural choice for Vice-president of the RSPB, an "astonishing organisation" she says, that has strong parallels with the WI. "You don't have to be a nerdy birdwatcher to belong. The same way you don't need to make jam to belong to the WI. Like the WI, the RSPB is misunderstood by many people." Her aim is to encourage more people to join the RSPB and to find out for themselves that it isn't just about birds, but about conservation on a huge scale. "If you just try to conserve birds you will lose them all," she says. "You have to conserve habitats - the land, the sea - along with the wildlife. If you don't have a happy food chain then something is going to drop out and it will all collapse. Everyone loves puffins, but if we don't take care of the sea, we soon won't have any." Thrill of accomplishmentSome readers may have seen the BBC programme that featured Kate's nail-biting first attempt at caving. I could hardly bare to watch, I tell her, so was it as frightening as it looked?"Well, when the programme's producer started telling me about some of the things he was hoping we might film, I started to feel very sweaty and queasy. But still I was curious. I didn't like the vertical stuff, no, but the tight stuff - crawling through a very tight tunnel - I really loved that. I was on my tummy and couldn't even spread my elbows to 'walk' on them. Your bladder becomes incredibly resilient in a situation like that! "They asked if I was claustrophobic before we started but I didn't really know. I hate being shut in a plane before taking off, a sort of panic - I used to be very scared of flying - but caving was a challenge. Of course for that programme I was with someone who is brilliant and experienced. I enjoyed it so much so I want to go again." Kate's next project is one she herself originated and will involve her great love, Africa, and take her through some of the world's trouble spots. She is following the ancient incense route from where it is harvested in the Middle East, Oman and Yemen across to Petra in Jordan. With a job that takes her to such exotic places, it must be difficult to settle on the perfect holiday location, I suggest, but she replies that she and her husband love camping - they usually head for somewhere warm since they are both only able to take winter holidays. Diving is another passion they both share. "We like to go to wild places with no hotels - and no camera crews!" Campaigning for birds and the environmentThe RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. With the support of over a million members, they:
RSPB members receive a free feeder with seed or bird handbook, members' magazine and more than 100 reserves to visit. |
