A Focus On Nature, Advent Calendar, Now for Nature
AFON
Yong Dong Li and NowforNature – Lewis Mitchell
Welcome to our 2016 Advent Calendar series (#AFONAdvent)! This year, our theme is “The Gift of Inspiration”. For each day, one of our members has written a blog post about someone who has inspired them, and how that inspiration has lead to them being where they are today. Each member is a shining example of a young person who is acting Now for Nature. We hope that you enjoy the series and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
My wildlife inspiration is a young man who was born in Singapore and now lives and works in Canberra, ACT, Australia. In fact, he is my second cousin. Yong Ding Li is an ornithological illustrator and naturalist. He has high level qualifications in ecology and wildlife research.
Yong Ding Li has authored, edited and illustrated in many books including “100 Best Bird-Watching Sites in South East Asia” and “Birds of Singapore”. In these books, Ding Li demonstrates the best places to see birdlife in South East Asia, and the vast array of birds in Singapore.
Singapore is a small island off the Malaysian Peninsula in South East Asia. A huge biodiversity of wildlife is present on the Malaysian Peninsula and on the small island of Singapore. In the summer of 2015, I was fortunate enough to spend some time birding with him at Canberra Botanical Gardens. There I saw kookaburra, superb fairy-wren and kangaroo, as well as many plant species.
Ding Li is my inspiration in wildlife because his achievements show me what I can achieve if I put in the same hard work and determination that he shows. His high aspirations have taught me to work toward whatever is your dream because of the immense rewards possible from living your dream.
My dream is to be the Warden on the magical and mystical Fair Isle, in Shetland, Scotland. To achieve this, I am applying to study a foundation degree in British Wildlife Conservation at the Royal Agricultural University, in Cirencester in the picturesque Cotswolds. Studying there will give me a fantastic opportunity to learn skills in wildlife conservation from a practical perspective from a great team of staff. I will have access to people who believe in and have a passion for what they teach and a vast network of contacts to achieve what I desire.
A great supporter of my work is my grandfather, pictured above, who is always there to tell me he loves me and what I am doing is making him proud. I couldn’t ask for a better grandad than him, ever.
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