The people behind Crossbill Guides

The Crossbill Guides Foundation is basically a grass-root organisation of ecologists. Its core consists of young Dutch biologists, who founded the organisation from the notion that it is unacceptable that there is no good information available for non-scientists over Europe's most important natural areas. If we want to maintain, let alone increase public's involvement with nature conservation, the first thing that needs to be done is to invite people to see through the eyes of an ecologist / nature conservationist.
We created a concept in which we think this target is best met: The Crossbill Guides.

Apart from local experts, who join us in the production of the different guidebooks, Crossbill Guides are the following people:

	Dirk Hilbers (1976) is the founder and director of the Crossbill Guides foundation and the main author of the Crossbill nature travel guidebooks. Being interested in nature since childhood, Dirk has been active in the NJN, the Dutch youth organisation for field biology, for many years. During his studies in ecology at the university of Nijmegen, the Netherlands, where many of his Crossbill Guides colleagues have studied, Dirk came to the conclusion that a major challenge for nature conservation is to bridge the great gap between conservation on the one hand and the general public on the other. Especially the conspicuous lack of information on the value of Europe's most important natural areas (Natura 2000) was an incentive to start the Crossbill Guides Foundation, thereby creating for himself what must be the best job in the entire world: a combination of doing nature trips and reliving them when writing up the books. Dirk works part-time for the Crossbill Guides Foundation. Dirk also teaches biology students at the University of Leiden in the topics of Science & Society, bioethics and science communication.
	Albert Vliegenthart (1975) is one of the authors of the Crossbill nature travel guidebooks. Albert is not only co-author but also assist Dirk in acquisition, which is very nice to do. Since his childhood he is interested in nature, which resulted in the maximum membership of the NJN (Dutch youth organization for field biology). After studying plant biotechnology in Delft, he started working as a molecular biologist in a private company where research in crop characteristics was only sometimes combined with nature aspects. Meanwhile his passion was kept alive by traveling through Europe exploring nature from North to South. Albert’s most favorite destination is definitely Greece. It may be no surprise that a Crossbill Guide will be an outcome of this enthusiasm. Albert also guides butterfly-tours for SNP (formerly provided by EcoTourist Services), where his knowledge of butterflies, dragonflies, birds and other ecological topics can be shared with fanatic ecotourists. Since 2007, Albert works at the Dutch Butterfly Conservation (De Vlinderstichting) as a project leader. In this job Albert likes the diversity of his work. Protection and habitat management for butterflies and dragonflies as main carriers, using professional scopes, volunteers, databases and the knowledge of DNA: wonderful tools for nature conservation.
	Horst Wolter (1977) has been drawing ever since he was able to hold a pencil. When Dirk asked him to make a schematic overview of the habitats of the Biebrza river for the first CGF publication, he immediately said yes. Horst is now the illustrator of the Crossbill Guides foundation. After finishing high school Horst had the choice to either study biology or to go to art school. He chose biology at the University of Nijmegen, where he received his master's degree in 2002. All through his studies Horst kept on creating illustrations of the various aspects of nature, from wildflowers and animals to the intricate patterns organs and cells. His main fascination lies in the complex shapes and structures you can find everywhere in nature and how these all have a purpose or function within 'the bigger scheme of things'. Examining and drawing these often cunning structures (from cell to ecosystem) gives a great insight into 'the why of things'. Within his work for Crossbill Guides Horst brings together his love for nature, fascination for its workings and his qualities as an illustrator.
	Gert Jan Bosgra (1978) is responsible for the graphic design of all Crossbill Guides publications and works in the management of the organisation. He is both a Master of Science (in the field of biology) and a Master of Arts (in the field of cultural studies). Besides his work for the Crossbill Guides Foundation, Gert Jan is manager of a scientific bookstore. Gert Jan specialised in education and popularisation of science. He went on to do Cultural Studies right after getting his masters in Biology. As special fields of interest he studied the use and function of the human body in art and the use of art as a communication tool between the 'Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities' / arts. It is this interplay between science and society that drew Gert Jan to the Crossbill Guides Foundation. He believes that it is important to make (scientific) knowledge accessible and enjoyable to the public at large.
	Oscar Lourens is an artist in his daily life. For Crossbill Guides he performs his skills as graphic designer.
	Kim Lotterman (1975) is the principle ecological editor of the guidebooks. Together with local experts, he checks the contents of each book thoroughly on its ecological correctness. His credo is 'if I get out of it what I want and my mother still finds it an enjoyable read, it's good'. Kim also writes small sections of the guidebooks. Furthermore he does additional ecological research and is the main ecological consultant for the author, Dirk. He also gets to do the thankful jobs like constructing the long species lists with translations in the back of the books. In daily life Kim is working as a researcher at an ecological nature research and consultancy group called 'Natuurbalans', where he focuses mainly on flora. Before working here, he studied biology and environmental studies at the University of Nijmegen. In his spare time Kim enjoys nature. He has a broad ecological interest ranging from mosses and lichens to butterflies and birds, but his main interest lies in the flora of the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
	John Cantelo (1950) assists by editing the English content of the Crossbill Guides. John has been interested in wildlife since early childhood and first became involved in promoting the understanding of wildlife whilst at school in Southampton (UK).  Having gained a degree in History and Sociology (Keele), he has pursued a career in teaching in secondary schools.  Now retired from full time teaching, he continues to work part-time as a field teacher for the RSPB at their Dungeness reserve. In addition, he is an active member for the Kent Ornithological Society (KOS) whose newsletter he edits and on whose executive committee he currently serves. As well as watching them, he is also interested in drawing and painting birds. History continues to run a close second to wildlife in his interests. In recent years, he has spent much time in Andalucia which is rapidly becoming a second home.
	Dorri te Boekhorst (1976) is, together with Friso Jorritsma, chair of the Crossbill Guides foundation and has been in the editorial team for several years. Currently she is involved in getting PR tasks done for the foundation. After finishing her masters in Biology, she started working for the Radboud Universities’ Programme on Sustainable Development and the Dutch Foundation for Sustainable Development in Higher Education (DHO). From 2008 she is working on her PhD proposal which entails research about Integrated River Basin Management in the Yellow and Yangtze river basins in China. She believes that it is (near) impossible to get people in general really enthusiastic about adequately protecting Europe’s natural areas if you can’t explain why they are so great. But if you can do exactly that; there is a world to win!

Organization