This month, our enthusiastic Community Outreach Officer Amita Malik is in the spotlight.
What sparked your interest in wildlife, and what made you decide to get involved with the Ealing Wildlife Group? I have always enjoyed the peace that the outdoors brings, but specifically during lockdown walks I started to notice fungi growing everywhere. After learning how to identify a few mushrooms, I was hooked!
Growing up in the area, I watched first-hand how Ealing Wildlife Group has transformed both local ecosystems and people’s personal connections to nature. I love that the group allows me to give back to my local community and hopefully facilitate that initial ‘spark’ in others to fall in love with local wildlife too.
If you could only recommend one spot in Ealing for someone to experience the best of its wildlife, where would it be and what makes it so special? Paradise fields is the obvious answer for me -where else do you get to see beavers?! It is such a peaceful green space with a huge variety of biodiversity. Whether you are interested in beavers, birds or insects, it’s got everything covered!
Tell us about a wildlife encounter that really sticks with you. What do you remember most vividly about it? I remember walking home from the bus stop one evening, realising I was being accompanied by a particularly curious fox. It kept me company, following alongside me for a short while – nothing short of magical. To me, foxes are a true representation of urban wildlife and will always have a soft spot in my heart!
If you could transform into a UK animal for a day, what would you be and why? A red kite, simply to experience gliding through the sky so gracefully.
In her Community Outreach role, Amita engages with local residents and organisations to encourage the widest possible involvement of the borough’s diverse community in our work. If you are interested in finding out more, please email communityewg@gmail.com.
