My name is Hannah Lilly and I live in the sea-side town of Folkestone in Kent.

I was introduced to the joy of bird watching by my dad at a young age. Now, I’m a aspiring nature writer keen to share my enthusiasm with others and advocate for the role of nature in supporting mental health.

Birding background

I have been a birder since I was seven years old, when my dad started taking me to nature reserves. I spent much of my childhood in Dungeness, Stodmarsh and roaming the halls of Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory. Here, I attended the RSPB youth groups between the ages of 7 to 18; gained a trainee bird ringing license; and later volunteered as an education leader for the same groups I attended as a child. While I have less time to spend in the field now, I still go bird watching as much as possible and enjoy sharing my experiences on my blog.

Writing career at a glance

  • My freelance career began in 2021 when I created a range of nature-themed short stories and meditation scripts for mindfulness app, Carbon Unwind.

  • Shortly after, I graduated with a first class degree in English Literature and produced an award-winning dissertation about the symbolic and descriptive portrayal of birds in Romantic poetry.

  • I then began my full-time role as a B2C travel copywriter.

  • I’m currently halfway through my Travel and Nature Writing MA at Bath Spa University, taught by esteemed writers Jonathan Laurie, Jane Adams, Gail Simmons, Amanda Tuke, and, until recently, Stephen Moss.

  • My first article about marshland bird conservation, written alongside Dominic Couzens, was published in the July 2024 edition of Bird Watching magazine.

 

My blog

This blog is a place to share my bird-watching experiences, book reviews, creative non-fiction writing and my general thoughts.

As someone recovering from an eating disorder, I have a keen interest in sharing how nature can positively impact our mental health, whether that is learning about nature from your bed or going birding internationally. Wherever you find yourself, I hope that my blog can provide some relief and/or inspiration.

I hope that you enjoy reading about my experiences, and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me! I would love to connect with and learn from as many people as possible.

 

A little positivi-bee, cheering you on for the rest of your day!