Tom Forward
ECOLOGIST & SAFARI GUIDE
With a lifelong passion for watching wildlife and a degree in Environmental Management, Tom has spent 18 years working to inspire people to enjoy, learn about and care for the natural world through roles with the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Kerala, India, the Field Studies Council in Suffolk, Sussex Wildlife Trust and, more recently, Commonwork Trust in Kent.
Birds are his speciality and he has a knack for mimicking calls and songs. However, he is an aspiring all-round naturalist who enjoys revealing the secrets of a beetle-rich cow pat, chasing after butterflies, and exploring how the disturbance of free-roaming creates new habitats just as much as tuning into the dawn chorus ringing out from the scrub.
Tom now works as a freelance environmental educator, wildlife guide, and field ecologist.
“Since the Knepp Wildland project first came to my attention in 2009 I’ve been really excited to see how this visionary project has challenged received wisdoms about working the land and wildlife conservation. Here, where more natural processes are allowed free rein, local and national trends of decline amongst rare and important species are being reversed. The feeling you experience when exploring the estate is one of a riot of abundance. A visit to Knepp will always leave you wanting more wild in your life.”
