We have a small but experienced team here at Tadorna Tours. Each of our Tour Leaders and Operations staff are experienced in their fields through their work in conservation or in the field, and our Operations staff are friendly, informative and passionate about giving you the best experience on one of our tours and helping you to be organised and ready along the way.
Dan Rouse
Director
Dan is responsible for the every day running of Tadorna Tours and Tadorna Wildlife, she also leads some of our Day Trips, UK Tours and is a core member of the Wildlife Education team.
Born and raised in a small town near Swansea, Dan has a huge passion for Wales and its wildlife. She is an experienced ornithologist having conducted surveys for Natural Resources Wales as well as being a Consultant Ecologist for a number of different ecology companies across the UK. She has a particular love for wildfowl and wader migration, spending many many hours on the coast watching species through the year. Her background is in wildlife education, having worked for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in both their education and aviculture departments. Dan is qualified in Additional and Special Educational Needs teaching and has worked with SEN Groups and Schools. She is a presenter for S4C and guest presenter on BBC Countryfile, she’s also an author with DK Books.
Interests: Birds, Wildfowl, Coastal Wildlife, Waders, Cetaceans
Favourite creatures: Red-breasted Goose, Oystercatcher, Manx Shearwater, Harbour Porpoise
Sam Viles
Director
Sam is responsible for photography for Tadorna Tours as well as leading our Day Trips.
Sam is an experienced ornithologist with a keen interest in vagrancy, rare birds and migration currently working as a bird news editor for BirdGuides.com and as a columnist for Birdwatch magazine. Born and raised in Nottinghamshire, Sam’s love for birds has taken him across the world. This includes pioneering birding trips to southern Algeria and Egypt, as well as a five-year university stint in Northumberland amidst the delights of coastal wildlife, terns, waders and rare migrants. Holding a committee position for Nottinghamshire Birdwatchers, Sam also writes features and gives talks on a freelance basis. Now based in the outskirts of Swansea, Sam’s passion for wildlife photography means he never goes anywhere without a camera! He has had photos published in several magazines and is highly passionate about the craft and sharing his knowledge with others.
Interests: Birds, Wildlife Photography, Butterflies and Dragonflies
Favourite creatures: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Barnacle Goose, Yellow-browed Warbler, Marsh Fritillary
MORE OF THE TADORNA FAMILY
Tadorna – South Wales
Our Tadorna Wildlife Hub in South Wales is a core part of what we offer in terms of education and events.
Tara Crank
Education Officer
Tara is responsible for running the Educational work at our Wildlife Hub.
Having grown up in a family of teachers, Tara is particularly fascinated by the process of learning, particularly through experiences in nature. Her Master’s thesis was focused on how mobile technology can promote connection with natural places and she brings this modern attitude forward in her practices. Working at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew) Tara developed a particular fondness for bees & other pollinators and will often be found with her nose by a flower, looking closely at a hungry bee. With experience at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Coed Lleol/SmallWoods and Dryad Bushcraft, Tara’s knowledge base brings together environmentally minded outdoor living skills with conservation and biology.
Interests: Experiential Learning, Bees, Moths, Trees, Edible & Medicinal Plants
Favourite Creatures: Patchwork Leaf-Cutter Bee, Tawny Mining Bee, Canary-Shouldered Thorn, White-Lipped Snail, Beard lichens
Tate Lloyd
Education Assistant
Tate is responsible for leading our marine recording, community engagement sessions and a core member of our Wildlife Hub team.
Tate has had an interest and passion for nature from a very young age, having grown up in the Rhondda Valleys he is enthusiastic about sharing his passion and knowledge about the natural world. He is currently studying environmental conservation management, but has experience of surveying birds for the BTO as well as practical conservation skills from volunteering on nature reserves. Despite a love for all creatures within the natural world, Tate has a particular love for birds, insects, rockpool creatures and fish.
Interests: Birds, Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies, Hoverflies, Bees, Fish and rockpool life.
Favourite creatures: Dotterel, Green hairstreak, Golden-ringed dragonfly, Hornet mimic hoverfly, Lobster and Corkwing wrasse.
Holly Tudball
Media & Education Intern
Holly is responsible for assisting with activities at our Wildlife Hub, she is also responsible for much of our online content on social media and our Youtube channel.
Holly grew up in the Rhondda valleys and has always been outdoors. She has since completed a level 3 Countryside Management course which gave her skill in identifying many taxa; including mammals, birds, insects and plants. She has bird surveying skills from carrying out surveys for the BTO and plant and habitat surveying experience from her time at college. She is also experienced in caring for animals from studying the subject at college and voluntary placements. Holly is also a great photographer and filmmaker and has images published in magazines and online articles.
Interests: mammals, sharks, birds, butterflies, moths and plants. I also collect bird feathers.
Favourite wildlife: Orca, Red fox, Avocet, Little auk, Long-eared owl, Orange tip butterfly, Garden tiger moth and Wood Anemone.
Office Team
Jacqui Wilson
From Nature Managing Director
Jacqui is responsible of the running and development of Tadorna From Nature
Contact: fromnature@tadornatours.co.uk