Funding and Academic Interest

 I was asked how I get funding for the wildlife work. I don't. Since 1976 every penny spent comes out of my own pocket and that is stressful and crippling financially. Yet, I have found out more and published findings than university departments do.  

The problem is that universities and colleges do not have the old style biology departments with field naturalists attached. This is to the detriment of UK wildlife and wildlife history where dogma continues to be promoted.   

Being attached to a university or college has its advantages and one of those is access to technical papers which are almost "closed off to non club members". All the research material I get is from free access in Europe and the United States.

No one seems to think wildlife work (in the UK) is worth funding and there are very few rich animal lovers out there interested in funding research work -such as DNA testing. 

If you get into wildlife don't think you'll make money. And do not think publishers are going to leap at the chance to publish your work if it breaks down dogma and gives a true picture of British wildlife history. Over the decades one line I have heard repeated ad nauseum is "You'll never get rich in wildlife work!"  

Be warned😉