karl hamilton
Karl has a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Biology from the Queen’s University of Belfast, after which he took up the post of Senior Reserve Warden and Biodiversity Officer for the Wildfowl Wetlands Trust within Northern Ireland. While waterfowl were often the key focus of this role, Karl found ample opportunities to be distracted by raptors, mammals, invertebrates, fungi and botany.
After 17 years with WWT, Karl kick-started his own environmental education and ecological training business which operated across Ireland for nine years and afforded the opportunity to manage a varied team of animal ambassadors including tarantulas, snakes, frogs and a wide range of raptor species for educational displays. In 2020, the onset of COVID allowed for a timely transition into full-time ecological consultancy with Blackstaff Ecology. Karl now undertakes a wide range of ecological field surveys across Ireland, as well as continuing to provide ecological training across the Province. He now has the perfect reason to be distracted by birds, mammals, invertebrates, fungi and botany.
Karl is a life-long birder who may have a slight obsession with raptors and kingfishers; he has also participated in a wide range of voluntary ornithological surveys and has an unhealthy interest in botany, particularly rare and threatened Arctic-alpine plants (a bad choice as he isn't great with heights). Hiking, horticulture and Muay Thai training help to keep him out of mischief in between times.