Who am I?
Hi, I’m Tom Ward! I’m a professional ecologist and botanist based in Stourport-on-Severn. I’m also joint BSBI Vice-county Recorder for Worcestershire. I have a deep love for the natural world (especially plants), and hold an MSc in Biological Recording and Ecological Monitoring.
Why a blog?
Every spring, I spend time trying to remind or convince myself that I am a botanist and not an imposter, masquerading as a county recorder. To that end, I started this blog as a place to lodge my past findings for my future self. It also serves as a platform to share what I’ve seen more widely, with others with similar interests. The main topics I post about are:
- Photography of the natural world
- Botany and identification tips
- Recording what I’ve seen, where
- Places to visit, such as nature reserves, botany spots, and walks (with a Worcestershire bias)
- Resources – lists, guides, useful information and downloads.
What to expect
- ‘This Week in Photos‘ is a weekly blog series which is a collection of five representative photos of that calendar week.
- ‘What’s Flowering?‘ is a botanical blog series that complements This Week in Photos during the botanical season. It aims to document 5-10 plant species seen in flower, that calendar week.
- ‘Articles‘ are feature-length posts (500-1500 words) that take a deeper dive into topics such as botanical identification, recording (what I’ve seen, where), walks, places to visit and resources.
Where you can find me
In addition to my blog, I also post frequently on LinkedIn. I keep track of my biological records and photos over on iNaturalist and submit my notable records to the BSBI database.
Contact
Please feel free to reach out, if you have any questions about my blog, have felt inspired, or know of any interesting finds in Worcestershire or beyond – I’d be happy to hear from you!
Tom the Botanist 