This month, May 2021, I’ll be celebrating. It’s the 10th anniversary of putting all my working time into my business, Dan Puplett Nature Awareness. DPNA started a couple of years earlier as a side project while I was employed at Trees for Life. But this month marks 10 years of going all in!
Like many of us, I would love to see a human culture that treats all life with respect. One that has a net positive impact on the biosphere. I believe that understanding and connecting deeply to the more-than-human world are a key parts of realising this vision. My aim in creating this business was (and is) to help people to deepen their understanding of, and sense of kinship with, this wild world and its 8+ million species. Hopefully then we can act as better stewards and be more considerate neighbours!
And that's not meant to sound grandiose. What I'm doing may be a drop in the ocean, but I don’t have anything better to do so I’ve stuck with it. The fantastic thing is that there are lots of drops in the ocean, countless individuals and organisations who are also awed by this planet and want to help create a brighter future. You are probably one of them too. I'm privileged to know some of them personally, and that gives me hope.
Over the last decade I have run (and continue to run) a range of courses and bespoke trainings and events. Many of these have been focused around some core themes. These include wildlife tracking, bird language, foraging, ecology, natural history, rewilding and nature connection. Things I love to geek out about. I deliver training for conservation and environmental education professionals as well as universities and the general public. I also carryout ecological surveys and deliver guided wildlife walks. I have been fortunate to freelance for a number of excellent organisations delivering Forest Schools, nature-based youth work and programmes for people in recovery and with mental health challenges.
A lot has happened over the last decade and I've been privileged to work with some amazing people in a wide range of places from St Kilda to Hungary. The journey so far has been fun and inspiring and at times challenging and difficult. But the overriding feeling is one of gratitude. I'm aware that no project or business can ever be down to one person. So many people have helped me on the way.
So, a huge thank you to everyone who has supported my work. My own teachers and mentors, clients, tracking buddies, students, online subscribers, and those closest to me who give support and encouragement and also teach me a huge amount. I've had a fascination with nature from a very young age and I feel grateful to those adults who saw and encouraged this interest. And there's massive appreciation for this astonishing natural world that continually teaches and inspires me.
It's been a privilege to meet thousands of people who have a shared passion for the natural world. In turbulent times I find it heartening that so many individuals find joy in engaging with nature and are committed to finding ways to help this wild world thrive. I think that biophilia runs deep in our veins.
I'm looking forward to the next steps. I have a some exciting projects in the pipeline, so watch this space! Thank you once again and I hope that your own connection to nature continues to deepen and flourish.
Stay well and stay wild,
Dan