Join us in June for our next Evening Talk at Quince Honey Farm!
Ecologist, wildlife artist and author John Walters joins us to explore the wide variety of birds to be found in Devon from the coastal estuaries, river valley, woodland and moorland. The talk will include some of Devon’s special birds including: the only aquatic songbird the Dipper which gathers its food underwater on fast flowing streams and rivers; the tiny Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nesting in the wooded valleys around southern Dartmoor; the Cuckoo which has sadly declined over the last thirty years but still has a stronghold on Dartmoor where Meadow Pipits are used to foster their young; incredible sub Saharan African migrants such as the Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler and winter visitors such as the Jack Snipe from the frozen lands of Finland and Russia.
John Walters last visited us in 2024 for an evening talk on ‘Secrets world of the Undergrowth’ and we can’t wait to have him back again!
More about John Walters …
John was born in Hampshire and grew up on nearby Hayling Island. Here, surrounded by the internationally important bird reserves, sand dunes and salt marshes, John developed a deep interest in the natural world. John moved to the south-west in 1987 studying Graphic Information Design at Falmouth School of Art and after graduating worked for several years as a graphic designer for the Dartmoor National Park Authority. Since 1999 John has worked as a freelance ecologist, artist and public speaker based in Buckfastleigh on the edge of Dartmoor. He draws and paints wildlife directly from life in the field attempting to capture the life and vitality of his subjects. John is a keen photographer and specialises in taking photographs of insects. His ecological studies have included in-depth studies of the blue ground beetle, heath potter wasp roosting long-tailed tits and the horrid ground weaver spider. A collection of his wildlife videos can be viewed on his YouTube channel. John has written and illustrated several books and guides including The Wildlife of Dartmoor and most recently Dancing with Bees by Brigit Strawbridge. He has contributed to many television and radio programmes including David Attenborough’s Life in the Undergrowth, Radio 4s Living World, The One Show and Hugh’s Wild West.
For more information, please visit John’s website here: www.johnwalters.co.uk
Date: Wednesday 17th June 2026
Time: 7pm – 8:30pm – doors open at 6:30pm
Price: £5 per person – booking in advance recommended, but tickets can be purchased on the door.
Click HERE to book online (booking fee applies), or book by phone (01769 572 401), or in person in our shop.
Key information:
- Customers can pay on the door but we do encourage booking in advance which helps us to know customer numbers and plan accordingly.
- Suitable for adults and children age 12 years + and beginners to the subject area.
- Doors open at 6:30pm, please arrive in good time to be seated for 7pm ready for the talk to start.
- The Nectar Gardens and the Nectary Restaurant will be open between 6:30pm – 7pm, for customers to explore the gardens at their leisure and to purchase drinks and refreshments before the talk starts.
- The Gift Shop will be open for customers to browse from 6:30pm – 7pm and at the end of the talk.
