Mike has been an obsessive naturalist since childhood, equally at home either on his hands and knees identifying wild flowers in the British countryside, or surveying the Amazon for hummingbirds. With degrees in Botany and Ecology, Mike’s obsession with the tropics began when studying moths in the South American Andes. This then led to over five years carrying out research work in the tropical forests of Ecuador, Vietnam, Tanzania and Peru.

Finally emerging out of the bush and returning back to Britain to find a job in television, Mike is probably best known as the wildlife expert on the BBC’s The One Show. Pontificating about everything from bumblebees to basking sharks, Mike has racked up over 450 appearances during his 15 years on the show.

Living with his wife and son in the Chew Valley, south of Bristol, his main job now is as a professional plate spinner, which involves intermingling TV commitments with writing, tour-leading and giving talks. A columnist for BBC Wildlife Magazine, Mike has also written eight nature-themed books, with his most recent being One Thousand Shades of Green – A Year in Search of Britain’s Wild Plants.

A thousand shades of green